10 Biggest Game-Changers In Wrestling Right Now
8. Joey Janela
That 'The Bad Boy' could miss over a year after undergoing major knee surgery is tragic, not only for fans of his work, but the independent scene as a whole.
Nobody has done more to push America's smaller wrestling stages forward over the past few years. As smart behind the scenes as he is reckless between the ropes, his zeitgeist-grabbing shows for the appropriately named Game Changer Wrestling have placed him at the front of an ever-shifting movement. Joey Janela's Spring Break has stolen the indie spotlight on two consecutive WrestleMania weekends. He has since followed up with events like Lost In New York, and with LA Confidential (16 November) on the horizon, he'll keep creating buzz from his sickbed.
As a wrestler, Janela was an independent leader pre-injury, playing a pivotal role for organisations as diverse as WWN, PWG, and AIW. He has reached such a level of importance on both sides of the curtain through genius self-promotion, a precise understanding of what indie fans want in 2018, and a tireless work ethic. You don't know his name because he's the best wrestler around: you know it because he gets this weird little game better than anybody.