Marty Jannetty
He was the other half of wrestling's most famous betrayal, a high-flying talent whose career was forever defined by one night in 1992.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American professional wrestler·Birthday: February 3·Baby Boomers
Biography
Marty Jannetty entered the wrestling world as one half of The Rockers, a vibrant, acrobatic tag team with Shawn Michaels that captured the 1980s spirit of rock and roll in spandex. Their matches were spectacles of synchronized athleticism, but Jannetty's legacy was cemented not by their union, but by its shocking dissolution. In a 1992 segment on 'Brutus Beefcake's Barber Shop,' Michaels famously smashed Jannetty through a glass window, an act of betrayal that became a cultural touchstone and launched Michaels's solo stardom. While Jannetty had subsequent runs and held various titles, including the Intercontinental Championship, he often found himself cast as the perpetual victim or unstable counterpart to his more celebrated former partner. His career became a poignant narrative about the guy who was there when history was made, a talented performer forever linked to one of sports entertainment's most iconic moments.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Marty was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Marty Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Marty's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the WWF Intercontinental Championship in 1993 by defeating Shawn Michaels.
- Captured the WWF Tag Team Championship with Shawn Michaels as The Rockers, though the title change was not officially recognized on television until years later.
- Held the AWA World Tag Team Championship with Pat Tanaka as The Midnight Rockers.
- Accumulated over 20 recognized championships across various wrestling promotions throughout his career.
Did You Know?
He was a skilled amateur wrestler in high school before transitioning to the professional circuit.
Jannetty worked as a barber, which was incorporated into the famous 'Barber Shop' segment where Shawn Michaels turned on him.
He and Shawn Michaels originally performed as The Midnight Rockers in the AWA before joining the WWF.
Jannetty made a surprise return to WWE in 2005, 2006, and 2009 for brief appearances and matches.
“I was the other guy, the one who went through the barbershop window.”
