The Midnight Rockers have never been angrier. Since Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels formed a tag team in early-1986, they have been robbed of the AWA World tag team title by Buddy Rose and Doug Somers, attacked by valet Sherri Martel, and had the belts taken away from them by AWA officials. But nothing, could match the way they feel about Stanislaus Ustinov and Boris Zukhov. Never mind that Zukhov and Ustinov defeated the Rockers for the AWA tag belts on May 25 in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Although Jannetty and Michaels have earned a reputation as fun-loving partners, they're mature enough to know that losing is a part of professional wrestling. They could accept losing the belts because they knew they would have a chance to win them back. But they won't have a chance, and that's why they're mad. after winning the title, Zukhov and Ustinov told reporters that they would not grant the Rockers a rematch. This announcement shocked the wrestling world. Upon hearing this news, Jannetty and Michaels petitioned AWA officials, but nothing could be done. They appealed to the Russian's sense of fair play, not realizing the Russians don't believe in fair play. Finally, the Rockers realized that they were helpless. But Professional wrestling operates in a free-market system, and at the time of this interview, there were strong rumors circulating that Jannetty and Michaels were considering a move to the WWF. Editor-in-Chief Stu Staks, Managing Editor Craig Peters, Associate Editor Dave Rosenbaum, and Assistant Editor Andy Rodriguez traveled to St.Paul, Minnesota, to speak with the Rockers about these new developments.

STU SAKS: Let's get right to the point, guys. You're pretty mad about all that's happened aren't you?
MARTY JANNETTY: Well, wouldn't you be? you'd better believe we're mad, and I'll tell you why. It's not that we lost the belts. That's not it at all, right, Shawn?
SHAWN MICHAELS: That's right, partner. We can handle the losing. That's just part of life. You know, in sports, everybody wins and loses every once in a while. Look at the New York Mets. They were the best team in baseball last year, but this year they're having their troubles. But they're too good to be down and you know they'll bounce back again. Well, we would've bounced back just like we always have.

CRAIG PETERS: So it wasn't the losing, was it? It was what happened after you guys lost the belts.
JANNETTY: Exactly, Craig. Let me let you in on something I said to Shawn after we lost the belts. Shawn was pretty down, and I said to him, "Buddy don't worry about it. We'll get a rematch and get the belts back." The next thing I know, a slew of reporters comes into the dressing room and tells that Zukhov and Ustinov won't give us a rematch. We couldn't believe it.
MICHAELS: I told those reporters that they had to be kidding. Then [AWA President Stanley] Blackburn came into the dressing room to congratulate us on a great title reign. I told him that he shouldn't be congratulating us yet, because we're gonna win the belts back. That's when he confirmed what the reporters told us.

DAVE ROSENBAUM: You mean that you weren't going to get s title shot? Wasn't there anything Blackburn could do about it?
MICHAELS: I told him that it wasn't fair and he agreed, but then he told me that there's no rule that dictates who the champions have to defend the title against. All the rules say is that they have to defend the belts on a regular basis.

ANDY RODRIGUEZ: But that isn't fair! That's just no the sportsman like way to do things! Didn't Ustinov and Zukhov realize that they were devaluing the belts by not defending them against former champs?
JANNETTY: Apparently not. They just didn't care, and that's the bottom line.
MICHAELS: That's what Marty thinks, but I have this sneaking suspicion that they acted under orders from the Kremlin. You see, me and Marty represent all that's good about America. We're free spirits, but we're also hard working. We're imaginative, and we like to have a good time, but we also love what we do, and we have respect for our sport. The Russians wanted to use this to embarrass our country.

SAKS: And there was nothing Blackburn could do about it?
JANNETTY: That's what he said, although I've never heard of a wrestling federation not having any power over its titles. If you ask me either they're scared of the Russians or they just don't want us to have the belts anymore.
MICHAELS: But why would that be, Marty? We've always represented the AWA well, The Fans love us, we're a big drawing card, and we've always given everybody else an open invitation to wrestle us for the belts. If that's the case, it doesn't make any sense.

PETERS: Well, a lot of the AWA's actions don't make any sense. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be anything you can do about this one, Have you thought about alternatives?
JANNETTY: Sure. There are a number of things we can do. we can go on wrestling in the AWA and just hope that somebody beats the Russians for the belts. Then we can hope that the new champs will give us a title shot. We've also thought about taking the Russians to court, but by the time all the litigation is finished, it could be a year or two. We're young, but we're not ready to wait two years.

MICHAELS: It's one of many possibilities. We always keep as many options open as possible.

ROSENBAUM: Come on, guys, let's stop beating around the bush. You guys are going, aren't you?
JANNETTY: It's not that simple, Dave. Besides, I can remember a few months ago when everybody was convinced that we were going to the WWF, and what happened? We stayed.

PETERS: Yeah, you guys won the tag belts and you didn't want to leave them behind, right?
MICHAELS: That's not true. The truth of the matter is that we'll always go wherever the situation is best for us. It just so happens that right now, the climate in the AWA is not very favorable for The Midnight Rockers. As for the WWF, well, there are teams there who we feel we can beat.

SAKS: Aha! And what teams are you thinking of?
JANNETTY: Well, the champs for one. Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart are poor excuses for champions. The way I see it, they're no different from Rose and Somers. They even have a manager, just like Sherri Martel, to interfere and save their hides for them. That would be one of the most attractive aspects of going to the WWF, knowing that we could beat their tag champs.

RODRIGUEZ: Many people out there feel for all of Vince McMahon's successes with the WWF, he's jealous of The Rock 'n' Roll Express' popularity in the NWA. Insiders say that McMahon wants his own Rock 'n' Roll Express and you guys would fill the bill.

MICHAELS: We take that as a compliment, although we've always been our own men. The Rock 'n' Roll Express is a great team, one of the greatest in the sport. I think it's only a matter of time until they win the NWA tag titles back. But as far as McMahon wanting us because we could be his Rock 'n' Rolls, well, all I can say is that Marty and I have spent a lot of time forming our own image. We're The Midnight Rockers and I think we can stand on our own.

PETERS: What do you guys think about The Can-Am Connection and The British Bulldogs?
JANNETTY: I'll take that one, Shawn. Rick Martel and Tom Zenk are very fine wrestlers and I know they're very popular. They have some very exciting moves. The British Bulldogs have been hurt by little injuries, but I think they're still one of the most talented teams in the world.

SAKS: It sounds to me like we're going to be seeing you in the WWF very soon.
MICHAELS: Whatever you say, Stu. But we're gonna have to wait and see.

WHY THEY WHERE INTERVIEWED: Rumors where circulating that Michaels and Jannetty were leaving the AWA for the WWF... Their target? WWF World tag champs Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart, The Hart Foundation.

POSITION IN RATINGS: Not Rated.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW: Michaels turned against Jannetty 5 years later... Soon after Michaels defeated Davey Boy Smith for the Intercontinental Belt...Michaels then lost the title to Jannetty, but quickly regained it.

CURRENT STATUS: Michaels fued with The Undertaker is sidelining his title ambitions... Jannetty wrestled for several Northeast independents.

INTERVIEWER'S COMMENT: (Andy Rodriguez): "In May 1987,The Midnight Rockers had just lost the AWA tag team title. They become angry for the first time. They didn't want to be denied again."

LOOKING BACK, THE INTERVIEWEES SAY: "I get all teary eyed just reading that interview. I was the young, promising hopeful who was going to shake hands and kiss babies all the way to the top. Well, I'm finished kissing babies. Everybodys gonna have to except me on my own terms now."
Shawn Michaels
"Those where the good ol' days. The days when Shawn and I were friends. I never figured he'd stab me in the back a few years later. But that interview, and Shawn, are all in the past. I still have a bright future ahead of me."
Marty Jannetty

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