Joey Janela recently appeared as a guest on the Keepin’ It 100 podcast for an in-depth interview covering all things pro wrestling.
During the discussion, “The Bad Boy” was critical of Tony Khan’s booking style as well as the amount of money that is paid to wrestlers in AEW.
Featured below are some of the highlights.
On how WCW Nitro used to have great matches in under six minutes: “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.”
On criticizing Tony Khan for booking matches that are too long: “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.”
On how everyone in AEW is getting paid at least six-figures: “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.”
On how he feels like he regressed in 2020 because he wasn’t getting as many reps: “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.”
Check out the complete interview below.
(H/T to Fightful.com for transcribing the above quotes)
