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Bullet Club member and current NEVER Openweight Champion Karl Anderson has made it clear that he will be appearing at WWE Crown Jewel on November 5.
Anderson was also booked for NJPW Battle Autumn on the same day. However, his stablemate Yujiro Takahashi is willing to step in for The Machine Gun.
Backstage at the recently concluded NJPW Rumble on 44th Street show, Takahashi challenged Hikuleo. He asked the former Bullet Club member to step up and face a former NEVER Openweight Champion in the absence of the current champion.
"Hikuleo! All you've got is your size. In Osaka, why don't you try and take on a former NEVER Openweight Champion?" said Yujiro Takahashi.
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Anderson's status for the show is currently up in the air and has not been confirmed.
The 42-year-old did claim that New Japan management did not confirm his booking for Battle Autumn with his booking agent, who also happens to be his long-term tag team partner, Luke Gallows (Doc Gallows).
Karl Anderson was challenged by Hikuleo a few weeks ago
Earlier this year, Karl Anderson returned to Japan under New Japan Pro Wrestling and set his sights on Tama Tonga. Tama and Anderson were stablemates in the Bullet Club and were OGs of the faction alongside Finn Balor and Bad Luck Fale.
However, after Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa were betrayed by Jay White and co., The Good Brothers returned to the Bullet Club. Anderson won the NEVER Openweight Title from Tonga at Dominion 6.12.
He also defended the belt against Hiroshi Tanahashi in his first title defense. Shortly afterward, though, Hikuleo finally betrayed the Bullet Club and faction leader White to side with his brothers Tama and Loa.
As it stands, Anderson is set to team up with AJ Styles and Luke Gallows at Crown Jewel for a six-man tag team match against The Judgment Day.
Would you like to see Yujiro Takahashi replace Karl Anderson at Battle Autumn? Sound off in the comments section.
