Background and career
Fredrick Martin Jannetty (born February 3, 1960) is an American retired professional wrestler who has worked for promotions including the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). Jannetty is widely known for his tenure as one-half of tag team the Rockers alongside Shawn Michaels. The duo originally found success during the mid-to-late 1980s under the moniker of the Midnight Rockers, becoming two-time AWA World Tag Team Champions. They became one of the foremost teams of the WWF's Golden Age, headlining multiple events. The Rockers held the WWF World Tag Team Championship in late 1990, but their reign was voided. After splitting from Michaels in early 1992, Jannetty became a one-time WWF Intercontinental Champion and a one-time WWF World Tag Team Champion with the 1-2-3 Kid. He competed in multiple world championship matches between ECW and the WWF from 1995–1996, but Jannetty's star faded thereafter, and he was largely used as enhancement talent during a late 1990s run in WCW. He made sporadic appearances for WWE during the latter half of the 2000s (including a brief 2005 reunion with Michaels), and competed on the independent circuit until retiring in 2016. Although his career was continually halted by personal issues and his achievements overshadowed by those of Michaels, Jannetty was described by Talksport as being "as smooth and jaw-dropping as his partner, with a drop-kick to rival any".
Jannetty was an amateur wrestler in the state of Georgia, qualifying for the state championship tournament his last three years of high school. He also boxed while in high school, and won many Golden Gloves events. After high school, he wrestled at Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Alabama where he was a two time NJCAA qualifier. He then went to Auburn University to wrestle, but the school dropped its wrestling program. He thought about trying football, but was instead coaxed into professional wrestling by Jerry Oates, who trained him.
Jannetty began his wrestling career in September 1983 for Mid-South Wrestling teaming with trainer Jerry Oates (as "cousin" Marty Oates), until November. After leaving Mid-South, he would wrestle under his real name for Southeastern Championship Wrestling, where he would wrestle the likes of Super Olympia and Mr. Olympia.
In March 1984, Jannetty began wrestling for the National Wrestling Alliance affiliate Central States Wrestling. He wrestled in singles and tag team competition with various partners, including Bulldog Bob Brown, Dave Peterson and Tommy Rogers (as the Uptown Boys). In late 1985, Jannetty joined forces with fellow rookie Shawn Michaels. The two teamed as the Midnight Rockers and quickly won the NWA Central States Tag Team Championship from the Batten Twins. Jannetty wrestled Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship during his time in CSW.
In the summer of 1985, Jannetty wrestled his first Japanese tour for All Japan Pro Wrestling, where his biggest match there was a loss to Tiger Mask II on September 5.
In 1986, the duo left CSW for the American Wrestling Association. In the AWA, Jannetty and Michaels quickly built a reputation as a talented tag team, performing many acrobatic moves in tandem and electrifying crowds with their athleticism. The two won the AWA World Tag Team Championship twice, first defeating Buddy Rose and Doug Somers and then The Midnight Express for their second and final reign. They also won the Southern Tag Team Championship twice after defeating the Rock 'n' Roll RPMs on two separate occasions before jumping to the World Wrestling Federation in 1988.
