Karl Anderson’s decision to choose WWE Crown Jewel 2022 over NJPW Battle Autumn has infuriated NJPW President Takami Ohbari.
Anderson, the reigning NJPW NEVER Openweight Champion, returned to WWE earlier this month alongside Luke Gallows.
The duo will team up with AJ Styles to face the Judgment Day at Crown Jewel on November 5.
Double Booking
After his return to WWE, it was reported that Anderson was still booked for Battle Autumn, where he was set to defend against Hikuleo.
In an updated card, published after the Good Brothers returned to Raw, the match was still on the schedule, with many believing NJPW and WWE had reached a deal.
After his match at Crown Jewel was announced, Anderson took to Twitter, where he and Gallows said they will not be competing at Battle Autumn.
The show is also scheduled for November 5 and is will take place in Osaka, Japan, over 5,200 miles away from Crown Jewel’s host city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Furious
Anderson and by proxy, Gallows, are off the Battle Autumn card, which hasn’t gone down well with New Japan’s higher ups.
In a recent interview with Tokyo Sports, company President Takami Ohbari stated that he was “furious,” but declined to comment further on the matter.
The report also noted that in early 2006, Brock Lesnar was forced to pull out a NJPW event, though in his case it was due to Visa issues.
Anderson’s decision to skip Battle Autum in favor of WWE Crown Jewel is the first instance of a “foreign fighter blatantly refusing to participate” at a pre-advertised show.
