During a post-NXT Takeover interview with Triple H on Facebook, He announced that the reason William Regal was not at the Chicago NXT Takeover event or the NXT Television tapings is because he is currently in Japan scouting talent for the company. He will be there until early June.
The reports say he is focusing on future NXT talent but it is not known is he is looking for potential entrants in the upcoming women’s tournament, people to be on the NXT roster, or both. The WWE recently signed Io Shirai and Kairi Hojo from the Stardom promotion in Japan for the women’s tournament. It is not known if more Japanese competitors will be joining them.
While the WWE has signed New Japan competitors in the past like Shinsuke Nakamura, A.J. Styles, and Gallows and Anderson, NJPW typically has their contracts to start and end near the beginning of the year between the Wrestlekingdom event in early January and the “New Beginning” events a month or so later. So signing big names from New Japan doesn’t seem likely at the present time.

NXT taped content for upcoming shows before the Takeover: Chicago event with Drew McIntyre taking on Wesley Blake scheduled for this week’s episode. Regal should be back in time for the next set of tapings.