The Shawn Michaels/Marty Jannetty feud

[Manute Bol]

I just rewatched most of the major matches from their feud (listed below) and I would probably rank every single one of them somewhere between good and great. What chemistry these two had. I'm curious if anyone here has a favorite from their series of matches. It's a tough pick, but I might have to pick the one from 1996. Any thoughts?

1/24/93 Royal Rumble: Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels def. Marty Jannetty (14:20; 4 stars from Meltzer)
5/17/93 RAW: Marty Jannetty def. Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels (PWI Match of the Year)
7/19/93 RAW: Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels (w/ Diesel) def. Marty Jannetty (23:00; 4 3/4 stars from Meltzer)
8/17/93 Cage Match taped for Bloopers, Bleeps and Bodyslams: Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels (w/ Diesel) def. Marty Jannetty
7/1/96 RAW: WWE Champion Shawn Michaels (w/ Jose Lothario) def. Marty Jannetty (w/ Leif Cassify & Jim Cornette)

[Ronny Rayguns Is All Elite]

Whichever match it was where Janetty showed up Randomly in Street clothes for the surprise Intercontinental title victory

[cabbageboy]

I think this feud could have really drawn money had Jannetty not been under house arrest for most of 1992. Waiting until early 1993 to do the feud sorta tempered interest in it. The matches themselves were terrific, but by then I think it was obvious Shawn was getting the push and Marty was on the backburner.

[Manute Bol]

Aug 21, 2013 7:23:55 GMT -5 Ronny Rayguns Is All Elite said:

Whichever match it was where Janetty showed up Randomly in Street clothes for the surprise Intercontinental title victory

That was the 5/17/93 RAW one that won the PWI Match of the Year. It was a good match and the crowd was really hot for it, but it was literally only 10-12 minutes long. Fun while it lasted, but the short time it got really killed it for me.

Aug 21, 2013 8:55:18 GMT -5 cabbageboy said:

I think this feud could have really drawn money had Jannetty not been under house arrest for most of 1992. Waiting until early 1993 to do the feud sorta tempered interest in it. The matches themselves were terrific, but by then I think it was obvious Shawn was getting the push and Marty was on the backburner.

During one of the matches Randy Savage says something about Marty being the more talented half of The Rockers and Vince McMahon's deadpan reaction of "well I don't know about that..." is priceless considering what we know now.

By the way, why was Jannetty in house arrest in 92?

[lildude8218]

"Here's the details on the arrest of Marty Janetty. Janetty, 32, was arrested at 2 a.m. on Jan. 25 after an incident at the Yucatan Liquor Stand (a Tampa night club). Janetty and a female companion, Angela Ialacci, 19, were trying to get in the club and Ialacci apparently tried to use a fake ID. When the police tried to arrest her, Janetty alleged got involved in the fray and "violently grabbed the officer." Janetty was arrested and he and Ialacci were both searched and officers found less than a gram of cocaine on both of them and a twist-tied bag on Janetty. Janetty was arrested on possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest with force. Janetty was then indefinitely suspended by the WWF with the wrestlers being told that he was fired. So reports of Janetty failing a drug test appear to be inaccurate. However, Janetty did appear Sunday night in Japan for his SWS tour booked through the WWF, so either the suspension has already been lifted or some aspect of the suspension was a work on Janetty and the boys." - 2/17/92 Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Marty was working indies primarily in the Northeast and was about to start up with the USWA when this happened.

"Former WWF wrestler Marty Janetty was sentenced last week on the cocaine possession charge and resisting arrest with force charge stemming from an incident late January while he and a date were attempting to get into a Tampa night club. Janetty, 33, was fired by the WWF after the incident and is now working independently. Janetty's case was not adjudicated and in exchange, he accepted six months of community control (being under house arrest which means he can leave his house to travel to and from jobs but basically for no other reason), 30 months probation, he must submit to a urine test every week for three months and bi-weekly for the following three months and will then be subject to random testing over the next two years and 250 hours of community service. It is believed the judge was so hard on Janetty because he was tired of pro wrestlers like Janetty being portrayed to the public as role models and then behaving in a manner which makes those portrayals hypocritical." - 6/8/92 Wrestling Observer Newsletter

He showed up in September doing a few indy shows here and there.

"Marty Janetty returned at television Monday night coming out of the stands to attack Shawn Michaels and he wound up breaking the mirror of Sherri's head which means probably the end of the mirror gimmick." - 10/19/92 Wrestling Observer Newsletter

[amaron]

Aug 21, 2013 2:39:22 GMT -5 Manute Bol said:

5/17/93 RAW: Marty Jannetty def. Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels (PWI Match of the Year)

Same RAW that Razor Ramon was beaten by The Kid.

[Futureraven: Beelzebruv]

Aug 21, 2013 8:55:18 GMT -5 cabbageboy said:

I think this feud could have really drawn money had Jannetty not been under house arrest for most of 1992. Waiting until early 1993 to do the feud sorta tempered interest in it. The matches themselves were terrific, but by then I think it was obvious Shawn was getting the push and Marty was on the backburner.

True, but they did an amazing job of making up for lost time, making it 'cocky upstart has his past catch up to him and gets his comeuppence'. They could have stretched that out a bit longer, have HBK take a countout and Marty chases him till Summerslam. But what happened was so good.

[Todd Pettengill]

Having been at the show personally, I have hoped for 20 years for some house show footage of Michaels winning the title back from Jannetty.