By Neal Jones
Toronto’s SkyDome is set to explode Jan. 31 when the World Wrestling Federation comes to town with its Toronto Triple Threat card.
The line-up features Canada’s own Bret “The Hitman” Hart, Sycho Sid and the “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels squating off in a no-holds-barred matchup for the World Title. To prevent any funny business, the WWF has enlisted former Canadian Heavyweight boxing champion George Chuvalo to handle the officiating. Gorilla Monsoon and Vince McMahon both called Chuvalo in the hope of getting the former champ to referee the match.
“This is going to be a new experience for me,” Chuvalo said. “It will be exciting and fun.”
Fun is a hard way to describe a match where one of the participants (Sycho Sid) has been quoted as saying, “he’d [Chuvalo] be wise to stay out of things, or he’ll find out what it feels like to be knocked down.”
When informed of this comment, Chuvalo, the only man never to be knocked down in recorded boxing history, said, “a lot of guys talk that way. If he doesn it he’ll make history.”
Unfortunately the two were unable to confront each other at Monday’s press conference because Sid failed to show, as did Michaels, who claimed to have the flu. Hart’s appearance, however, quieted the crowd (some of whom waited for five hours outside the SkyDome before the press conference).
Hart wouldn’t get into bad mouthing his opponents, but did take a parting shot at his bitter rival.
“I would love to bear Shawn Michaels singlehandedly,” Hart said.
Other action at the morning press conference had Q107 morning men Jesse and Gene putting themselves in the corner of Rocky Maivia for his match against the Sultan (who will have Bob Backlund in his corner). To the uninitiated, Maivia is the son of former wrestling great Rocky Johnson.
Other matches on the card include: a Texas Death match pitting the Undertaker and Ahmed Johnson against Mankind and Faaroq; Toughest Man in Toronto match between “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Vader; Owen Hart and the British Bulldog defending their tag team belts against Doug Furnas and Phillip Lafon; Hunter Hearst Helmsely putting their Intercontinental title on the line against “Wild Man” Marc Mero; Flash Funk taking on Savio Vega; and Goldust facing Crush.
The Toronto Triple Threat card starts at 8 p.m. Friday.
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