Karl Anderson has lost the NEVER Openweight Championship to Tama Tonga at Wrestle Kingdom 17.
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Anderson previously defeated the former Bullet Club member to win the title. He then signed with WWE and returned alongside Luke Gallows to side with AJ Styles.
The Machine Gun briefly returned to NJPW to successfully defend the title against Hikuleo before being challenged by Tama. This angle led to a rematch at the Tokyo Dome, which was won by the 40-year-old star.
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The finish to the match saw Tama hit a Gun Stun from the second rope before struggling to hit a second one. He went for the pinfall on Anderson and successfully won the title.
This could potentially mark the end of Anderson's stint in NJPW. He is expected to return to WWE and reunite with Luke Gallows, AJ Styles, and 'Michin' Mia Yim, his stablemates in The O.C.
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The Machine Gun also walked out at the Tokyo Dome, representing The O.C. He and Gallows were previously recruited back into the Bullet Club by Jay White. However, their tenure with the group could potentially come to an end after NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17.
Did you enjoy Karl Anderson's tenure as the NEVER Openweight Champion? Sound off in the comments section below.
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About the author
Soumik Datta
Soumik Datta is a professional wrestling journalist who has been following the business for more than a decade.
In 2017, Soumik joined the Sportskeeda Wrestling team and is best known for his work with the WWE team. He has previously contributed to the Sportskeeda AEW, MMA, and the football team where he specifically covered the Major League Soccer.
In 2024, Soumik crossed 50 million reads for Sportskeeda WWE. While working under Sportskeeda MMA, he interviewed prominent UFC fighters, including Justin Gaethje, Sean O'Malley, and Cory Sandhagen, among others. Prior to joining Sportskeeda, Soumik briefly worked for SEScoops and Sports Nova.
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