After an impressive win over Francesco Akira in England, Dan Moloney was invited into the United Empire by Will Ospreay in the spring of 2023, and headed to Japan for the first time in Best of the Super Jr. 30. An impressive debut performance was capped off by a wild brawl with Clark Connors that earned the respect of both Connors and Bloody hands Gedo. 

At Dominion, Moloney accompanied his United Empire partners TJP and Akira to the ring as they won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Campionships, but turned his back on the group immediately afterward, joining the BULLET CLUB War Dogs and challenging the new champions for Independence Day in Korakuen Hall, changing his name to Drilla Moloney in the process. Moloney and Connors would use their newfound momentum to seize the gold on two separate occasions and cast an oppressive shadow over the junior heavyweight division.