Joey Janela was one of the first signings to AEW, but left the promotion in May 2022 to return to the independent scene.
Janela was on and off television throughout his AEW career with his most notable storyline being one with Sonny Kiss that primarily lived on AEW Dark.
Appearing on Keepin It 100 with Konnan & Disco Inferno, Janela discussed AEW having too much talent to properly utilize.
"Some people are just happy to be there and part of something. My thought on it was always, Tony Khan, he's trying every week to do a little mini-pay-per-view. Back in the day with Nitro, they had it right. You'd have great matches in under six minutes. He has two hours to pull off a TV show and he has a lot of people, a lot of pieces to that puzzle and a lot of guys that he has to try to satisfy and he's booking 30 minute matches every week. You do a 30 minute match and a 20 minute talk segment, what else is left? Other people have to go to Dark and they're wrestling twice a month in Universal Studios in front of a lukewarm crowd and they have some Florida jabroni for three minutes. That's why wrestlers are regressing in ability because they don't care, they're getting paid, they don't want to go hustle. A lot of guys don't want to go back to the Indies. You have that choice in AEW to go wrestle on the Indies. All those guys are getting paid six figures. Bottom card to top of the card. Top of the card, seven figures. The whole company is getting paid six figures. Unless the pay scale has changed. Of course, there was some kind of tiered deal where you're paid by appearance when they're just kind of feeling someone or testing them out. Some people, they don't want to go back on the Indies. You make more on the Indies," he said.
Janela continued, "I saw it myself during COVID because there weren't Indies running. I would get in the ring, wrestle a couple of times a month in these four minute matches, and I saw my talent regress. I needed that oil. That's why I was botching left and right. That whole 2020 year wasn't good for me because these guys have to wrestle. It's not like WWE. If you're not on TV, you don't have to come. You can sit home and jerk your cock to whatever."
Janela kept making independent appearances while under AEW contract and has remained active on the independent scene following his run with AEW.
Janela is set to hold his annual Spring Break event during WrestleMania weekend. The show will be headlined by Kota Ibushi. Fans can learn more about Ibushi's involvement by clicking here.
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