New Japan Pro Wrestling canceled a match between NEVER Openweight Champion Karl Anderson and Hikuleo at Battle Autumn on Saturday because Anderson will be in Saudi Arabia for Crown Jewel. Hikuleo will fight Yujiro Takahashi instead.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that NJPW is still working an angle with Anderson and will not strip him of the title because they expect him back to eventually drop it, likely at Wrestle Kingdom 17, which is on a Wednesday, so it wouldn’t conflict with a WWE date.
This will break a tradition in the company where if NJPW promotes a title match and the champion doesn’t appear, they are stripped of the belt.
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