WWE Rumors: ‘SmackDown Live’ Tag Team Removed From Future Live Events, Per ‘WrestlingNews.co’
Recent reports had suggested that after close to three years of being underutilized on WWE’s main roster, the tag team of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson was planning to take their talents elsewhere once their WWE contracts expire in September. While neither wrestler has commented on these rumors, the latest update on their status in WWE suggests that the company might have acknowledged their reported decision to walk away by removing their names from upcoming live event schedules.
According to WrestlingNews.co, WWE has removed Gallows and Anderson from all of their scheduled live events, which the outlet speculated could be a sign they may be on their way out of WWE in the coming months. While the former Bullet Club mainstays could, in theory, be booked to appear on SmackDown Live or at pay-per-view events before their contracts expire, their removal from live events means they won’t be appearing on non-televised house shows in the United States and overseas going forward, assuming the rumors are accurate.
As previously noted by Bleacher Report, reports from earlier this month had claimed that Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson chose not to sign new contracts with WWE after the company offered them “multi-million-dollar deals” to stick around. Citing PWInsider‘s Mike Johnson, the publication added that Gallows and Anderson were apparently frustrated with the lack of television time and meaningful storylines they had dealt with for most of their three-year WWE stint.
At that time, it was also reported that the SmackDown Live tag team was no longer being booked to appear at WWE live events because of the “lack of progress” in contract negotiations. Shortly after, Johnson wrote a second report that added a few more specifics on the deals Gallows and Anderson supposedly refused — this follow-up hinted that the duo had turned down five-year contracts to remain in WWE.
Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows have rejected WWE offers and are set to leave the promotion when their contract expire: https://t.co/uOlTvtSS35
— WrestleTalk News (@WrestleTalk_TV) March 8, 2019
Despite entering WWE with much hype in 2016 after a high-profile stint in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), Gallows and Anderson have not had much success outside of a short reign as Monday Night Raw Tag Team Champions early in 2017. According to WrestlingNews.co, WWE’s recent efforts to focus more on its tag team divisions have been “lackluster” so far, and with the so-called “Good Brothers” mostly booked to lose during their rare appearances on SmackDown Live, the publication speculated that the duo could draw attention from several rival promotions, including the likes of NJPW, Ring of Honor (ROH), All Elite Wrestling (AEW), and Impact Wrestling.
