Karl Anderson's Current IWGP Title Reign Mentioned On WWE NXT

WWE has seen a wave of returning stars since Paul "Triple H" Levesque took over the creative direction of the company. That includes the Good Brothers — Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows — who made a surprise comeback on "WWE Raw" a few short weeks ago, re-aligning themselves with AJ Styles to reform The O.C. However, even now signed to WWE, traces of the duo remain overseas where they recently competed, perhaps best represented by Karl Anderson's current reign as the NEVER Openweight Champion for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. 

WWE hasn't shied away from recognizing that state of affairs either. On last night's "NXT," commentator Vic Joseph even referenced it: "Well, speaking about going around the world, that's exactly what The O.C. has done — shocked the world when they returned to WWE. The O.C. has been everywhere; hell, Karl's even a champion still in Japan." 

Anderson continuing to hold the NEVER Openweight Championship while traveling and performing with WWE comes with its own set of complications. This week on "Raw," it was announced that The Judgment Day's Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and Dominik Mysterio vs. The O.C. will take place at WWE Crown Jewel on November 5. The problem with that is it so happens to be the same day Anderson is scheduled to defend his belt in NJPW against Hikuleo at the "Battle Autumn" show in Osaka. As of now, NJPW is still advertising the match, with no indication of the bout being canceled or rescheduled for a different date.

At the time of the Good Brothers' signing, they were reportedly committed to fulfilling their commitments with NJPW through Wrestle Kingdom, which takes place in January 2023, as a condition of their deal.