10 Wrestlers Who Didn't Care About Kayfabe

6. Joey Janela

Joey Janela Kip Sabian
AEW

Joey Janela came up in era in which there was no ground left to break; just a lot of pieces to reassemble however he wished.

With no restrictions to limit his creativity - not, you suspect, that he'd give a f*ck - he used a world of possibility to create even more of them, approaching the industry with the flair of a maverick. After almost losing the use of his hand in one of the most demented death match bumps ever - think of the ground that covers - Janela pivoted towards the avant garde to prolong his career, getting his first taste of the intoxicating heat/acclaim cocktail that would get him over as an iconoclast.

To viral buzz, he wrestled an invisible man, showing a strong grasp of craft behind the initial visual gag. And, as a vastly underrated storyteller, his opponent eventually developed a mythology that resulted in murder and meta masterpieces. His transgressive approach - not that there is anything to transgress upon anymore - predictably drew the ire of the old guard and its most vocal gatekeeper.

Janela responded by ridiculing the idea of using a tennis racket in a hardcore match - an insult all the funnier and cleverer for how contrived it was.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!