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Marty Jannetty

Marty Jannetty

Height: 6'0"
Weight: 226 lbs.
Real name: Frederick Martin Oakes
Hometown: Orlando, Florida
Pro debut: April 5, 1984
Finishing move: Rocker Dropper / Showstopper (Wrist lock leg drop bulldog), Superkick
Other aliases: Martin Oates, "The Rocker", "The Gentleman"
Career highlights: MWA Champion, MTW Champion, NBPW Heavyweight Champion, WWE World Tag Team Champion (w/ 1-2-3 Kid), WWE Intercontinental Champion, AWA World Tag Team Champion (2), AWA Southern Tag Team Champion (2) (w/ Shawn Michaels), NWA Central States Heavyweight Champion (2), NWA Central States Tag Team Champion (4), NWA Central States TV Champion
Trained by: Jerry Oates

Marty Jannetty (real name Frederick Martin Oakes) 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, including Tommy Rogers as the Uptown Boys, until joining forces with fellow rookie Shawn Michaels in late 1985. The two teamed as The Midnight Rockers and quickly won the Central States Tag Team Championship. In 1986, the duo 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 league for a little over the year before jumping to the World Wrestling Federation 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. Furthermore, Jannetty was the one who took the lead, both in promos and in the ring.

Despite their popularity and skill, however, the Rockers never officially 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 and Smash). In October 1990 the Rockers won the Tag Team titles from Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart known as The Hart Foundation. Jim Neidhart had been fired and therefore had to job the titles to another team. In this match the top rope broke causing some confusion but the Rockers won and were the new WWF Tag Team Champions.The Rockers even successfully defended the titles, but then WWF changed mind and rehired Jim Neidhart. The officials then simply annulled the match because of the broken rope and edited the match out of the Main Event broadcast. Now this title reign is nearly forgotten.

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 Beefcake invited both on his interview segment "The Barbershop." Michaels and Jannetty appeared to reconcile, but then Michaels hit Jannetty with a superkick and soon threw him through the set's plate glass window. Working the "injury," Jannetty sat at home for several months.

Michaels, meanwhile, won the Intercontinental Championship and was 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 a botched 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 less than a month later.

Jannetty finally managed to win the WWF Tag Team Championship with the 1-2-3 Kid in January, 1994 from the Quebecers (Jacques Rougeau and Pierre Ouellette), 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, he also made several appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) to moderate success.

Later that year, just months after Michaels made a shocking face turn that got him over, Jannetty returned to WWF. 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," a team that didn't have much success. Shawn had become WWF Champion, and Jannetty and Cassidy would assault Shawn out of jealousy. Jannetty's final WWF appearance was a shot at Shawn's title on RAW, which The Heartbreak Kid won. He left WWF 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 return to ECW in 2000, he has since been working in independent promotions.
Jannetty became a born-again Christian in 2004 thanks to Shawn Michaels sharing his faith, when Marty was on the verge of suicide.

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 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 twenty 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, but released him soon after once Jannetty's personal problems prevented him from fulfilling his duties.

On the February 20, 2006 edition of WWE RAW, Shawn Michaels was pitted against four of the five members of the Spirit Squad in their in-ring debut. The match ended up going both ways and Michaels was able to counter repeated assaults by the Spirit Squad team members. After he had connected with the Sweet Chin Music, Michaels was attacked by all five members until an unknown man came storming in to the ring to defend Michaels. During the melee, it was revealed that it was Marty Jannetty coming to defend his former tag team partner. Later on RAW, Vince McMahon came out to mention that he'd offer Jannetty a full-time contract and had initially said that the deal was done. However, Mr. McMahon added a stipulation; Marty had to join Mr. McMahon's "Kiss My Ass Club" the following week on RAW.

Jannetty refused to kiss Mr. McMahon's ass, and McMahon instead offered Jannetty the possibility of breaking Chris Masters' signature submission hold, the Master Lock. Jannetty appeared to almost break the hold, but Mr. McMahon (who was officiating) delivered a low blow, and Jannetty was never able to break it, only being released when Shawn Michaels ran in to save him. Shortly after Michaels had saved Jannetty, Shane McMahon ran in the ring with a steel chair and knocked Michaels out. Shane proceeded to pick up Michaels and then forced him to kiss Mr. McMahon's ass.

On March 3, 2006, the WWE announced that it had severed all professional ties with Jannetty. WWE.com even reported it with the short statement "World Wrestling Entertainment has broken all professional ties with Marty Jannetty." This statement is most likely kayfabe, as Jannetty was unable to attend the Monday Night RAW event in Birmingham, Alabama, due to travel difficulties caused by Jannetty's probation status. This prompted a major rewrite in the storyline while Jannetty and the WWE try to work out travel arrangements with Jannetty's probation officer. There was also a rumor that Jannetty himself was going to wrestle at Wrestlmania before he was released.

On September 15, 2006, it was announced wwe.com that Jannetty had signed a new contract and would be returning as a veteran along with Rodney Mack and Brad Armstrong to work with younger talent. WWE.com also stated that Jannetty, along with the 2 other veterans, could also be granted a full-time contract pending the success of this initial venture.