50 Things You Learn Binge-Watching Every WWE Royal Rumble
41. A Rockers 1993 Clash Should’ve Been Huge
It's still agony to watch the hype video before 1993's Intercontinental Title clash between Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty. The story of Shawn planting Marty through a window to confirm their split, Jannetty's return and the love interest side quest starring Sensational Sherri was just spectacular. This battle of former Rockers should've been the best non-Rumble bout since the show debuted in 1988, but it wasn't.
HBK vs. Jannetty sagged more than Marty's eyelids after reportedly hitting the ring less than 100%. Legend has it that Jannetty had been drinking before the bout, and so couldn't show his best on the pay-per-view. For his part, Marty has often denied this, but Vince McMahon was disappointed with the final product and decided to cut him loose regardless. Ouch.
Both guys had gone around the horn on house shows feeding into the Rumble, so everyone was expecting this to steal the show and possibly even be the greatest WWF PPV match ever. In the end, it was a so-so performance from an apparently wasted Marty and a still to find his feet Michaels. Yeah, there's no denying it's still a disappointment all these years on.
The main highlight looking back was actually Sherri's waterworks and involvement in the story, but even that couldn't save the thing completely. This should've been the match that cemented Jannetty as a reliable upper-midcarder and one that'd springboard HBK to main event stardom. Instead, both men irked the boss, dropped in-ring quality on the show overall, and couldn't live up to the dramatic build.