NJPW Never Openweight Champion Karl Anderson is officially off the card for Battle Autumn, the promotion has confirmed.
Anderson had previously been booked for the show on November 5, where he was scheduled to defend his title against Hikuleo.
In a statement on their website, New Japan confirmed that despite “extensive efforts,” the match is now off.
New Japan apologized for Anderson not being on the show, adding that they hold their champions “to the highest standard of professionalism.”
Instead of the pre-announced title match, Hikuleo will now face Yujiro Takahashi in a non-title match.
The Openweight Championship
Anderson returned to WWE earlier this month as the NJPW Never Openweight Champion, and the match with Hikuleo had already been booked and announced.
It was in a social media video that Anderson claimed he would not be at Battle Autumn and instead compete at WWE Crown Jewel (also November 5.)
In a response, NJPW said that Anderson will be stripped of the title if he does not compete at Battle Autumn, but the title’s future was not addressed in the recent statement.
More than Meets the Eye
The conflict between Anderson, New Japan and WWE has been going on for weeks now, but this isn’t how things are behind the scenes.
A report last week notes that there have always been plans for Anderson to wrestle for New Japan despite his WWE return.
Sources close to the situation said that “things are fine” between Anderson and the two promotions.
