NJPW President Expects Karl Anderson To Be At Battle Autumn, Despite Being Scheduled For WWE Crown Jewel
Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows recently returned to WWE, but this wasn't like any other comeback in recent memory. As of this writing, Anderson is still the NJPW NEVER Openweight Champion, and it's rare for wrestlers to appear on WWE television while they still have commitments to other promotions.
However, it appears that WWE will allow Anderson to finish his upcoming NJPW dates, but scheduling conflicts are already interfering with his plans in Japan. The Bullet Club member was scheduled to defend his title at NJPW's Battle Autumn event on November 5, but he's required at WWE's Crown Jewel premium live event instead. NJPW's President Tahami Ohbari has since commented on the matter via Twitter, and he doesn't seem too happy about Anderson being double booked.
"We are doing all we can to ensure every signed match in Osaka on November 5 happens as promised. We expect all wrestlers, especially champions, to honor their advertised commitments. #njautumn," he wrote.
This isn't the first time that Ohbari has commented on Anderson choosing WWE over the upcoming NJPW event. The NJPW President recently claimed that he was "furious" about the situation. Furthermore, it was noted that Anderson's actions are the first time that a foreign wrestler has blatantly refused to participate in a scheduled NJPW event they were advertised for.
Meanwhile, Anderson and Gallows have revealed why Anderson chose WWE over NJPW. The long-time tag team partners posted a video message on Twitter last week, in which they stated all of Anderson's bookings need to go through Gallows beforehand. NJPW seemingly didn't contact the Superstar formerly known as Festus, which is why Anderson won't be appearing at Battle Autumn.