Former Talent Criticises 'Stale' AEW Dark

Former All Elite Wrestling talent Joey Janela has taken aim at the promotion, criticising the current booking of AEW Dark.

While quote-tweeting highlights from Rey Fenix vs. AR Fox on this week's YouTube show, Janela wrote:

"This is what dark should be, all around competitive action packed sprints, and maybe a one longer type storyline based match weekly. What that show does is nothing for anyone anymore, tbh it's stale ass! Squash matches do nothing for anyone in 2022, especially on a YouTube show. No one wants to watch f***ing squash matches on YouTube in 2022, I understand if you're introducing a new wrestler on tv then I'm all for squash matches. This is the reason for talent degression doing nothing but pointless bulls**t for the sake of it. I always made it a point to make my matches with local talents 60/40 or even 50/50, because I'm a fan myself and I know that I would never waste my time watching something presented like that & was constantly watching me get sh***ier in ring. That's my Wednesday morning rant!"

Janela isn't completely opposed to squash matches on YouTube, though, and he joked after Jeff Jarrett's AEW debut that he is "100% ok though with Jeff Jarrett squashing jabronis on dark."

Dark has been one of AEW's YouTube shows since 2019 and while it initially featured popular moments and matches like Joey Janela vs. Kenny Omega in a Lights Out Match, the show has mostly been filled with squash matches since March 2020 as AEW use the show to enhance's wrestlers' win-loss records.