Today (Oct 21), hours before he was to compete on Dynamite in the first round of the company’s World Title Eliminator Tournament, AEW announced Joey Janela was being pulled from the show due to exposure to a COVID-19 positive person at a recent independent show.
AEW and Joey Janela learned today that he had exposure to a known COVID-19 positive person at an independent show. For that reason we are pulling him until such time as he is cleared to return consistent with our protocols. pic.twitter.com/V8TJiAhuNF
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 21, 2020
He’ll be replaced by his tag partner, Sonny Kiss:
In the #AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament @KennyOmega will now face @SonnyKissXO in the first round tonight on #AEWDynamite at 8/7c on @tntdrama pic.twitter.com/LgESLviA43
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 21, 2020
Janela worked and promoted a show at The Collective event in Indianapolis earlier this month that was linked to several positive tests, but so did Kiss, Jon Moxley, and others. He also worked GCW’s The Last Resort last weekend in Southern California after testing negative. On that card he wrestled AJ Gray, who self-reported a positive COVID test earlier today.
Well, I got some bad news....
— Aj Gray (@RichHomieJuice) October 21, 2020
Last COVID test just came back.... and I tested positive....
I don’t really have any symptoms at all, but I’m still stuck on a 14 day quarantine, so yeah... this blows.
Gray also worked The Collective, but says he tested negative multiple times after that weekend and prior to working Last Resort.