He was billed as an up an coming star, one of the highest flying rookies of his time. His charisma, look and athleticism gained him legions of fans around the world. His name was Marty Jannetty, and his name now lives on as a sad joke in the annuls of the professional wrestling.

He is, in many ways, the Todd Van Poppel of the wrestling world.

Van Poppel was born on December 9, 1971 in Hinsdale, Illinois. One of the best high school pitchers in the country, he was taken as the 14th overall pick by the Oakland Athletics in the first round of the 1990 Amateur Baseball Draft. The Braves, with the top pick, had been hot for Van Poppel, before reluctantly selecting a shortstop/third baseman named Chipper Jones instead. After a less than stellar stint in the minor leagues, he was promoted to the majors because of several stipulations in his contract. He never lived up to his pre-draft hype, and is considered one of the biggest busts in the history of baseball. When all was said and done, Van Poppel retired in early 2005 with a career record of 40-52 and an ERA of 5.58.

So why the connection? Because, like the young pitcher, he was a one of the most monumental disappointments in the history of his athletic discipline.

Born Fredrick Marty Jannetty, on February 3, 1962, he was one of the wrestling world’s brightest young stars. In an era dominated by steroid-ripped giants, the slim, agile Jannetty was renowned for his high flying in-ring antics. He was paired with Shawn Michaels in late 1985, debuting in the National Wrestling Alliance as the Midnight Rockers.

After making the jump to the WWF in 1988, Michaels and Jannetty (now known simply as “The Rockers”) set about making a name for themselves as one of the industry’s top tag teams. Despite their popularity, the two were never able to officially capture the championship belts.

Everything turned sour in December of 1990. Jannetty, in a tag match against noted jobber Charles Austin, was set to perform his Rocker Dropper finishing move. Austin tucked his head during the move, instantly breaking his neck. The injured wrestler sued both Michaels and Jannetty, as well as the WWF.

Soon, the widening talent gap between the partners became more and more evident. Jannetty, is seems, was unable to move diagonally in the ring. For a wrestler, this is a crippling shortcoming. He would eventually be fired from the WWF after appearing to be under the influence of drugs on the set of a RAW taping.

From there, he drifted through brief stints in WCW, ECW, and several other small, independent promotions.

Chipper and Michaels? Well, we all know what happened to them.

- Taylor Maxwell

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Tags | Chipper Jones, Marty Jannety, Professional Wrestling, Todd Van Poppel, Wrestling, WWF