2. Shawn Michaels Vs Marty Jannetty For The Intercontinental Title
Date: May 17th When presenting an entirely new type of wrestling show, the WWF was smart to give an "anything can happen" vibe to Raw. They wanted people to be disappointed if they missed the show and found out what happened the next day. On May 17th, that "anything can happen" vibe was very present. At the time, Shawn Michaels was the Intercontinental Champion, and he cut a good heel promo about how he had fought everyone who stepped up, and had beaten them all. He says he'll defend his title against anybody at any time, and that's when Marty Jannetty came out of the crowd and got in the ring. It was his return to the company after four months away, and he challenged Michaels for the title. Just like that, it was on. Nobody was expecting Jannetty to return, but there he was. Four months into Raw's history, and this gave the WWF one of their very first "Did you see that?!?" moments, where people were going to work or school the next day and telling their coworkers and classmates all about what went down. The title match was set to go, and it was smartly booked for the same night, instead of risking the loss of momentum by having the great return and then having the match weeks later. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-qK1pgGtZU Both men had been teaming up for years, so they had such an in-ring chemistry, and it showed here. The match wasn't all that long, but it was exciting. It was a showcase for both men, showing why Michaels would go on to become one of the greatest performers ever, and why Jannetty had loads of potential, as well, until addiction problems got in the way. It was the cap to a very well-written and well-played night of storytelling by all involved.
Columnist/Podcaster/Director at LordsOfPain.net for nearly seven years, with nearly 2000 total columns written. Interviewed and/or involved in interviewing the likes of Tyler Black/Seth Rollins (twice), Diamond Dallas Page, Jimmy Jacobs, Christopher Daniels, Uhaa Nation and more.
