While fans were hopeful for a series of vignettes that began in 2020, one of the featured stars said Tony Khan nixed the segments because he “hated” them.
Back in June of 2020, Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss formed a tag team partnership and began airing a series of cinematic vignettes to advance their character development. One of these vignettes saw the pair discuss Janela’s future before stopping at a gas station. While the Bad Boy was inside getting snacks, Kiss was confronted by a group of men and ended up fighting them.
Fans of the tag team praised the segments and looked forward to their continued adventures, but were in for disappointment as the segments were quietly dropped despite Kiss and Janela continuing to team together until Janela turned on Kiss in August of 2021.
One fan on social media lamented the disappearance of the vignettes, saying that it could have led to a whole cinematic universe.
“Remember when they made those Sonny Kiss Joey Janela buying snacks vignettes and we got so super hopeful like omg cinematic universe! And then that was it. I’m still sad about it”
Janela responded with the revelation that AEW President Tony Khan wasn’t a fan of the vignettes and didn’t even want them to air on television in the first place.
“Tony hates them and didn’t even want them on tv”
Tony hates them and didn’t even want them on tv https://t.co/mf1WdYFfuJ
— “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela (@JANELABABY) September 21, 2022
Janela’s AEW contract expired in May of 2022 and he did not re-sign, while Kiss remains with the company, competing primarily on AEW Dark and Dark Elevation.