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Marty JannettyMarty Jannetty (born Frederick Martin Oakes) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known as one-half of the tag team "The Rockers" (also "The Midnight Rockers") with Shawn Michaels in the 1980s and early 1990's. Profile Career Jannetty began his wrestling career in 1984 wrestling in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Central States division. He wrestled in singles and tag team competition with various partners until teaming with fellow rookie Shawn Michaels in 1986. The two teamed as the pair "The Midnight Rockers" and quickly won the Central States Tag Team Championship. In 1987, the two left the NWA for the American Wrestling Association (AWA). In the AWA, Jannetty and Michaels quickly built a reputation as a talented tag team, performing many amazing acrobatic moves in tandem, and electrifying crowds with their amazing athleticism. The two held the AWA Tag Team Championship twice, staying in the AWA for a little over the year before jumping to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1988. Now called simply "The Rockers," Jannetty and Michaels were quite popular in the WWF, often called "tag team specialists" by commentator Gorilla Monsoon and lauded by both fans and wrestling critics. At the time, Jannetty was widely seen as the stronger of the team and more likely to branch out into singles success, as he was the more experienced and had already had some singles success, winning the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship in 1985 before teaming with Michaels. Despite their popularity and skill, however, the Rockers never won the WWF Tag Team Championship during their three-year run. It went instead to larger teams such as The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) and Demolition (Ax Eadie and Smash [Barry Darsow]). The closest the Rockers came to the championship was a reversed decision in a match against then-champions the Hart Foundation in 1990. In the famous 1991 storyline, Michaels walked out on Jannetty during a match at Survivor Series, a result of frustration he felt from their lack of title success and his wish to break out on his own. Attempting to help settle their differences, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake invited both on his interview segment "The Barbershop." Michaels and Jannetty appeared to reconcile, but then Michaels hit Jannetty with a kick and tossed him through the set's plate glass window. Working the "injury," Jannetty sat at home for several months. Meanwhile, Michaels won the Intercontinental Championship, well on his way to becoming a major singles star. Jannetty returned in early 1993, challenging Michaels to a match at the Royal Rumble. Jannetty lost due to interference from Sensational Sherri, but the two continued their feud. Jannetty won the Intercontinental Championship from Michaels in May, 1993 on Monday Night Raw, but lost it a month later. Jannetty finally managed to win the WWE Tag Team Championship with the 1-2-3 Kid (Sean Waltman) in January, 1994 from the Quebecers (Jacques Rougeau and Pierre Oulette), but lost it back a week later. He quit the WWF later that year, spending his time rehabbing injuries and working for independent promotions. In 1995, just months after Michaels made a shocking face turn that got him over, Jannetty returned to WWE. He continued to wrestle as a face, despite bad blood between he and Michaels that had carried over in the storylines. In 1996, Jannetty made a heel turn by joining Leif Cassidy, who was later known as Al Snow, forming "The New Rockers." Shawn had become WWF Champion, and Jannetty and Cassidy would assault Shawn out of jealousy. Jannetty's final WWE appearance was a shot at Shawn's title on RAW, which The Heartbreak Kid won. He left WWE shortly after. He resurfaced in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1998 to little fanfare and success before being released following an injury. Save a brief stint in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 2000, he has since been working independents. On March 14, 2005, Jannetty appeared on WWE Raw for a one-time-only reunion with his former tag team partner Shawn Michaels against La Resistance (Sylvain Grenier and Rob Conway). Jannetty got the win with his old finisher, the Rocker Dropper. This was in preparation for Jannetty's match with Kurt Angle on that week's SmackDown!, as Angle had challenged Jannetty prior to his WrestleMania 21 match with Shawn Michaels. Angle claimed that since Jannetty had taught Michaels "everything he knows" while part of the Rockers, he could teach Michaels "how to tap out" by forcing Jannetty to submit on SmackDown! On SmackDown!, Angle made good on his promise and forced Jannetty to submit to his ankle lock submission hold, but only after a nearly-20 minute match and an impressive showing for Jannetty which saw him nearly pin the Olympic champion. Clearly, the former Intercontinental Champion could still get it done in the ring. The WWE soon signed him to a new contract. Jannetty, Marty
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