Karl Anderson To Make History As A WWE Star In NJPW
Reigning NEVER Openweight Champion Karl Anderson to work Wrestle Kingdom 17 as a WWE star.
Karl Anderson is expected to become the first WWE-contracted wrestler to ever work Wrestle Kingdom, NJPW's signature event, on 4 January 2023.
Fightful Select reiterated on Monday that Anderson is still lined-up for the Tokyo Dome supershow. This has been the case since August, despite Anderson and long-time tag team partner Luke Gallows returning to WWE as full-time, contracted hires in October.
Anderson jumped to WWE while still holding NJPW's NEVER Openweight Championship. WWE reached out to him and Gallows about a comeback in August, which is when Karl's existing New Japan commitments were seemingly made clear.
Concern was sparked in November, when Anderson was announced for WWE Crown Jewel 2022 on the same day that he was due to defend his NEVER belt against Hikuleo in Osaka, Japan. "Pulled" from the NJPW show, Anderson worked the WWE event, though the situation was an elaborate work - and used as a means of prolonging Karl's ongoing New Japan storyline with Hikuleo.
Anderson has never not been under the impression that he was working Wrestle Kingdom. This has been the plan all along. PWInsider reports that he will have a "strong role" on the card, competing in a singles match.