Ex-AEW Star Shoots On Possible Return

What are the chances of this former AEW wrestler returning to the company in 2023?

by Jamie Kennedy
Joey Janela
AEW.com

Former AEW man Joey Janela has a "never say never" attitude when it comes to potentially re-signing with the company.

Janela told fans during a K&S WrestleFest signing on Facebook that he's "content" with what he's been doing since leaving All Elite on 1 May 2022. His contract with Tony Khan's league expired, and AEW never took up the option to extend it.

The 'Bad Boy' didn't hang around though - Joey said he immediately contacted DDT in Japan to see if they'd be interested in bringing him in. They were, so Janela knew he had more work even before his deal lapsed with AEW.

Advertisement

Janela said he "still has friends" who work full-time for AEW, so he wouldn't be against going back someday. That isn't on the cards in early-2023 though. Of course, it's also unclear whether or not Khan would want to re-sign Joey to another deal. That ship may have sailed.

His three-year deal (signed in 2019) made Janela one of the first wrestlers tied to All Elite. The company was a very different place by the time he left it last year.

Advertisement
In this post: 
Joey Janela
 
Posted On: 
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.