La Resistance vs The Rockers (WWE, 3-14-2005)

WWE RAW, Atlanta, GA

This was a Ko-fi request. I got this one and thought, “Oh, cool, I haven’t thought of that in a long time, probably haven’t watched it since it aired.” And then I thought, “Oh, cool, that was my birthday. That’s the day I turned 23.” And then I started hearing Bruce Springsteen warbling about the passage of time and lost or crushed hopes and dreams in my head.

Anyway, Jannetty’s back in the WWE to add to the Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels feud. Angle had a match signed with Jannetty for the March 17 Smackdown, but Shawn called him in for Raw on late notice, saying Marty’s first match back in WWE should be with him, reuniting The Rockers. It’s the first time they’d teamed since Dec. 1991.

Marty’s got Old Guy Indie Gear, but he’s roughly color coordinated with Shawn. This is the La Resistance combo of Rob(ert) Conway and Sylvain Grenier. Solid team. Conway just a rock solid wrestler, if you’re gonna put Marty out on Raw after so many years away, a guy like Conway is who you want in there.

Jannetty does start it off. That’s always a decision with a thing like this, do you want to just give people the curious thing right away, or hold it off for a tag? Grenier is in first with Jannetty, who works on the arm a bit. Sylvain is a real shouter. AHH! OHH! Very Luger.

Michaels gets the tag, little double team hiptoss, elbowdrop, and then they try the synchronized kip-up, but it gets blown … by Shawn. Marty said years later it was the only time they ever failed to hit it right. I kinda doubt that, to be honest. But then I doubt a lot of things Marty says.

Rockers hit tandem slingshot crossbodies to the floor, but go back in with control and Michaels gets low-bridged by Conway, taking a hard fall to the floor, where Conway drops him on the barricade, face-first. La Resistance cutting the ring off now, pinning Michaels in their corner and going to work. Good, traditional heel tag team work from La Resistance, baiting Jannetty off the apron, distracting the ref, double team moves, switching out with the referee distracted. Just staying all over Michaels.

Michaels starts firing back with knife edge chops on Grenier, then hits the flying forearm off the ropes, both down. His solo kip-up works fine, and he gets the hot tag to Jannetty. Marty gets pressed by Grenier, but slips down, Rocker Dropper! Shawn cuts Conway off with the superkick, and Jannetty pins Grenier.

A fun match, sort of a novelty, but a good one. It also isn’t just nostalgia; not only does Marty’s return serve a legit purpose in the Michaels vs Angle feud heading into WrestleMania, but this match serves a purpose in showcasing that Jannetty can still handle himself in the ring ahead of the advertised Smackdown match with Kurt, making that a little more interesting and something you might want to tune in to see, Thursday on whatever fuckin’ channel Smackdown was on at this point.

Oh, UPN still.

3/5