Joey Janela has never been shy about taking big chances. Whether it is jumping through the roof of a building into the bed of a truck piled high with glass, or leaping from the financial security of a major promotion back to the independent scene, he tends to show no fear. So, it should come as no surprise that when it comes to Janela lampooning those he disagrees with, he shows that same level of boldness.
Back in June of 2021, at the height of the global pandemic crisis, political discourse and arguments around the proper handling of the pandemic had reached a boiling point in the United States. One of the most outspoken anti-vaccine and anti-mask voices in the pro wrestling community at the time was former WWE referee Drake Wuertz. Wuertz was released in May of that year and following his departure from the company, became more outspoken about his beliefs and teased a career in politics.
Enter Joey Janela, The Bad Boy caught wind of an upcoming Seminole County school board meeting that Wuertz was expected to speak at, and decided it was time to go full prank show on the situation. Dawning a khaki hat emblazoned with the word Florida, along with a tucked button-down flannel shirt, the GCW star became “Florida Man.” Janela was able to get into the event, pose for a photo with Wuertz, and was eventually kicked out of the meeting after yelling at a doctor advocating for masks that they were a liar. You can’t make this stuff up.
The stunt got Janela a lot of attention and is something he obviously took great delight in doing. So, it should come as no surprise then that Janela couldn’t help but resurrect the character following the termination of Tucker Carlson from Fox News. In a video released on his Twitter account, Janela begins by acknowledging Carlson’s termination before making it clear “Florida Man” wanted to protest his removal by performing at Hulk Hogan’s Beach Shop Monday Night Karaoke.
The video then cuts to Hogan’s Beach Shop where the WWE Hall of Famer and Brian Knobbs sit eating dinner and watching bar patrons sing karaoke. Finally, “Florida Man Joey” took the stage, praised Carlson, and screamed, “Let’s Go Brandon!” while fist-bumping Hogan before belting out Lee Greenwood’s patriotic classic, God Bless The USA. During his performance, Janela appears to eat a french fry off Hogan’s plate and, as he closes, explicitly makes a scandalous comment to Knobbs about his rear end. We’ll leave it at that.
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