New Japan Pro Wrestling has scrapped a match featuring WWE star Karl Anderson after he was booked for Crown Jewel on the same day.
The O.C. star – who recently made a shocking return on Raw alongside his Good Brothers tag team partner Luke Gallows – still holds the NEVER Openweight Championship despite rejoining WWE, and he was set to defend the belt for NJPW at the promotion’s Battle Autumn event on November 5.
However, he’ll now be in action in Saudi Arabia that day as he teams up with Gallows and AJ Styles against the Judgment Day members Finn Balor, Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio.
In a statement, New Japan said: ‘Despite extensive efforts by New Japan Pro-Wrestling to negotiate with Karl Anderson regarding his scheduled match in Osaka at Battle Autumn on November 5, NJPW officials have still been met with no response, and have been left with no other option but to cancel the planned NEVER Openweight Championship match.
‘We apologise to fans who had been looking forward to watching Anderson wrestle.