[1993-07-19-WWF-Raw] Shawn Michaels vs Marty Jannetty

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Really good match and all (and the '93 PWI MOTY), but I like the Doink match and Bret/Perfect from the WWF better. This is really part WWF-style match, part Flair-style match wrestled at a faster pace. They did wrestle a pretty tough pace for most of the match, and Shawn does exaggerated versions of a lot of classic Flair bumps that work well, but there's something keeping it from going over the top for me, even though I did really like it.

[shoe]

I liked this a little better than Loss. It kinda felt like a Flair match on speed. I thought Vince on commentary did a good job making the match even more exciting than it was. 93 really was a strong year work wise for Marty. The opening 6 minutes of this was really awesome. I totally loved HBK taking a shoulder bump into the corner, and Jannetty following up with an arm drag. Then he proceeded to work some spots around the arm, just really cool stuff.

[Kevin Ridge]

I had though this won PWI match of the year but sources online say the May match won. Michaels looks so big compared to most of the rest of his career. Jannetty wins the title though Michaels had his foot on the ropes. More great officiating from Hebner. They go right to commercial though which is dubious timing and of course when we come back the match has resumed. Match had been really good up to the false finish. Jannetty misses big on a cross body and flies over the top rope to floor. He probably would have counted out anyways. Both their TV matches have been good and another strong performance by Jannetty. I’d much rather watch these two wrestle again at Summerslam than have Perfect involved.

[Loss]

I had though this won PWI match of the year but sources online say the May match won.

Those sources are wrong. That's a really common inaccuracy. It also got ****3/4 in the WON.

[Kevin Ridge]

I had though this won PWI match of the year but sources online say the May match won.

Those sources are wrong. That's a really common inaccuracy. It also got ****3/4 in the WON.

 

I took a look at my PWI Almanac but they of course don't list the date. Wonder if that has led to confusion. Can't find anything that lists the May match as the winner.

[PeteF3]

It was definitely this match that was PWI MOTY--I distinctly remember them bringing up the instant replay finish.

 

It's also really, really not far off from the WWF MOTY so far. I wanted to put all my sentimental support behind Jannetty/Doink but I have to admit it's really close. These two start off wrestling like the old-style Rockers against each other before getting into some pretty great near-falls, cutting a very quick pace the whole way as one would expect. Michaels is noticeably getting out of shape and I still don't much like his work on top--it's telling that he has no move to put Jannetty away after he spills to the floor--but this is still his best performance of the year, and Jannetty continues to be out of this world. There's no question that he's in a cluster with Bret and Doink as the best guys in the company. Michaels wins clean, and the Jannetty singles push was pretty much stone dead at this point. Kind of too bad because I think he had something to offer as an upper-mid-card babyface, but he was also great at making lunks like Mr. Hughes and Ludvig Borga look decent and also never seemed to escape his "other Rocker" persona.

[soup23]

Good match but not the MOTY for me and I think on some days I may like steiners vs. Money Inc better. This is worked with a good pace but the fakeout ending did nothing for me where it has worked in instances like Bigelow vs. Bret. HBK wins this one to kind of definitively put an end to their feud. The wipeout Marty has when he dives to the floor on the finish is really well done. ***1/4

[garretta]

This was the best of the four-match series these two have had on the Yearbooks, but Match of the Year? Not even close. One finish is too controversial, and the other is just blah. Pete's right; Shawn should have hit some type of move to get the pin, unless you say that Nash fired Marty back into the ring hard enough to knock him out. The bump over the top was big, but nothing that Marty couldn't have conceivably come back from if the match had been booked to go longer.

 

The first finish would have been a ton more effective if Savage in particular hadn't tried to use it to get heat on Heenan, of all people. We all know that Heenan favored Shawn in his heart of hearts, but in this case he was also correct; Shawn clearly had his foot on the ropes at three. But Savage refused to accept the fact that Heenan had a point for once in his life, so instead of a reminder to the fans of how small the difference is between a title changing hands and not, we had a tired face/heel argument between two announcers who had no conceivable connection to the match and no way to turn their dispute into anything profitable. Vince got dragged into the middle of all this too, and naturally sided with Jannetty. At this point I think I'd rather see Lawler on Raw​ than Savage, even though Lawler's just as bad if not worse.

 

I've been racking my brains and I can't think of one big move Shawn hit in the match. Sure, he hit basic things like kicks, punches, and knees, but Marty was the one hitting all the good-looking stuff. He even looked better bumping, and Shawn's supposed to be the greatest bumper ever to lace up the boots. I'm not sure where Jannetty ranks overall in the company, but he's the better overall worker of the two former Rockers at this point by a wide margin.

 

Come to think of it, wasn't this the first time we saw Nash physically interfere in a match on TV? The finish probably happened the way it did in order to get Nash over as a threat more than anything else, especially since his interference in the Albany match wasn't captured on camera.

 

Lines of the Night: Vince, describing the fast pace: "You can get exhausted just calling ​a match like this." A dead-on observation the likes of which we last heard from him approximately ten years before.

 

Also, Heenan describing the bump Jannetty took over the top the way a baseball announcer would call a hone run, This is a case where Heenan uses his trademark humor to get part of the match over, which he doesn't do often enough. He can be serious and he can be funny, but he doesn't use his humor for a "serious" purpose nearly as often as he could. An honorable mention to "Can't you smell the sincerity?" during the replay argument with Savage when he's trying to defend his actions.

 

I would have thought that this match with its controversy would have led to a final SummerSlam blowoff, but I'm not even sure if Jannetty made the card. Too bad, as he's been on the best run of his career lately and likely would have made a SummerSlam bout with Shawn a classic.

[JKWebb]

I'm not saying HBK had the best look, but I wonder if Marty could have gotten over more if he had updated his look a little bit. He still came out to the Rockers music here, and he still looked like a trapper keeper from 1989. Randy Savage says that within five seconds it's already one of the greatest matches he's ever seen. Ha, well it does start off fast, and the action sucks you in. I think HBK and Marty both do a really good job with the heel/face dynamic. HBK with the punches from behind and slower paced offense, Marty more explosive, and reminiscent of The Rockers. The DDT from Marty onto HBK looked sweet! I loved HBK's leg on the ropes, and fun timing for the commercial break. I've never really been a fan of the tied up in the ropes spot. HBK gets tied up, and when Marty goes at him he over shoots and HBK dodges. Marty spills to the outside. Diesel rolls Marty back in, and HBK gets the pin. I agree that the finish is a little off. I would have liked to have seen something else from HBK on offense resulting in the victory. The match was really good, and very fun, but it wouldn't be my WWF MOTY. I haven't watched much from 1993 in a while, but off the top, I know I think the Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect KOTR match is better.

 

#489 - placetobenation.com/countdown-top-500-matches-of-the-90s-500-451/

[Superstar Sleeze]

WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels vs Marty Jannetty - WWF RAW 7/19/93

 

These two definitely know how to whip a match into a fever pitch. Shawn has since added Diesel to his act which paid immediate dividends as he won the IC belt back. Marty turns his back to Shawn to look at Diesel and Shawn attacks. Great way to get over the presence of the big man. Marty impressively lands on his feet on a back drop. Another great shine with Marty looking crisp and Michaels bumping like a madman. Nothing out of this world. Everything is upbeat and well-done. Marty hits a DDT. 1-2-3! Lightning strikes twice! Wait! Michael's foot was on the ropes, Diesel points it out and the match is restarted. I like this use of Diesel. Not can he intimidate and interfere, but he can watch Michaels' back if injustice is to occur. Jannetty continues with the shine suplex and backbreaker. Jannetty should have been a solid mechanic in the midcard and tag scene if not for personal demons. Definite anchor on this match is Michaels' heat segment. Nothing memorable transition and chinlock city otherwise. Michaels would get better on top, never his strong suit, but very weak here. Jannetty crotching him to get out of a front facelock almost makes the front facelock worth it. Again they work a ton of great nearfalls for Jannetty that get awesome heat. Jannetty takes an insane bump flying over the top rope on a missed crossbody down on the floor. Diesel helps him back in 1-2-3! I actually dug the finish a lot. The bump was insane and really puts over the move as high risk.

 

PWI Match of the Year for 1993 and I don't even think it is the best match in WWF in 1993. Fun shine, lame heat segment and red hit finish, a great way to spend 15 minutes of your life, btu nothing that will change your life. ***1/4

[cactus]

I think their previous RAW match was better due to the quicker nature, but this was still highly enjoyable viewing because of Shawn bumping around crazy. They restart the match after Jannetty pins HBK when he's on the ropes, as pointed out by Diesel, Michael's new bodyguard. Jannetty's high flying is very slick, although this ends up costing him when crashes and burn after a failed crossbody attempt sees him violently hit the mats outside the ring. 

★★★¾