Formerly known as Toa Henare, Aaron Henare was known for bringing a Mori Warrior’s pride and fighting spirit wherever he went. Now in the United Empire, he will stop at nothing to get success.

Never backing down from the fiercest of fights, Henare nonetheless was frustrated with a lack of progress in NJPW’s main unit. A loss to Jay White in the 2021 New Japan Cup proved to be the last straw. Frustrated, Henare withdrew from the public eye, only to resurface as the Ultimate Weapon for the United Empire. With a new sense of purpose, he was dominant against SANADA at Sakura Genesis 2021 and is a fearsome acquisition for the faction.

Henare got the chance to prove just that in the summer of 2022. Entering the G1 Climax for the first time in his career, Henare immediately made a name for himself by beating Hiroshi Tanahashi on the opening night of the tournament. In spring of 2023, Henare scored another big win, defeating Shingo Takagi to eliminate him in the New Japan Cup, and earning a KOPW 2023 title shot- one that Henare only barely came up short in the first Ultimate Triad match. Pivoting to tag competition, he and Great-0O-Khan would challenge for the vacant IWGP and STRONG tag titles at Dominion in June. 

As he entered G1 CLIMAX 33 on July 16 2023, Henare changed his in-ring name from Aaron Henare to HENARE,  becoming the first pro athlete in any sport in history to bear the deeply culturally significant Mataora markings and carry a millennia long Polynesian tradition.