WrestlingGoneWrong.com - Wrestlers Gone Wrong
Marty Jannetty

     In a Rockers tag team match in December 1990, Jannetty botched the finishing "Rocker Dropper" move on jobber Charles Austin, who had been teaming with :anny Poffo. Austin's neck was instantly broken, and many wrestlers watching backstage thought he had died. Austin suffered paralysis and intense nerve damage, but by a few years later was able to slightly walk again with the aid of crutches- though still unable to control his bodily functions and still suffering from frequent, stinging pain.

Austin sued Jannetty, Michaels, and WWE, but a judge dismissed Michaels from the suit soon thereafter. The WWE claimed in its defense that wrestlers must assume risk as part of the profession, but Austin countered that he had only been trained six months ago, and with only had a handful of matches under his belt would only have been able to assume a level of risk comparable with his limited experience. In the end, Charles Austin was awarded $26.7M. WWE (Titan Sports) was held 90% responsible, and its insurance covered $23.5 million of the settlement. Jannetty and Austin were each decided to be 5% responsible for the injury, which resulted in Jannetty having to personally pay $1.3M in damages.

It was all down hill from there. Shawn Michaels took off to more titles and eventually world championships in the WWE. Jannetty, well, Jannetty didn't.

On June 11, 2004, Marty Jannetty was arrested for driving under the influence. Jannetty returned to WWE as part of a storyline where Kurt Angle was bringing back people that were part of Shawn Michaels' past. Jannetty and Michaels wrestled together and Jannetty would wrestle one more time aginst Kurt Angle on an episode of WWE Smackdown! After a domestic incident where neighbors called the police while Jannetty and his girlfriend were arguing, he was arrested and unable to meet the commitments of his WWE contract, leading to his being released by July 6, 2005.