THIS AEW Original Reveals Contract Is Up In May 2022
This AEW OG is looking to "step it up" and win a new deal.
Joey Janela has revealed his current AEW contract is due to expire in May 2022.
Speaking during an appearance on the My Mom's Basement show, Janela discussed his contract status and admitted he needs to "step it up" if he's to get a new deal with Tony Khan's promotion.
Explaining how the COVID-19 pandemic caused him to become unmotivated, the Bad Boy said:
"The pandemic happened, that was it. I was unmotivated. I'm not an athlete like these guys. I can't go out there without a crowd. I have to have a crowd. I have to have that adrenaline. I hate to say it, I kind of half-assed it the whole year. I was unmotivated. I was depressed. I started to eat a lot. I got fatter and progressively worse. I looked worse and worse."
On wanting to earn a contract extension with AEW, Janela added:
"I've had some good matches during the pandemic, but it wasn't like pre-pandemic. The crowds are coming back. I'm under a three-year contract. My contract is up in May. I really have to step it up. I feel like I have in the last couple [of] months, having killer matches on Dark. The arenas coming back have really helped me."
Joey talked how up "we have something" in AEW and how he's "crossing [his] fingers" in regards to his future with the company.
Janela was one of the very first names to formally sign with AEW back in 2019, with him debuting for the promotion at the inaugural Double or Nothing PPV where he competed in the Casino Battle Royale bout that was won by 'Hangman' Adam Page.
Those early AEW days saw Janela have notable matches against the likes of Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes and was even Jon Moxley's first AEW opponent. More recently, the New Jersey native has been competing primarily on AEW Dark and AEW Dark: Elevation since splitting from Sonny Kiss earlier in the year.