Karl Anderson is the current NJPW NEVER Openweight Champion. As such, the promotion has expected that Anderson will defend that title, or else be stripped. That talking point has been a major focus among wrestling circles lately, as rumors swirl about Anderson’s status with New Japan.
New Japan will be holding their Battle Autumn pay-per-view event on November 5th, a show that Anderson will most likely miss. On that same date, Anderson is slated to participate in a six-man tag match at WWE’s Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia.
The “Machine Gun” has alleged that NJPW booked him for that show without contacting him first, which is something the company denies. NJPW has reiterated that if Anderson does not show for the event, he will be stripped of the title. Anderson remains adamant that he will not vacate the title.
According to Fightful, there are, and have been, active plans for Anderson in NJPW. The Japanese promotion is expecting that Anderson will work additional dates for them, and that WWE is okay with that arrangement. NJPW knew of Anderson’s decision to return to WWE back in August, and that relationships between Anderson, WWE, and NJPW remain fine.
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