Dan Moloney

Dan Moloney, known in the ring as Drilla Moloney, is an English professional wrestler from Birmingham currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He competes in the junior heavyweight division and is a three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion alongside Clark Connors. A member of the Bullet Club War Dogs, Moloney is recognized for his hard-hitting style and technical ability. He built his reputation on the British independent circuit before breaking through in Japan, where he has become a staple of the tag team division and a regular in major NJPW events.[edit]

Moloney grew up in Birmingham, England, deeply immersed in professional wrestling from an early age. He idolized Japanese stars like Jushin Thunder Liger and studied British wrestling legends. As a teenager, he enrolled at a local wrestling school in the Midlands, training intensively to develop his craft. His early career unfolded on the UK independent scene, where he wrestled for promotions such as Attack! Pro Wrestling and Progress Wrestling. A key stepping stone was his work with Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro), where his aggressive style and technical prowess caught the attention of New Japan Pro-Wrestling scouts. He debuted on the independent circuit in 2015, refining his skills in front of small but devoted crowds.[edit]

Moloney made his New Japan Pro-Wrestling debut in 2020 as a Young Lion, training in the NJPW dojo system. In 2022, he joined the Bullet Club faction, initially as part of the House of Torture sub-group before aligning with the main unit led by David Finlay. His breakthrough came in 2023 when he teamed with Clark Connors as the War Dogs. Together, they won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship on June 25, 2023, at NJPW STRONG Independence Day, defeating MUSASHI and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Later that year, they won the Super Junior Tag League tournament, earning another title shot. At Wrestle Kingdom 18 on January 4, 2024, Moloney and Connors regained the tag titles, holding them for 145 days. They captured the titles for a third time in October 2024, cementing their status as a dominant tag team. Moloney has also made appearances for All Elite Wrestling as part of NJPW's working relationship, wrestling on AEW Collision and Rampage in 2025. As of 2026, he remains an active competitor in NJPW's junior division, feuding with the Just 5 Guys faction and pursuing singles gold.[edit]

Moloney portrays a cocky, arrogant heel character in NJPW, known for his hard-hitting and technical style. He is seen as a rising star in the junior heavyweight division and a future main eventer. Fans of Bullet Club, often called Bone Soldiers, form his primary fanbase. On social media, he maintains a professional and occasionally humorous tone, promoting events and interacting with fans.[edit]

Dan Moloney operates within the specialized ecosystem of professional wrestling fandom, where audiences are typically defined by their allegiance to specific promotions rather than singular superstars. His supporters, largely categorized under the broader umbrella of New Japan Pro-Wrestling enthusiasts and the dedicated following of the Bullet Club stable known as Bone Soldiers, engage with his career through match attendance and digital discourse rather than formalized fan clubs. While the wrestler maintains a professional social media presence that occasionally features humor, there is no officially recognized or widely established name for his specific fanbase, distinguishing him from global pop icons who command self-identifying groups like the Beyhive. The audience interaction remains rooted in standard wrestling traditions, such as meet-and-greets and autograph sessions, reflecting his status as a mid-to-upper-card talent whose influence is measured by in-ring performance rather than organized campaigns. In August 2026, the iFANN Global Fame Engine evaluated Dan Moloney and determined that he currently holds no placement within the published Global Top 1,000 rankings or any Top-100 scope list. This absence of a numerical rank indicates that while he commands a steady niche following in the British independent circuit and Japanese heavyweight divisions, he has not yet crossed the threshold into the tier of worldwide celebrity that secures a position on the master lists. His fame is concentrated among those who follow the junior heavyweight division and the specific narrative arcs of the Bullet Club War Dogs, rather than the general public. The scale of his recognition is significant within its domain, driven by consistent match statistics and high-profile crossover events, yet it does not currently generate the mass consumption signals required for a ranked entry. Consequently, his legacy is built on the resilience of his career choices and the quality of his technical output rather than viral phenomena or mainstream saturation.[edit]

His ring name 'Drilla' reflects his intense, drilling style of offense, a moniker that stuck as he honed his craft. A devoted fan of the band The Prodigy, Moloney utilized their music for entrance themes during his time on the independent circuit before his major breakthrough. His background in amateur boxing contributes significantly to the stiffness of his striking style, adding a layer of authenticity to his hard-hitting persona. To facilitate communication within New Japan Pro-Wrestling, he learned basic Japanese early in his tenure. A Bullet Club logo is permanently inked on his chest, serving as a constant symbol of his affiliation. Fans frequently retell the story of his victory over Daniel Garcia at the AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door Buy-In on June 28, 2026, a cross-promotional win that provided his biggest mainstream exposure. Another narrative central to his mythology involves his decision to remain with NJPW when 'The Dogs' departed the company in June 2026, cementing his reputation as a loyalist to his home promotion. Early in his career, WWE featured him in an article titled 'Dan Moloney' in December 2016, noting his potential before he found his permanent home in Japan.[edit]

Moloney keeps his family life private, and no details about his parents or siblings are publicly known. He does not have any known children. He resides primarily in Japan during NJPW tours and returns to the UK in his downtime.[edit]

Moloney is best known for his tag team partnership with Clark Connors, with whom he has won multiple tag team championships. He is a member of the Bullet Club War Dogs, led by David Finlay, and frequently teams with fellow Bullet Club member Gabe Kidd. He has faced Will Ospreay on the UK independent circuit and has been mentored by Minoru Suzuki in Japan.[edit]

Moloney maintains a strict separation between his professional wrestling persona and his private life. There are no publicly confirmed relationships, engagements, marriages, or divorces. He does not post about romantic partners on social media, and no mainstream wrestling outlets have reported on any relationships. As of 2026, he is believed to be single based on the absence of any evidence to the contrary.[edit]

iFANN currently estimates Dan Moloney's net worth at $1.5 million. His income is primarily derived from his NJPW contract, which includes a base salary, per-match fees, and bonuses for title wins. Additional earnings come from independent bookings in the UK and appearances for AEW. He also generates revenue from merchandise sales, including Bullet Club shirts and Drilla Moloney gear.[edit]

Moloney is a three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, winning the titles with Clark Connors in 2023 and 2024. He also won the 2023 Super Junior Tag League tournament and held the RevPro British Tag Team Championship once on the UK independent scene.[edit]