Note: Going through some of the early days of Shawn Michaels since I've soured on his later stuff. Spoiler, it's great.
1986
AWA World Tag Team Title Match - Buddy Rose & Doug Somers vs Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - AWA 30/08/186
The crowd was going crazy from the start. Even before the guys started doing anything. And they carry that all the way through. The Midnight Rockers show off their athleticism, the fans clap like nothing. Rose and Somers speak in the corner, boos ring out. It’s great. Nothing is better than a loud crowd. The crowd gets even louder once Shawn bleeds. Love Somers going right for the cut once he sees it, opening it up more with Shawn selling every punch like a million bucks - it might just be his best selling performance of his career. The beat down of Michaels is excellent. Aggression and ruthless. The build to the hot tag is amazing. Shawn gets a brief moment of chance but he is so hurt that he doesn’t make it to Marty in time. There is another point in the match where Michaels staggers to the wrong corner because he is so disoriented and it just makes you want the hot tag more and more. And when it comes, the roof is blown off. Jannetty comes in like a house on fire and kicks some ass. Somers takes a heck of a beating with his head ramming into the post twice, getting busted open himself. The part where Shawn Michaels gets his payback for the beatdown Rose and Somers gave him earlier in the match was truly fantastic. The finish would normally be a downer but it added to the hatred of the feud and fit the story of the match perfectly. Fantastic match. ****3/4
Steel Cage Tag Team Match - Buddy Rose & Doug Somers (w/Sherri Martel) vs. The Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - AWA 25/12/1986
Really good match. I wasn’t sure about the tag team cage match stipulation because it looks like it could get too overcrowded but it worked well. Tons of blood. Violent. All the trimmings. The post match beatdown was top-notch. ****1/4
1987
AWA World Tag Team Title Match - Buddy Rose & Doug Somers (c) vs. The Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - AWA 27/01/1987
Damn, Sherri managing this early. I haven’t watched much AWA outside of Bockwinkel and his classic matches so all this is very new to me. Two pretty boy teams but both have totally different dynamics. The Midnight Rockers were great at garnering sympathy, got great timing for getting full use of their comebacks and sell really well, Michaels especially during the big heat section of the match. Rose and Somers are arrogant and cocky, bump well for the Midnight Rocker when called for it and have got the simple yet effective tag work down pat in the match. The crowd is really rabid, cheering for the Midnight Rockers whenever they got a small opening and booing the heels. Even chanting “Bullshit” at some of their antics. They pace the match too with every part of the match used to its fullest. Not much downtime and when there is, Rose and Somers are posing, milking the heat for all its worth. The section where Rose was attacking Michaels on the outside, trying to keep him from getting in the ring behind the was good, I thought. Jannetty has a fun hot tag towards the end of the match and leads into the finish well. Great match. In some ways, it didn’t electrify me but it was pretty compelling. ****
1988
WWF World Tag Team Title Match - Demolition (Ax & Smash) (c) vs. The Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - WWF 24/10/1988
The start of the match is great. The Rockers using their speed and chemistry to overwhelm Smash, constantly locking him in arm wringers and controlling the match. All that and it only could be stopped with a thumb in the eye. Classic move. The match keeps a nice brisk pace, even when Demolition go one offence. The heat section was good but not great although the transition to it with Ax pulling down the ropes to make Michaels fall over was great. The hot tag was pretty wild at least. ***3/4
1989
The Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) vs The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques & Raymond Rougeau) - WWF 10/10/1989
Great match. Excellent character work by the Rougeaus at the beginning. Everything Marty Jannetty did was so great. Everything looked so graceful and his hot tag at the end was awesome. Michaels was a really good FIP and Rougeaus did a great job of cutting him off, getting heat on themselves and getting the crowd behind Michaels. Wrestling clinic, this. ****1/2
1991
The Orient Express (Kato & Tanaka) (w/Mr Fuji) vs. The Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - WWF 19/01/1991
Real interesting match because this didn't really follow the generic “babyface sells for 90% of the match for the heels” formula. The Rockers dominated for a considerable amount of this match. This was very 50/50 which is a breath of fresh air when it comes to tag team matches. The match did have a lull in the body of the match, but the rest of the match very enjoyable. The Rockers did a great job at working the crowd and sending them into a frenzy. ***3/4
1986
AWA World Tag Team Title Match - Buddy Rose & Doug Somers vs Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - AWA 30/08/186
The crowd was going crazy from the start. Even before the guys started doing anything. And they carry that all the way through. The Midnight Rockers show off their athleticism, the fans clap like nothing. Rose and Somers speak in the corner, boos ring out. It’s great. Nothing is better than a loud crowd. The crowd gets even louder once Shawn bleeds. Love Somers going right for the cut once he sees it, opening it up more with Shawn selling every punch like a million bucks - it might just be his best selling performance of his career. The beat down of Michaels is excellent. Aggression and ruthless. The build to the hot tag is amazing. Shawn gets a brief moment of chance but he is so hurt that he doesn’t make it to Marty in time. There is another point in the match where Michaels staggers to the wrong corner because he is so disoriented and it just makes you want the hot tag more and more. And when it comes, the roof is blown off. Jannetty comes in like a house on fire and kicks some ass. Somers takes a heck of a beating with his head ramming into the post twice, getting busted open himself. The part where Shawn Michaels gets his payback for the beatdown Rose and Somers gave him earlier in the match was truly fantastic. The finish would normally be a downer but it added to the hatred of the feud and fit the story of the match perfectly. Fantastic match. ****3/4
Steel Cage Tag Team Match - Buddy Rose & Doug Somers (w/Sherri Martel) vs. The Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - AWA 25/12/1986
Really good match. I wasn’t sure about the tag team cage match stipulation because it looks like it could get too overcrowded but it worked well. Tons of blood. Violent. All the trimmings. The post match beatdown was top-notch. ****1/4
1987
AWA World Tag Team Title Match - Buddy Rose & Doug Somers (c) vs. The Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - AWA 27/01/1987
Damn, Sherri managing this early. I haven’t watched much AWA outside of Bockwinkel and his classic matches so all this is very new to me. Two pretty boy teams but both have totally different dynamics. The Midnight Rockers were great at garnering sympathy, got great timing for getting full use of their comebacks and sell really well, Michaels especially during the big heat section of the match. Rose and Somers are arrogant and cocky, bump well for the Midnight Rocker when called for it and have got the simple yet effective tag work down pat in the match. The crowd is really rabid, cheering for the Midnight Rockers whenever they got a small opening and booing the heels. Even chanting “Bullshit” at some of their antics. They pace the match too with every part of the match used to its fullest. Not much downtime and when there is, Rose and Somers are posing, milking the heat for all its worth. The section where Rose was attacking Michaels on the outside, trying to keep him from getting in the ring behind the was good, I thought. Jannetty has a fun hot tag towards the end of the match and leads into the finish well. Great match. In some ways, it didn’t electrify me but it was pretty compelling. ****
1988
WWF World Tag Team Title Match - Demolition (Ax & Smash) (c) vs. The Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - WWF 24/10/1988
The start of the match is great. The Rockers using their speed and chemistry to overwhelm Smash, constantly locking him in arm wringers and controlling the match. All that and it only could be stopped with a thumb in the eye. Classic move. The match keeps a nice brisk pace, even when Demolition go one offence. The heat section was good but not great although the transition to it with Ax pulling down the ropes to make Michaels fall over was great. The hot tag was pretty wild at least. ***3/4
1989
The Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) vs The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques & Raymond Rougeau) - WWF 10/10/1989
Great match. Excellent character work by the Rougeaus at the beginning. Everything Marty Jannetty did was so great. Everything looked so graceful and his hot tag at the end was awesome. Michaels was a really good FIP and Rougeaus did a great job of cutting him off, getting heat on themselves and getting the crowd behind Michaels. Wrestling clinic, this. ****1/2
1991
The Orient Express (Kato & Tanaka) (w/Mr Fuji) vs. The Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - WWF 19/01/1991
Real interesting match because this didn't really follow the generic “babyface sells for 90% of the match for the heels” formula. The Rockers dominated for a considerable amount of this match. This was very 50/50 which is a breath of fresh air when it comes to tag team matches. The match did have a lull in the body of the match, but the rest of the match very enjoyable. The Rockers did a great job at working the crowd and sending them into a frenzy. ***3/4
Best Matches List
AWA World Tag Team Title Match - Buddy Rose & Doug Somers (c) vs Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - AWA 30/08/86 [****3/4]
The Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) vs The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques & Raymond Rougeau) - WWF 10/10/1989 [****1/2]
Steel Cage Tag Team Match - Buddy Rose & Doug Somers (w/Sherri Martel) vs. The Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - AWA 25/12/1986 [****1/4]
AWA World Tag Team Title Match - Buddy Rose & Doug Somers (c) vs. The Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - AWA 27/01/1987 [****]
The Orient Express (Kato & Tanaka) (w/Mr. Fuji) vs. The Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - WWF 19/01/1991 [***3/4]
WWF World Tag Team Title Match - Demolition (Ax & Smash) (c) vs. The Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) - WWF 24/10/1988 [***3/4]
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