10 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WWE SmackDown From 2005
7. You Need To See This Marty Jannetty Match
Iconic wrestling machine Kurt Angle was working his final full year as an active member of the full-time WWE roster in 2005, but nobody knew that at the time. They were far too busy getting pumped for Kurt's dazzling WrestleMania 21 showdown with fellow standout Shawn Michaels to worry about whether or not the Olympian was struggling behind the scenes.
Speaking of which, enter Marty Jannetty. The perennial pain in the neck for management popped back up as part of a mini-Rockers reunion in early-2005. After working a tag-team bout with HBK over on Raw, Marty brought his skills to SmackDown for the ultimate test: A lengthy singles showing against one of the best wrestlers in the industry on the 17 March episode.
It was fabulous, and you really need to see it.
Angle beat Jannetty in a wonderful match that reignited WWE's interest in using Marty. Sadly, some old persistent problems and his behaviour away from the ring would end that interest fairly swiftly, but he honestly looked to be on top of his game vs. Kurt, and their match comes across as a real clash of generations.
It worked a treat within the context of Angle's feud with Shawn heading into 'Mania, and it's well worth seeking out if you’ve forgotten about it or just fancy seeing how good Jannetty could be even this late into his career. At his best, and when motivated, Marty looked every bit like somebody who should be working near the tippy top of WWE cards.
He didn't get the renaissance he was looking for, but at least Jannetty could look back on this beauty of a match.