6 April 2001 12am - 12am

   
Have you noticed how often it seems to be Wrestling Night in Toronto lately? Things have been getting downright down and dirty as the denizens of the art world probe each other’s soft spots. There’s been trash talk and sweet talk, and now it’s time to make it official. It’s time to see who rules and who submits in the Toronto art scene…

On Friday, April 6, Mercer Union raises funds by hosting No Mercy: the Art-World Wrestling Federation Open Championships (AWWFOC). Six exciting greco-roman bouts will determine champions in the AWWF Tallboy and Stubby Divisions, and another half-dozen action-packed exhibition matches will showcase a selection of the most infamous art-wrestlers, both human and otherwise.

Lucha-rockers The Blue Demons provide live music throughout the evening.

Vying for the AWWF Tallboy title are Mitch “the gentleman” Robertson, Dirty Sandy” Plotnikoff, Gordon Hatt, and Gordon “Gherkin Boy” Hicks; while Will Munro, Miss Barbrafisch, Gwen MacGregor, and “Commando” Kelly McCray compete for the AWWF Stubby championship. AWWF title belts have been designed by Ingrid Z., Anitra Hamilton and Sean McClure.
  In exhibition matches, The Parkdale Wrestler defends his Parkdale Championship Wrestling title against challenger El Gorilla Loco; pro wrestler Scott “Thundr” McEwan takes on local legend Mister Entertainment; and a macha grrrl grudge match pits Cecilia Berkovic and Chantal Rousseau against Simone Moir and Germaine Koh. Other featured fighters include Luis “The Scary Finger” Jacob and Paul “grease monkey” Petro. The non-human contingent is completed by The Thompson Twins, who have devolved from groundhogs into even more ferocious beings; The Wolfman; and a special appearance by some of the Ontario College of Art and Design’s Sumo Robots.

Ring announcers Andrew Harwood and R.M. Vaughan host the evening; Referee Andrew Paterson will ensure fair play while custodian “Phil ‘er up” Klygo keeps things clean; and AWWF Judges Barr Gilmore, Si Si Penaloza and Sheila “Sonny D” Dietrich will rule over all.

In the same space at 35 Lisgar Street, a one-night exhibition will feature wrestling-themed artwork by Karen Azoulay, Michael Barker, Stacey Case, Scott McEwan, Benny Nemerofsky Ramsay, Paul P., Adrienne Reynolds, Jordan Sonnenberg, Ingrid Z., and others.

“No Mercy” is a phlip+gerk production.