Sting-Hogan match still has plenty of appeal

By GLENN COLE -- Toronto Sun  Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels.

Hulk Hogan vs. Sting.

If you had the choice of just one, what would you watch?

Now considering the refusal of Michaels to job to anyone in the WWF, you more or less know what the outcome will be in Wrestlemania XIV. But at least Austin will get a chance to get a few good shots in.

Hogan-Sting has been seen before. The bouts have been entertaining for the most part, regardless of the back-to-back screwy ending in December.

And, because of Hogan's contract status in WCW, the ending of the next one isn't a foregone conclusion.

Athletically, Austin and Michaels should be better, but the doubt of the outcome of the Sting-Hogan match at Superbrawl on Feb. 22 in San Francisco provides a little more intrigue.

FAMILY FEUD: Poor Owen Hart. He is trying to make his mark in the WWF against some pretty heavy odds. Hart, the European champion, will be facing Goldust at the SkyDome on Feb. 21 and is getting pounded on by just about everybody.

And it cannot help Hart that his brother, Bret, and brother-in-law, Davey Boy Smith, have been taking turns bad-mouthing WWF owner Vince McMahon.

Bret Hart, making his fourth appearance on TSN's Off The Record, said that his younger brother was stuck in the WWF and that McMahon had told him to stop messing with Owen's mind or face a lawsuit.

"My only response to him was that if he had any integrity, he would let him go," Hart said.

Smith took his swings regarding his release from the WWF to join WCW involving a $150,000 release fee.

The whole thing is getting a little tiresome.

FROM THE MAIL BAG: Reader Chris Val points out that the reference last time to Bobo Brazil's match against Tim Anderson in 1963 was the first match between two black men in pro wrestling ... To John McLean: The WCW's address in Atlanta is One CNN Center, P.O Box 105366 Atlanta, Ga. 30348-5366 ... For a free copy of a wrestling newsletter, write to Charles MacLaurin, Box 1287, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 12866. MacLaurin is a dedicated wrestling fan and quite knowledgeable about both the WWF and WCW.

ON THE MEND: Word is that former CFLer Glen Kulka, who recently joined the WWF, suffered a serious knee injury while wrestling in a Canadian independent card in Regina ... Curt Hennig is out with a knee injury which may need surgery ... The Giant is spending part of his recuperation time from the concussion he suffered at the hands of Kevin Nash making a movie with Adam Sandler.

HERE AND THERE: Has the WWF really moved the In Your House set for Edmonton on April 26 to Greensboro, N.C. ? ... The One Man Gang is back in the WWF and will be seen on TV as soon as this weekend ... That Chris Benoit-Dallas Diamond Page slugfest on Thunder was worth watching until that silly ending. Enough of the outside interference already ... Two representatives from Pro Wrestling Canada, Mad Dog Rex and Sick Puppy who are known as the Dogs of War have challenged the RWA's Pete Rokk and Sweet Steve Hart ... Randy Savage will soon be cast out from the NWO ... Ron Hutchinson says Rob Hans Singh, who is studying at Brock University, is going to follow the steps of his brother Tiger-Ali Singh into the wrestling ring.

TV TALK: This week's Monday night ratings in the U.S. showed Raw's composite was a 3.5,with a 3.7 in the first hour, and a 3.2 in the second. WCW Nitro's composite was a 4.9, with a 5.2 in the first hour, 4.6 in the second, and 5.0 in the third ... CKVR begins a weekly WCW show today at 4 p.m. ... Bet you TSN thinks twice about picking up a live WWF press conference. The one Thursday was a waste of air time.