If you’ve watched pro wrestling for any significant amount of time, you’re almost certainly with the term “Marty Jannetty.” As in, “[so-and-so] is the Marty Jannetty of that tag team.” It’s meant to be a slight on the less-talented or less-charismatic member of a team or faction, the one who may be left in the lurch or would flounder if the team were to split up. And Shawn Michaels’ former Rockers partner is the namesake, of course. It’s possible that’s a legacy that could leave a sting.
In an appearance on the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling — which you can listen to at the bottom of this post — Jannetty was asked for his opinion on the term, and whether it bothers him. According to the man himself, he’s taking a “Well, we’re talking about it right now!” approach. As in, he believes that as long as people keep his name alive and remember him and the Rockers, he can’t have been that big a dud, right?
“The Rockers haven’t been together since ’91 and what year is this? They are still talking about them. Even with John Cena who is the most popular guy there right now in twenty-something years from right now do you think they are going to be talking about John Cena? This is 2017, so in 2037 are they going to be talking about John Cena? They may but I kind of doubt it. The legacy and being the Marty Jannetty of the team people a lot of times ask does that bother me. Why would that bother me? Besides the fact I’m getting royalties every time they say it (laughing) it is keeping me alive as far as being in the business. Here is the thing they don’t know; the “Marty Jannetty” is supposed to be the weak link but let me tell you what the Marty Jannetty of the team really is.
“All these guys were not known when they came to me and after they left me they went off to be famous. It is not who is the weak-link of the team it is like the teacher of the world. Billy Gunn used to say that I want to tag with you so bad because they should call you ‘Springboard Jannetty’ because everyone that you tag with shoots to the top. So let that be my legacy and it is pretty much true and all these guys: Sean Waltman, Shawn Michaels, Bob Holly, Al Snow they are all students of mine (laughing).”
Yeah, somehow I don’t think “Springboard Jannetty” is going to catch on, but his reasoning is sound! Without him being loved enough to launch Shawn Michaels as a can’t-miss heel by betraying him, the moment wouldn’t be remembered nearly as fondly. How many tag teams have we seen split up over the years? And yet it’s been 25 years since the barbershop window, and that’s probably the tag team split we remember more than any other.
