NWA Central States: 1984
Marty Jannetty definitely grew up interested in the wrestling craft. He began his career in 1984, wrestling in the NWA Central States division. He teamed up with Tommy Rogers, forming the tag-team known as the Uptown Boys. The team had a long feud with the Grapplers, leading to many Tag-Team Title matches between the two groups. In June '84, the Uptown Boys defeated the Grapplers in to get the NWA Central States Tag-Team Titles, then fell to the Grapplers a few months later. It didn't take long for Jannetty & Rogers to come back, though, as the Uptown Boys won in September '84 over the Grapplers to get the gold for a second time, basically ending the feud. The Uptown Boys then held the belts until October '84, when they were beaten by Gypsy Joe & Mr. Pogo. Jannetty struck back a few days later, though, when he beat Gypsy Joe in a singles match for the Central States Television Championship.
Shortly thereafter, the Uptown Boys broke up, as Tommy Rogers headed over to World Class Championship Wrestling to form the Fantastics with Bobby Fulton. Jannetty, though, kept battling against Gypsy Joe & Mr. Pogo, finding a new partner in "Bulldog" Bob Brown. The two wrestled against Gypsy Joe & Mr. Pogo in December '84, with Jannetty & Brown gaining the Central States Tag-Team Titles, Jannetty's third reign. For the rest of the year, Jannetty would hold both belts, continuing to stay a champion in NWA Central States.
1985
Jannetty & Brown continued to work well as a team in the new year, defending the belts against all comers. Jannetty also kept putting the Television Title on the line, eventually losing the belt to Gary Royal in March '85. Jannetty & Brown then concentrated on the tag-team division, but problems soon started coming up between the two champions, hurting their teamwork. In August '85, during a match against the Batten Twins, Brown refused to tag in, leaving Jannetty on his own. The belts were later vacated, with Jannetty feuding with his former tag-team partner. Jannetty also hit the big time in September '85, defeating Mr. Pogo for the Central States Heavyweight Championship. Jannetty defended the belt for the next three months, until he lost in December '85 to Brett Sawyer.
1986
Going into the new year, Jannetty formed another new tag-team, joining with another young wrestler by the name of Shawn Michaels. The two formed the Midnight Rockers, the start of one of the more popular tag-teams to wrestle in the squared circle. With Michaels at his side, Jannetty rose to the top of the NWA Central States Tag-Team Division for the fourth time, with the Midnight Rockers defeating the Battens in May '86. It was a short run, though, as the Battens won the rematch between the two teams a week later. In June '86, Jannetty again ventured out of the tag-team ranks, winning the Central States Heavyweight Title for the second time, beating the Shadow. But Jannetty's former tag-team partner, Bulldog Bob Brown, soon won the belt away, ending Jannetty's run in the company.
AWA: 1986
A few months before, the Midnight Rockers began appearing in the American Wrestling Association, wrestling against Doug Somers & Buddy Rose at Wrestlerock '86 in April. The Midnight Rockers lost the match, but came back a few months later at Battle By The Bay, teaming with Curt Hennig to defeat Somers, Rose, & Alexis Smirnoff. The Midnight Rockers kept feuding with Somers & Rose for much of the next year, with Jannetty & Michaels trying hard to get the AWA World Tag-Team Titles away from their hated rivals. The two teams had a "Steel Cage" Match at the Brawl In St. Paul in December '86, with the Midnight Rockers getting the victory, but not the belts.
1987
In January '87, the Midnight Rockers finally achieved their goal, defeating Rose & Somers to earn the AWA World Tag-Team straps. The feud between the two teams continued during the year, with the Midnight Rockers & Ray Stevens defeating Somers, Buddy Wolfe, & Kevin Kelly at Superclash II. A few weeks later, though, the Midnight Rockers lost the AWA World Tag-Team Titles to Boris Zhukov & Soldat Ustinov. This was because the Midnight Rockers were leaving the AWA, signed to debut in the World Wrestling Federation in the summer of '87. However, the Rockers were soon released from those contracts, with the rumor being that they "partied too hard" for the WWF. The Midnight Rockers then returned to the AWA, staying a team.
In October '87, the Midnight Rockers defeated the RPM's (Mike Davis & Tommy Lane) for the AWA Southern Tag-Team Titles, adding another belt to their resume. Only a few weeks later, they lost the belts back to the RPM's, continuing the feud between the two teams. A week later, another match between the two took place, with the Midnight Rockers regaining the gold. Jannetty & Michaels would hold the Southern Tag-Team Titles for the next month, but they had other interests as well, as they wanted to unify the AWA Tag belts. Near the end of December '87, they got their chance, defeating the Midnight Express to unify the AWA Southern and World Tag-Team Titles.
1988
The Midnight Rockers continued to defend the AWA World Tag-Team Titles into the next year, facing several impressive teams. In March '88, the run finally ended, as Jannetty & Michaels lost the belts to Badd Company (Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond). Although they had rematches with Badd Company, the Midnight Rockers couldn't regain the gold. However, things were looking up for the team, as they once again were approached by Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation.
WWF: 1988
Jannetty & Michaels soon were both signed with the WWF, coming in as the Rockers (dropping Midnight from their name). They soon became known as a very popular team, but they were mainly there for their entertainment value, not getting much of a push towards the top of the tag-team division. In October '88, both Rockers entered into the '88 King of the Ring Tournament, with Jannetty losing in the first round to Terry Taylor, while Michaels defeated Danny Davis, but then fell to Ron Bass. "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase won the tournament. The Rockers soon began feuding with another tag-team, the Brain Busters (Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard), earning some credit with the fans.
At the '88 Survivor Series, the Rockers were part of a who's who of tag-team wrestling, as they joined the Hart Foundation, the Powers of Pain, the British Bulldogs, & the Young Stallions in a "Tag-Team Elimination" Match against the Brain Busters, Demolition, the Fabulous Rougeaus, the Bolsheviks, & the Conquistadors. In a surprising development, both the Rockers and the Brain Busters were DQ'ed during the match when they wouldn't stop brawling, their feud taking precedence over the bout. The two teams continued feuding over the rest of the year, with the Rockers having many problems with their manager, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.
1989
Jannetty competed in the '89 Royal Rumble at the beginning of the year, coming in at #14. Michaels was already there, causing the two to team up in the match. They worked together to eliminate "the Outlaw" Ron Bass. However, when both Brain Busters came into the match shortly thereafter, the feud again erupted, with Jannetty getting eliminated by both Anderson & Blanchard. The two teams continued to fight for the next few months, including a meeting at Saturday Night's Main Event #20 that ended in a Double Countout, with the two teams unable to control their hatred for each other. The feud would continue on and off for the rest of the year.
At Wrestlemania V, the Rockers had a tough test in the Twin Towers, Akeem & the Big Boss Man. The Rockers tried to use their speed advantage against the two giant men, continually double-teaming their opponents. But in the end, with Jannetty having been thrown to the outside, Michaels was Powerbombed by the Boss Man and squashed by Akeem's 747 Splash for the pin, keeping the Rockers from getting a Wrestlemania victory. Next up for the Rockers was a 6-Man Tag at Summerslam '89, where they partnered with Tito Santana against Santana's former partner in Strike Force, Rick Martel, & the Fabulous Rougeaus. It was another high-flying match, as every wrestler in the bout was very athletic. In the end, though, Jannetty got caught by Martel and pinned, losing the match for his team.
Another chapter in the Rockers/Brain Busters feud took place at Saturday Night's Main Event #24, where the two teams went at it in a "Three Falls" Match. Jannetty surprisingly got the first fall early in the match, pinning Blanchard in less than 2 minutes. A few minutes later, due to dirty tactics, Blanchard pinned Michaels, evening things up at 1 fall apiece. In the end, it was a double-team from the Rockers that allowed Michaels to pin Anderson winning the feud. Unfortunately for the Rockers, the Brain Busters had lost the WWF Tag-Team Titles to Demolition earlier in the month, taking something away from the Rockers' victory.
The Rockers joined Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart & the Ultimate Warrior the next month in the '89 Survivor Series Match against the Heenan Family, consisting of Andre the Giant, Haku, Arn Anderson, & Bobby Heenan (Tully Blanchard had tested positive to a surprise drug test before the show, causing Heenan to have to take his place in the match). Surprisingly, Andre was the first to fall, being knocked from the ring by the Warrior and counted out in the first minute of the match. The match was evened up when Haku knocked Neidhart out with a superkick, pinning the Anvil. Later on, the Rockers worked almost as a separate unit, tagging in and out against Anderson & Haku. However, when Anderson hit Jannetty from the outside, Haku was able to hit another Superkick, then tagged in Heenan, who embarrassingly pinned Jannetty, eliminating him from the competition. The Warrior was later the sole 'survivor'.
1990
The Rockers continued to team together the next year, with both being entered in the '90 Royal Rumble. Jannetty got a horrible draw, though, coming in at #3. His night was a short one, as he missed a flying crossbody on Ted DiBiase, sending him out of the ring. Hulk Hogan later got the victory. For the next few months, the Rockers continued as "tag-team specialists", while rarely being involved in storylines. At Wrestlemania VI, Jannetty & Michaels faced off against the Oriental Express (Sato & Tanaka), along with their manager, Mr. Fuji. It was a fast-paced match, with the Rockers continuing to impress the fans with their maneuvers. Near the end, though, Mr. Fuji got involved, smacking Jannetty with a cane. When Jannetty confronted Mr. Fuji, he got hit in the face by salt thrown by Sato, blinding him. A hurting Jannetty (with Michaels coming to help him) was counted out, ending the match.
The Rockers battled several tag-teams over the next few months, including losing to the WWF World Tag-Team Champions, Demolition, at Saturday Night's Main Event #27 in July '90. The Rockers later faced another heel team, Power & Glory (Paul Roma & Hercules), at Summerslam '90. It was another speed vs. power match-up, with the Rockers looking good against the heels. But once again, interference from management outside cost the Rockers, as they were counted out, again taking the PPV loss. A few months later, the Rockers had their best shot at the WWF Tag-Team Titles, taking on the champs, the Hart Foundation. During this time, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart was leaving the company, causing the Hart Foundation to drop the titles to the Rockers! However, a week later, Neidhart re-signed with the WWF, and the match was voided, supposedly due to one of the ropes coming undone from the turnbuckle. Sadly, the change was never acknowledged on WWF television, taking away the Rockers' brief reign at the top.
At the '90 Survivor Series, the Rockers teamed up with a partially-blinded Jake "The Snake" Roberts & "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka to take on Rick Martel, Power & Glory, & the Warlord in an "Elimination" Match. Unfortunately for Jannetty, he was caught by the Warlord and pinned, leaving the match first. The rest of his teammates soon followed, as Martel's entire team survived the match. It was another rough blow to the Rockers, but the year would get even worse. At the end of 1990, an event happened that would haunt Jannetty and Michaels for a long time. In a match against Charles Austin & the Genius, Jannetty used one of the famous moves, the Rocker Dropper. Instead of landing right, however, Austin fell badly, breaking his neck. Austin later sued both Jannetty and the WWF. Jannetty later reportedly had to pay over 1 million dollars in the lawsuit (the WWF paid around 23 1/2 million).
1991
The Rockers faced off against their old rivals, the Oriental Express (now consisting of Tanaka & Kato), at the '91 Royal Rumble, in another fast-paced match to get the fans involved. In the end, the Rockers got the win, their first official WWF Pay-Per-View victory after several years in the company. They continued their momentum into Wrestlemania VII, where they took on Bobby Heenan's team of Haku & the Barbarian. It was another big vs. little match, with a different ending, as Jannetty & Michaels both climbed the turnbuckles near the end, with Jannetty hit a Missile Dropkick on Haku, followed by Michaels getting a Flying Bodypress for their second PPV win in a row. The team continued to rack up victories over the next few months, not realizing that there was a major change in the near future.
At the '91 Survivor Series, the Rockers teamed with the Bushwhackers against the Beverly Brothers & the Nasty Boys. Late in the match, with both Bushwhackers having already been eliminated, the Rockers were fighting a 4-on-2 battle. Michaels managed to help the odds, pinning Beau Beverly with a backslide, but things still didn't look great for the Rockers. Things looked worse soon after, though, as Jannetty, while slamming Jerry Sags, hit Michaels, who got rolled up by Knobbs to be eliminated. An upset Michaels left the ring, as Jannetty eventually got a small package on Sags reversed by Knobbs for the final elimination. Jannetty and Michaels kept having problems for the next month, leading up to a special edition of Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake's Barber Shop. It seemed that the two were going to put their differences behind them, as they raised their hands together. But Michaels then turned on Jannetty, Superkicking him, then throwing him through a glass window! Michaels was now a heel, while Jannetty was put on injured reserve.
1993
Jannetty made his return in early '93, immediately going after his old partner, Michaels, who by that time had become the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion. The two fought for the belt at the '93 Royal Rumble, with Michaels' manager, Sensational Sherri, interfering to help Michaels retain the title. The two kept feuding for the next few months, though, with Jannetty always intent on getting some revenge on his old friend. In May '93, Jannetty finally got his wish, surprising Michaels in a match on Monday Night Raw to win away the WWF Intercontinental Championship! Jannetty would defend the title for a month, before Michaels found a way to regain it, continuing the feud between the two.
Jannetty also had a few other solid feuds over the next few months, including Doink the Clown and newcomer Ludwig Borga, whom he faced at Summerslam '93. Borga attacked Jannetty from behind to start the match, with the two battling it out. Unfortunately for Jannetty, he never really recovered, eventually being Torture Racked and submitting. As the year wound down, Jannetty found himself a new tag-team partner, beginning to ally up with the 1-2-3 Kid (Sean Waltman). The two were set to team with Razor Ramon and Mr. Perfect in an "Elimination" Match against Rick Martel, Adam Bomb, IRS, & Diesel. Mr. Perfect was ironically eliminated beforehand, but was replaced by "Macho Man" Randy Savage. In a surprise finish, Jannetty & the Kid were the final 'survivors', eliminating Martel and Adam Bomb at the end for the victory.
1994
Near the beginning of the new year, Jannetty & the Kid worked their way up the ranks, earning a title shot against the WWF Tag Champs, the Quebecers. In what many considered an 'upset', Jannetty & the Kid won out, winning away the titles that Jannetty had pursued for years in the WWF! Unfortunately, it was a short run, as the Quebecers won the titles back in a rematch a week later. At the '94 Royal Rumble, Jannetty entered the Rumble and got a great draw, entering at #29. However, Jannetty couldn't hang in there, as his long-time foe, Michaels, eliminated Jannetty, tossing him over the top rope. Meanwhile, Jannetty & the 1-2-3 Kid soon broke up, as Jannetty surprisingly left the WWF, wanting to recover from years on the road.
ECW: 1995
After spending some time in the Independent scene, Jannetty came to Extreme Championship Wrestling in 1995, challenging their Heavyweight Champion, "The Franchise" Shane Douglas. The two wrestlers faced off at Return of the Funker in February '95, having a very competitive bout. At the end, though, Douglas managed to take the victory, keeping Jannetty from claiming the ECW Heavyweight Title. Jannetty would then go back to the Independents for a while, continuing to stay in shape until he made his return to the World Wrestling Federation in September '95.
WWF: 1995
When Jannetty returned, he immediately began having issues with his former partner, the 1-2-3 Kid (who had joined Ted DiBiase's stable), as well as Kid's ally, Sycho Sid. At the '95 Survivor Series, Jannetty teamed up with Barry Horowitz, Bob Holly, & Hakuski to take on the Kid, Skip, Tom Pritchard, & Rad Radford. Jannetty lasted until the end, when he was the sole member remaining on his team and had to face off against the Kid & Skip. Jannetty managed to make it one-on-one, eliminating Skip, but then got distracted by Sycho Sid, allowing the Kid to pin him for the win. Jannetty later teamed with Razor Ramon, beating Sycho Sid & the Kid at In Your House V in December '95.
1996
Jannetty again appeared at the '96 Royal Rumble, coming into the Rumble at #28. True to form, though, the late draw didn't work, as Jannetty hadn't eliminated anybody before the British Bulldog threw him out. To add insult to injury, Jannetty's old partner, Shawn Michaels, won the Rumble, earning the title shot. For the next few months, Jannetty basically wrestled as a low-carder on Raw, competing against several upcoming stars, such as Owen Hart and the Ringmaster (Steve Austin). Things turned for Jannetty in May '96, when he turned heel, joining with Leif Cassidy (Al Snow) to form the New Rockers. The duo worked well together, but couldn't manage the success of the original team, even after specifically targeting the current WWF Champion, Michaels. At Summerslam '96, the New Rockers competed in a "Four Corners Elimination" Match for the WWF Tag Titles, against the Bodydonnas, the Godwinns, and the champs, the Smoking Gunns. It ended badly for the New Rockers, as Cassidy was pinned by Henry Godwinn. The Smoking Gunns eventually retained the titles.
For the next few months, the New Rockers feuded on and off with the Godwinns, facing them in several dark matches before PPVs. At the '96 Survivor Series, the New Rockers joined with another duo, Owen Hart & the British Bulldog, to take on the Godwinns, Doug Furnas, & Phil Lafon. Once again, Jannetty's luck didn't hold out, as he was the first eliminated after being pinned by Henry Godwinn. Cassidy lasted a short while longer, but Furnas & Lafon were the final 'survivors'. Soon afterwards, Jannetty left the WWF once again, recuperating from injuries.
WCW: 1998
Jannetty wrestled briefly with the NWA before coming to World Championship Wrestling in January '98. He had a few high-flying matches against such wrestlers as Chris Jericho and Booker T, but did not gain much ground in the company. His best shot at moving up came at Slamboree '98, when he competed in a "Cruiserweight Battle Royal", with the winner to get a Cruiserweight Title shot against Chris Jericho. Jannetty tried to hang in there, but was eventually tossed by El Dandy. The final two were Juventud Guerrera and "Ciclope", with Guerrera surprisingly leaving the ring, even as the winner took off his mask to reveal Dean Malenko, who had been recently feuding with Jericho. Jannetty, meanwhile, had to watch from the back as the title match took place. Soon afterwards, Jannetty sustained an injury that put him on the shelf. "The Rocker" never returned to WCW after the injury, subsequently being released.
Independents
After leaving WCW, Jannetty began touring the independent scene. At one point, he was wrestling in New Breed Pro Wrestling, where he won the Heavyweight Title in October '99. Later on, he briefly reappeared in Extreme Championship Wrestling (near the end of ECW's run). In April '01, Jannetty showed up in All-Star Wrestling in Telford, England, defeating Danny Collins. In June '01, Jannetty competed in the IPW/NWA Ybor City Showdown, teaming with "Marvelous" Mike Sullivan against the NWA World Tag-Team Champs, the Heavenly Bodies, who managed to win out in the end. Jannetty next took on the IPW Television Champion Mike Shane at IPW Rage in the Cage 3, but was again denied the gold. Jannetty continued to wrestle on and off for the next few years, including forming a new version of the Rock 'n' Roll Express with Robert Gibson. But his previous success seemed very far away. Luckily, Jannetty still had friends like Shawn Michaels, who helped Jannetty become a Born-Again Christian in '04.
WWE: 2005
In March '05, Michaels (on WWE Raw) was in a major feud with Kurt Angle (on WWE Smackdown), with the two signed for a match at Wrestlemania. Angle announced on his program that he would be doing everything that Michaels had accomplished in his career in only a month's time. One of the items Angle spoke about was facing Michaels' old partner, Marty Jannetty! Jannetty appeared on the next Raw, where Michaels let him know that he would be making his first return on the show in a tag-team match! The Rockers reunited to take on La Resistance (Rob Conway & Sylvan Grenier), with Jannetty looking pretty good after so many years out of the spotlight. Jannetty even got the victory, landing the Rocker Dropper on Conway. Jannetty then went to face Angle on Smackdown, in a very competitive match that saw Jannetty nearly get the win on a couple of occassions. But Angle soon triumphed, forcing Jannetty to tap out to the Ankle Lock submission hold.
It was later announced that, due to the two performances, Jannetty had been offerred a full-time contract with World Wrestling Entertainment. However, Jannetty did not reappear on WWE television in '05. It was later rumored that Jannetty was having problems with the law, specifically due to him being arrested after a domestic disturbance with his girlfriend (Jannetty had been on probation after a drunk driving incident in '04). In July '05, Jannetty was released from his WWE contract, barely even getting a chance to use it. Jannetty thus returned to the independent scene, working to make himself some money.
WWE: 2006
In February '06, Shawn Michaels again was having difficulties, this time from Vince McMahon himself. Mr. McMahon wanted Michaels to retire, but the Heart Break Kid refused, leading to McMahon putting Michaels in some tough situations. One of those came when he put Michaels in a "4-on-1" Match against the Spirit Squad. Michaels fought hard, even getting the Sweet Chin Music to land, but the match ended in DQ when all 5 members of the Spirit Squad beat him down. However, a man rushed in out of the crowd to make the save, showing himself to be Marty Jannetty! The Rockers stood together again, to the cheers of the crowd. Mr. McMahon later made the announcement that he wouldn't be punishing Jannetty, but instead would be giving Jannetty what he desperately needed: a WWE contract! However, there was one catch: Jannetty would have to join the Kiss My Ass Club.
On the next Raw, Michaels told Jannetty that he was sorry he got him mixed up in Michaels' problems. But Jannetty told Michaels not to worry about it. Jannetty talked about how he had no car, was living with a friend, and really needed the contract, telling Michaels not to get involved. Jannetty came out later on, with Mr. McMahon dropping his pants for the kiss. When Jannetty asked if there was another way, though, Mr. McMahon selected another choice, bringing out Chris Masters! Jannetty had to escape the Masterlock to earn a title shot. Surprisingly, Jannetty seemed close to escaping when Mr. McMahon kicked him down, then had Masters push Jannetty's face into his butt, forcing the kiss! Michaels then came down to try to make the save, but Shane McMahon got involved as well, knocking Michaels out and giving him the same 'rear' treatment.
The main question on everyone's lips is, will it be the Rockers vs. the McMahons at Wrestlemania? Jannetty's definitely come back from the ashes once again. It still remains to be seen whether this is the complete rebirth of Jannetty's wrestling career.
