Tag: Luke Gallows

Karl Anderson praises Dominik Mysterio, comments on Finn Balor’s Judgment Day exit

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Dominik Mysterio’s WWE glow-up has drawn praise from The Good Brothers. 

Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows were special guests on TMZ’s Inside The Ring. Anderson perceived Mysterio as a World Champion in the initial years of touring in WWE. 

Anderson said:

“Dominik is, I’ve said it even back then, you know, when he first started, I wasn’t sure when he was a baby face and he was just getting moving. But then when we worked with him in The Judgment Day, dude, we got on the road with him. We were doing live events with him and it was like immediately then though. That was man, I can’t believe it now, that’s four years ago. I said, ‘Dude, Dom’s a future World Champion, and there’s no way he’s not going to be.’”

Anderson pointed out how the young Mysterio always eagerly listened and put into effect the advice he received backstage to hone his wrestling abilities. 

“He’s too good. He’s too smart. He’s too respectful. He listens. He takes advice and actually does it. You know, he doesn’t just take the advice and just have it go one ear (out the other). He actually listens and and changes and does what he’s told and and practice and, puts to practice what he hears.It’s amazing to watch Dom what he’s turned into.” 

Gallows added how Mysterio complemented his heel turn with the strong reaction and backlash from fans. 

“Dom’s a pro-wrestling sponge. And the beautiful thing about him was watching that heel turn. And you don’t know how people are going to be when they’re young and they’re getting booed, but talk about somebody who learned to bask in the heat, live the heat, get more heat, have unbelievable, can’t talk on the microphone level booing and heat. It’s incredible, man. And kudos to him.”

Anderson added about Finn Balor’s exit from The Judgment Day and wished it was done earlier. 

“I wish he (Finn Balor) could’ve left the Judgment Day earlier and I wish we could have had a really fun run together at some point obviously. Finn’s a top, top, tippy top guy, and this is his moment. I hope he gets a chance to be the World Heavyweight Champion, and he gets to be heel Finn Balor at the top, a heel champion Finn Balor at the top.” 

The Good Brothers feuded with The Judgment Day in 2022. They aligned with a returning Michin to deal with their Rhea Ripley problem after she slammed Gallows in a viral WWE moment on an edition of Raw in October that year. 

Good Brothers say Styles will return ‘one way or another’

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

In his 20-plus years in pro wrestling, nobody teamed with AJ Styles more often than the Good Brothers of Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows. Nobody knows Styles better than them—and they don’t think his retirement will last. 

The two were asked about Styles’ retirement in an appearance on Busted Open Radio. “I think he can sit it out for a couple of years,” Anderson said. “I think he’s able to fix the itch by helping people. He loves teaching. He loves helping the next generation. He loves helping younger wrestlers. He knows people look up to him. He knows how good he is. He knows how good that people think he is. I really believe that will satisfy the itch…until he can’t satisfy the itch anymore with it.”

“Maybe he just needs a couple of years away,” Anderson continued. “Maybe he just needs a year and a half away. I do think it’s going to be at least a year. I do think it’s going to be at least a year and a half, even. But the itch is always going to come back. He’s too competitive, man. And he’s just too good still. And I know that at some point, I believe he’s going to have to get back in there.”

Gallows agreed. “AJ beat the house, but I would bet this beautiful house that I’m sitting in right now that he will be back,” he said. “And I just see him coming back to the ring one way or another. There’s too much left in the tank. And the itch is real.”

That’s not what Gallows said, however, on the night of Styles’ retirement ceremony on Monday Night Raw in Atlanta. “He actually really is finished, and there’s not another story,” Gallows said in WWE footage captured that night. “There’s not a jump. There’s finality. But I just saw him for the first time, I’ve been here a few hours and he’s been busy, and I just saw him and I could see how happy he was.”

Doc Gallows praises AJ Styles as ‘the definition of professional wrestling’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Doc Gallows believes his good friend AJ Styles is someone who embodies everything great about professional wrestling.

While speaking with Undisputed, Gallows praised Styles ahead of his impending retirement. We know that Styles will be stepping away from the ring at some point in 2026, but that could potentially come as soon as this weekend. Styles is set to face Gunther in a career-threatening match at the Royal Rumble. If Styles loses, he will not wrestle again.

“AJ is the definition of professional wrestling,” Gallows told Undisputed. “He belongs in the same category as Hiroshi Tanahashi. It’s really only been the last decade that the WWE audience got to see AJ. There were those 18 years prior. The years in Georgia, putting TNA on his back in an era where they didn’t have a lot of recognizable faces. When the company then became flooded with wrestling superstars, AJ still stood head and shoulders above everybody else. That’s what happened everywhere he went.”

Gallows is hoping that Styles makes it through this weekend and gets a full WWE retirement tour. With Tanahashi and John Cena having just had their own final matches, Gallows would like to see things spaced out more.

“In my opinion, there has to be a retirement tour,” Gallows said. “As a fan, I wish we had more of this spread out. I wish we had the Tanahashi retirement run for a year. Then John Cena’s retirement tour the next year, then AJ’s. Karl [Anderson] and I are so busy with traveling to Japan that it’s hard to see everything, but with these retirements, it’s even harder.”

Gallows has previously been aligned with Styles in both NJPW and WWE. Now, Gallows and his tag team partner Karl Anderson are signed to Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan. Gallows told Undisputed that he feels NOAH is in a renaissance period — and there is an opportunity to gain ground on NJPW with Tetsuya Naito and BUSHI recently joining the NOAH roster.

“Naito and Bushi jumping to NOAH has caused a lot of rumblings. The Good Brothers joining is huge,” he said. “We’re scheduled to spend a lot more time there. We both have young kids at home, so there’s a difficulty with that, but we want to take NOAH to number one. We’re seeing another mass exodus from New Japan Pro-Wrestling, surrounded by the Tanahashi retirement. NOAH has a great opportunity to make noise right now and we’re excited to be part of it.”

Daily Update: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Doc Gallows, TNA Impact

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is now available and covers the following topics:

  • Polls on Worlds End plus Continental Classic MVP and best match polls.
  • The story of the WWE/UFC merger and Vince McMahon’s resignation, how real was it, the big unanswered question about the WWE Board of Directors, lots of Discovery information in the shareholders lawsuit against WWE, McMahon, TKO, Nick Khan and others, things behind the scenes about the merger, and the change in plans prior to the 2023 WrestleMania in more detail than ever before.
  • Full coverage of AEW Worlds End and business notes on the show
  • The retirement of Hiroshi Tanahashi and the Tokyo Dome show
  • The record setting 2025 at Arena Mexico and biggest attendance week in the 92 years of CMLL, a look at the last week as well as how many Americans are at the shows.
  • The few times in history that a company sold out a major arena three times in the same week.
  • A look at the Stardom Dream Queendom show
  • Pro Wrestling NOAH hosts the first major show of 2026
  • Weekly odds
  • 2026 Observer award ballot
  • Most detailed look at the TV ratings from the past week.
  • Weddings and engagements in pro wrestling this past week
  • All Japan has its best match of 2025
  • William Regal and others talk about neck injuries in pro wrestling and our thoughts on it as well as the reaction of some
  • Who had the most great matches in 2025
  • How Eric Bischoff’s new promotion is similar to Sam Muchnick starting out as a promoter
  • Company does a Vince McMahon/Janel Grant angle on its TV show
  • AEW business partner delisted
  • Tony Khan talks a ton of different subjects
  • Top merch sellers in US outside of WWE
  • Tom Aspinall update
  • Don Frye talks health issues
  • Lots of injury updates

This Week’s Back Issue

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Wednesday Update

WWE

Other Wrestling

  • Last night, Tony Khan was in Las Vegas to attend Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year Awards. Khan took photos with Michael Phelps and Cal Raleigh on the red carpet for the event, where NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was honored as Sportsperson of the Year.
  • AEW wished Darby Allin a happy 33rd birthday.
  • At the ceremony for the 2025 Tokyo Sports awards, NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi addressed how he feels after retiring from the ring:
    • Yes, I do [feel a sense of relief]. Until I retired as a professional wrestler, every morning I would wake up and think, ‘Oh, where’s my match today?’ and I always had that feeling of tension. But when I woke up this morning and thought, ‘Oh, I won’t be having any more matches,’ I felt a little sad, but I also felt like I’ve moved on to a different stage.
  • Tanahashi added that he’s planning to get a haircut soon:
    • I’m getting a little break next week, so I’ll get my hair cut around the weekend. Yes, I’ll be cutting off all the hair at the back.
    • Well, I’m going to become a handsome older man. Just a handsome older man, just a cool guy.
  • Here is the full preview for Thursday night’s TNA Impact, which is the last episode before the show moves to AMC:
    • Contract signing for next week’s Frankie Kazarian vs. Mike Santana TNA World Championship match
    • International Champion Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo defends against Steve Maclin
    • The System (Moose, Eddie Edwards, Brian Myers & JDC) vs. Leon Slater, Cedric Alexander & The Hardys
    • Mustafa Ali and Order 4 address TNA Genesis
    • Dani Luna vs. Harley Hudson
    • The Hardys kick off the episode
  • Frankie Kazarian wished his wife Traci Brooks a happy 16th anniversary: “16 years building an amazing life with this incredibly kind, beautiful and wonderful woman. I am beyond lucky. Happy anniversary @TheTraciBrooks”
  • Lei Ying Lee was a guest on Unlikely with Adrian Hernandez.
  • Donovan Dijak has been confirmed as an entrant for MLW Battle Riot VIII.
  • GCW announced the schedule for The Collective 2026 in Las Vegas.
  • In an interview with Orlando Weekly, Mick Foley discussed how nostalgia has helped boost his relevance with fans:
    • I think nostalgia is a huge factor for fans. Somewhere around 2010, I went from being washed up to being part of people’s childhoods. I’m the same guy. I’ve only gotten older, but I’m no longer old and irrelevant. I’m part of people’s collective memories.
  • Adam Scherr (Braun Strowman) appeared on the Lay It On podcast with celebrity chef Brad Leone.

AEW team Brodido announced for indie match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

AEW Tag Team Champions Brodido will be working The Good Brothers in an indie match later this month.

It’s been announced that a non-title bout between Brody King & Bandido and Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson will take place in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Saturday, November 29. The match is part of the annual WrestleCade SuperShow — which is a Thanksgiving weekend tradition in Winston-Salem during the WrestleCade convention.

The show is happening at the Benton Convention Center and will be broadcast via Title Match Network. Also announced for the card is a singles bout with Killer Kross (w/ Scarlett Bordeaux) facing Psycho Boy Fodder (w/ Angelina Love).

Originally put together as a makeshift team, Brodido have thrived in the AEW tag division, becoming champs this August. They have a title defense coming up soon against FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) at AEW’s Full Gear pay-per-view on November 22.

This will be the first time Brodido have faced The Good Brothers. Gallows & Anderson — who have experience in WWE, NJPW, TNA, AEW, and more — are set to debut for MLW on November 20.

WrestleCade 2025 is being held from November 28-30, with Sting, Trish Stratus, Kazuchika Okada, Jushin Thunder Liger, The Hardys, and Arn Anderson among those who will be attending the convention portion of the weekend.

Good Brothers to make MLW debut

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The Good Brothers are coming to MLW for the first time ever.

MLW confirmed today that Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows will debut for the promotion in Charleston, South Carolina next month. The official announcement was made after The Good Brothers cut a social media promo saying they wanted to be involved in the Thursday, November 20 event — which is being put on by MLW in partnership with Hollywood star Danny McBride and his Don Gato tequila brand.

Gallows & Anderson will be wrestling at the show, but their opponents have not been announced yet. The duo are one of the most well-traveled teams in wrestling, having held gold for WWE, NJPW, TNA, and more. The MLW tag belts are held by Donovan Dijak & Bishop Dyer at the moment.

Since their most recent WWE stint ended this February, The Good Brothers have wrestled on the indies while remaining free agents. They also worked a date for NJPW in the United States back in May.

This is The Good Brothers’ first time wrestling for MLW, but they do have ties to the company dating back to a decade ago when their Talk ‘n’ Shop podcast originally was part of the MLW Radio network.

A special appearance by Arn Anderson has also been announced for the MLW x Don Gato Tequila event. It’s taking place at Charleston Music Hall and will air live on YouTube and beIN Sports.

Good Brothers to team with Young Bucks at NJPW Resurgence

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The Good Brothers are officially free agents — and they’ve already booked their NJPW return.

Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson entered free agency today with 90 days having passed since WWE released them. NJPW announced that the two will return to the promotion this Friday at Resurgence, where they’ll reunite with their former Bullet Club faction members The Young Bucks in an eight-man tag match against Gabe Kidd, David Finlay, Clark Connors & Gedo of Bullet Club War Dogs.

NJPW shared a promo with Gallows & Anderson addressing their return:

“What you’re witnessing here today my friends, it is not a re-debut. It is not an arrival shot. It is a resurrection. It is the resurgence of the Good Brothers,” Gallows said.

“May 9 is day one at Resurgence,” Anderson added. “You are witnessing a total takeover.”

Gallows & Anderson have had three reigns together as IWGP Tag Team Champions in NJPW. Anderson has also held singles gold in the company with one reign as NEVER Openweight Champion.

Their most recent WWE run lasted from late 2022 until February 2025. Resurgence will be Anderson’s first time wrestling since undergoing surgery last November for a torn rotator cuff and partially torn labrum.

Friday’s show is taking place from Toyota Arena in Ontario, California and will air on New Japan World as a pay-per-view. Here is the updated card:

NJPW Resurgence (Friday, May 9) —

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Hirooki Goto defends against Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Strong Women’s Champion Mercedes Mone defends against AZM and Mina Shirakawa in a three-way match
  • NEVER Openweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita defends against El Phantasmo
  • Strong Openweight Champion Tomohiro Ishii defends against Drilla Moloney
  • The Young Bucks, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Gabe Kidd, David Finlay, Clark Connors & Gedo
  • Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions Royce Isaacs & Jorel Nelson defend against Templario & TJP
  • Fred Rosser vs. Matt Vandagriff
  • Pre-show: Allan Breeze vs. CJ Tino

Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Giovanni Vinci released from WWE

Posted on by Ian Carey

Several more WWE releases have been confirmed.

Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows are no longer with the company, according to reports from PWInsider and Fightful Select on Saturday. Giovanni Vinci has also been released, per Fightful Select.

The Good Brothers and Vinci join Sonya Deville, Cedric Alexander, AOP, Paul Ellering, Blair Davenport, and Isla Dawn as part of the latest round of cuts.

Anderson and Gallows had been with WWE since returning in June 2022. Their first stint lasted from 2016 until their release in April 2020. Gallows previously worked for WWE from 2005 to 2010 under gimmicks including an imposter Kane, Festus (of Jesse & Festus), and a member of CM Punk’s Straight Edge Society, before being released in November 2010.

Vinci debuted in WWE as part of the 2016 Cruiserweight Classic and later formed a tag team with Marcel Barthel in 2017. The duo aligned with WALTER (now Gunther) and Ludwig Kaiser to form Imperium and captured the NXT Tag Team Championships twice. Vinci was removed from the group in April 2024 and had limited appearances on WWE programming afterward.

Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows vs. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger set for WWE NXT

Posted on by Ian Carey

A new match has been added to the lineup for Tuesday’s edition of WWE NXT.

Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows vs. Hank Walker and Tank Ledger is now scheduled for the show. It will be a rematch from the August 20 episode, when Hank and Tank picked up an upset victory.

WWE announced the news on Sunday, writing:

“This has been bubbling for a few weeks. @TankLedgerWWE & @HankWalker_WWE will go head-to-head with @MachineGunKA & @The_BigLG THIS TUESDAY on #WWENXT!”

Three matches and two segments are now set for Tuesday’s show, which will be the last episode before NXT heads to The CW.

The lineup for the Tuesday, September 24 WWE NXT: 

  • NXT Women’s North American Champion Kelani Jordan defends against Wren Sinclair
  • Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows vs. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger
  • Ridge Holland vs. Riley Osborne
  • The Grayson Waller Effect with Grayson Waller, Austin Theory, and guests Nathan Frazer & Axiom
  • NXT on CW press conference

The O.C vs. Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe set for WWE NXT

Posted on by Ian Carey

A new match has been confirmed for WWE NXT Spring Breakin’ night two. 

Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe vs. The OC’s Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows will take place on the show.

Dupont & Igwe have been teaming together at NXT house shows and episodes of Level Up since last summer. A vignette aired on last Tuesday’s show promoting their NXT debuts but did not reveal their opponents. 

Igwe and Dupont were both signed after WWE’s tryouts in Nashville during SummerSlam week in 2022. Both were collegiate track and field athletes specializing in shot put. Igwe went to Eastern Michigan and Dupont went to South Alabama. Their first tag match together was in May 2023 but they didn’t start regularly performing as a team until last August. 

WWE NXT lineup for Tuesday, April 30, 2024 —

  • NXT North American Champion Oba Femi defends against Ivar
  • NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazer & Axiom defend against Akam & Rezar
  • NXT Underground match: Natalya (w/Karmen Petrovic) vs. Lola Vice (w/Shayna Baszler)
  • Thea Hail vs. Jacy Jayne
  • Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe vs. The O.C (Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows)

Number one contender’s tag match to kick off WWE NXT

Posted on by Joseph Currier

At the start of NXT tonight, we’ll find out Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin’s challengers for Stand & Deliver.

WWE has announced that The LWO (Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro) vs. Axiom & Nathan Frazer vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson is kicking off tonight’s NXT episode. The winning team advances to Stand & Deliver this Saturday to challenge Breakker & Corbin for the NXT Tag Team titles.

Wilde & Del Toro, Axiom & Frazer, and Gallows & Anderson all won qualifying matches over the past few weeks to advance to tonight’s triple threat.

After winning the 2024 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, Breakker & Corbin defeated Tony D’Angelo & Stacks for the NXT Tag Team titles this February.

The Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia is hosting NXT Stand & Deliver this Saturday afternoon. Airing live on Peacock, the main card has a start time of noon Eastern.

Here’s everything that’s been announced for tonight’s NXT:

WWE NXT (Tuesday, April 2) —

  • Trick Williams & Carmelo Hayes face-to-face
  • Supernova Sessions with NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria & Roxanne Perez
  • Sol Ruca vs. Blair Davenport
  • Fallon Henley vs. Jacy Jayne
  • Oba Femi vs. Joe Gacy
  • Karmen Petrovic (w/ Natalya) vs. Lola Vice
  • Von Wagner vs. Lexis King
  • NXT Tag Team title number one contender’s match: Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro vs. Axiom & Nathan Frazer vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson

Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows appear on WWE NXT

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows are in NXT.

After Chase U defeated Axiom and Nathan Frazer to become the new number one contenders to the Tag Team titles on Tuesday, Gallows and Anderson arrived, laying out both teams and Riley Osborne, who was at ringside. Later in an interview, Karl Anderson said they’ll remain in NXT as long as they want to be. Gallows said they’ll win the NXT Tag Team titles with the same old recipe: their finisher, the magic killer.

Since their return to WWE in 2022, Gallows and Anderson have mostly been aligned with AJ Styles, reforming The OC. However, after Styles returned to WWE in December following an injury angle, he became distant with his stablemates, nearly coming to blows with Anderson on a recent episode of SmackDown.

Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin defeated Stacks and Tony D’Angelo last week to win the NXT Tag Team titles. Earlier on Tuesday’s show, both Chase U and the team of Frazer & Axiom made their claim to the next contenders for a title match. Corbin & Breakker left it to the two teams to solve their differences, with a number one contender’s match being made for later in the show.

Karl Anderson on past anti-WWE comments: ‘I said some things that were out of passion’

Posted on by Colin McGuire

Karl Anderson is glad to be back in WWE. 

Anderson opened up to Ryan Satin during the latest episode of “Out Of Character” about how angry he was after being let go from the company in 2020. 

Noting how he’s an “emotional and fiery person,” Anderson explained that while the release came as a surprise, he’s happier these days that he, along with his tag-team partner Luke Gallows and WWE were able to “be men and move on.”

“Maybe I said some things that were out of passion,” Anderson said. “When you’re angry about something or if you’re working up about something, you’re going to say what you feel and say what you think might be right or might not be right, but who knows what was going on behind the scenes? … I don’t know all that stuff and who knows who’s calling the shots at certain points at that time in 2020, so I’m just glad that we were able to work it out.”

When asked if he’d ever return to WWE in 2020, Anderson said “Absolutely f- not.” From there, Anderson and Gallows went on an independent run that saw the team pop up everywhere from AEW to Impact Wrestling to NJPW. 

Anderson said in the interview that after he and Gallows were released, they made sure they’d “hit it hard” as they ventured toward life outside WWE. As a result, he claimed they were “busier than a lot of people in the industry” during the two years they were away from WWE. 

The former Raw Tag Team Champion also opened up about how he’s “itching to get The O.C. moving,” especially after the addition of Michin. Falling in line with that, he said, is a singles run he hopes to receive sooner than later. 

“I don’t know why I wasn’t in the Money In The Bank match,” Anderson said. “Let’s get this rocking. AJ’s the World Champion, Gallows can be seen as the heater and throw me in the ladder match. I’m dying for it. I think it’s just more about timing and just kind of waiting for the right story. I’m pushing for it. I hope for it.”

Anderson was last seen on WWE television during last week’s SmackDown, where he, along with Gallows, fought the Brawling Brutes (Butch & Ridge Holland) to a no contest. 

Anderson’s stablemate AJ Styles is set to take on Karrion Kross on this week’s episode of the show. Anderson lost to Kross in singles action two weeks ago. 

Rocky Romero details ‘stressful’ Good Brothers NJPW-WWE situation

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On the latest edition of The Sessions with Renee Paquette, Rocky Romero discussed the “stressful situation” of trying to juggle The Good Brothers’ WWE return with their NJPW appearances.

Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows made their return to WWE this October, appearing on Raw for the first time since being released in April 2020. But despite coming back to WWE, Anderson is still NJPW’s NEVER Openweight Champion. Anderson’s return to WWE meant that he couldn’t make a scheduled title defense against Hikuleo on November 5 due to needing to be in Saudi Arabia for WWE Crown Jewel. The match was instead rescheduled for earlier this month, with Anderson defeating Hikuleo to retain the NEVER title.

Romero told Paquette that there was initially some confusion over the NJPW dates that The Good Brothers were going to be working, but the situation has been figured out and NJPW has turned it into a “big angle.” Anderson will again appear for NJPW when he defends the NEVER Openweight Championship against Tama Tonga at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4.

Romero said:

It’s been a very stressful situation for me [laughs]. Obviously, when the guys started talking about WWE had reached out to them, I of course started to get nervous because I knew that we had a bunch of dates set and everything and obviously, like you [Renee Paquette] said, Anderson was the NEVER Openweight Champion. I got worried and I said, ‘You know, you guys just don’t screw me over please.’ I was part of the reason that you guys came back and helped to, you know? Obviously, they left on good terms and everything, but just to bring them back was definitely a part of that.

So we started talking about that but then finally [Anderson] was like, ‘Okay, we’re gonna sign and somebody’s gonna have to talk to WWE.’ So of course that means me having to talk to WWE. But I got on the line and obviously, there was some confusion on the dates that they were gonna actually do and there was that November 5 show that Anderson had already been announced for for New Japan but then it was also the same time that the Saudi Arabia show was going on. Obviously there was gonna be conflict right there, so that’s kind of how it started. It started off real rocky and they went and did Saudi, we figured it out, got a new date, and then just decided to turn it into a big angle because I thought that was probably the best way to deal with it. Hoping that everything was gonna work out but not really sure. Finally, [Anderson] went and did this last show a couple days ago and successfully defended the title. So now he’ll be at the Tokyo Dome to face Tama Tonga, which is really exciting. Dude, this Tokyo Dome is gonna be insane. We have a WWE wrestler in Karl Anderson, we have Kenny Omega who’s an AEW wrestler, we’ve got Stardom wrestlers on the show, we’ve got New Japan wrestlers.

Paquette asked Romero what the odds are that AJ Styles could come to Wrestle Kingdom 17 with Anderson. “Anything is possible, Renee,” Romero responded. “Anything is possible.”

When indirectly asked about the rumors of Mercedes Varnado (Sasha Banks) showing up at Wrestle Kingdom 17, Romero didn’t confirm or deny the appearance but promised that there will be surprises at the Tokyo Dome.

I’ve heard a lot of rumors but I don’t really — I cannot confirm nor deny at this moment. But you know, fingers crossed that — you never know what could happen. Definitely will be some surprises at the Tokyo Dome.

Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows returning to NJPW at Tag League finals

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE’s Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows are headed back to NJPW next month.

In a video posted to Anderson’s Instagram account on Tuesday, The OC announced that Anderson and Gallows will be in Japan for the World Tag League/Super Junior Tag League finals on Wednesday, December 14. It was stated that Anderson will be defending his NEVER Openweight Championship.

Anderson was scheduled to defend the NEVER Openweight title against Hikuleo at NJPW’s Battle Autumn event in Osaka on November 5, but that was the same day as WWE’s Crown Jewel pay-per-view. Anderson instead took part in a six-man tag match at the WWE event in Saudi Arabia.

There was a storyline where NJPW threatened to strip Anderson of the NEVER Openweight title if he doesn’t show up to Battle Autumn, but Hikuleo said he wanted to beat Anderson for the title instead.

Anderson has been NEVER Openweight Champion since winning the title from Tama Tonga at NJPW Dominion this June. This October, Gallows and Anderson returned to WWE, reuniting with AJ Styles and helping him even the odds against The Judgment Day.

Anderson & Gallows had been released by WWE during the company’s April 2020 roster cuts.

The Tag League finals are being held at Sendai Sunplaza Hall in Sendai, Japan.