Da Pope

Elijah Samuel Burke (born May 24, 1981) is an American professional wrestler also known under the ring names "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero and Da Pope. He wrestles for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) as "Da Pope" Elijah Burke, where he is a former World Television Champion. He started his pro-wrestling career in 2003, working for World Wrestling Entertainment, first competing in their developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling and later on their main roster from 2006 to 2008. While in WWE he would occasionally do commentary during events, but was primarily used as a wrestler, especially as part of The New Breed stable. Burke was the final opponent of fellow pro-wrestler Chris Benoit.

From 2009 to 2013, and again from 2015 to 2017, Burke worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling/Impact Wrestling, with his first stint as a wrestler, and the second stint as one of their main television commentators. Burke has won the OVW Heavyweight Championship, OVW Television Championship, and OVW Southern Tag Team Championship, and was voted Most Improved Wrestler of the Year in 2010 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

Prior to his pro-wrestling career, Burke worked as a law enforcement officer in Jacksonville, Florida. He was dual certified, and later gaining a degree in criminal justice. He also was as an amateur boxer and toughman competitor, a background that influenced his pro-wrestling style. In 2014 Burke was inducted into the Guns ‘N Hoses Boxing Hall of Fame at The Jacksonville Veterans Coliseum.

Law enforcement and boxing backgrounds

Burke is a former officer for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office in Florida who started in corrections before crossing over to the street. He would become an amateur boxer during this time as well as a toughman competitor in Jacksonville's ''Club 5'' and ''Club Plush'', where he would amass a 98–1 win–loss record in the span of 3 years. According to his WWE.com profile, Burke has a record of 103–1 with 102 knockouts in his amateur career. According to WWE, the only loss he sustained was a disqualification, after he knocked his opponent out and refused to back down to his corner. Before each of his matches he writes the phrase "4-Up" on his wrist tape, and in an interview with ''WWE Magazine'', Burke stated that this came from the phrase "I'm going to give you five upside your head," used by comedians such as Redd Foxx. However, when you punch somebody, it's more accurately four upside the head. On the "Right After Wrestling" program on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 98, Burke told hosts Arda Ocal and Jimmy Korderas that early in his professional wrestling career, he never threw worked punches due to having difficulty pulling his punches.

Professional wrestling career

World Wrestling Entertainment (2004-2008)

Ohio Valley Wrestling (2004–2006)

After signing with WWE, he was sent to their developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). There, he won the Heavyweight Championship on December 8, 2004, by defeating Chad Toland. On April 14 Burke lost the championship to Matt Morgan. While in OVW, Burke was offered a spot in the Spirit Squad by WWE's creative team, but turned it down, which forced him to stay in OVW longer before moving to SmackDown! with Sylvester Terkay.

The New Breed (2006–2007)

Burke would be brought up to the main roster of SmackDown! on July 28, 2006, working a mixed martial arts cornerman gimmick with the also debuting former MMA fighter Sylvester Terkay. His first WWE match saw him defeating Scott Wright and he would also break Vito's four month winning streak while on ''SmackDown!'', albeit with Terkay's assistance.

On November 7, 2006, Burke and Terkay debuted on the ECW brand by cutting a backstage promo. The following week, Burke replaced Tazz, who had knee surgery, as color commentator alongside play-by-play announcer Joey Styles. Two weeks later, Burke returned to the ring; he and Terkay lost to The Hardys. At the ECW brand's December to Dismember pay-per-view, Burke and Terkay defeated The Full Blooded Italians. The pair were later dubbed The Knock-Out/Tap-Out Connection, in reference to Burke's amateur boxing career and Terkay's mixed martial arts background. On January 18, 2007, Terkay was released from WWE.

Following this, Burke usually wrestled in singles matches, and appeared in a segment where WWE owner Vince McMahon showed disdain for members of the original ECW and called Burke to the ring, naming him "The Future of ECW". Burke was then attacked by Tommy Dreamer, Rob Van Dam, Sabu, and The Sandman, who would later form the ECW Originals stable. Burke then became the official leader of The New Breed, a group of new ECW stars including Matt Striker, Marcus Cor Von and Kevin Thorn, who proceeded to feud with the ECW Originals. At WrestleMania 23, The New Breed faced the ECW Originals but were defeated.

After several weeks of trying to recruit fellow roster mate and new ECW superstar CM Punk, Burke and the New Breed were successful on April 10. Just two weeks later, however, CM Punk betrayed the New Breed, attacking Burke after a match. The next week, Kevin Thorn quit the New Breed due to lack of interference in his match with CM Punk. The same night, Matt Striker and Marcus Cor Von were defeated by the debuting Major Brothers. After being pinned, Burke screamed at Striker creating tension between the two. The New Breed would then feud with the ECW Originals, CM Punk and the Major Brothers at the same time. At Judgment Day, Burke was defeated by CM Punk. Then, at One Night Stand, Burke, Marcus Cor Von and Matt Striker were defeated by Tommy Dreamer, The Sandman and CM Punk in a tables match, ending the New Breed stable.

Singles competition and departure (2007–2008)

On June 19, 2007, Burke lost to Chris Benoit (which would be Benoit's last match before his death) in a match that would decide who would face either CM Punk or Marcus Cor Von for the vacant ECW World Championship at Vengeance: Night of Champions. Burke then lost to Punk in a two out of three falls match, which would see the winner becoming the number-one contender to Johnny Nitro's ECW World Championship. On July 10, Burke rebounded with a decisive victory over Balls Mahoney. He was then named the number one contender for the ECW Championship and went on to face CM Punk at the Unforgiven pay-per-view where he was beaten after Punk cleanly pinned him.

Two days later on '' ECW'', an elimination chase was set up by ECW General Manager Armando Estrada. This challenge was to determine the number one contender to CM Punk's ECW Championship in order to compete for the title at No Mercy. Estrada pitted four ECW wrestlers (Burke, Kevin Thorn, Tommy Dreamer and Stevie Richards) against each other in a fatal four-way that night, which Burke won, removing the loser of the match, Richards, from contention. The following week Thorn was eliminated and in the final match of the elimination chase, Burke was eliminated by Dreamer.

Towards the end of 2007, Burke had a short feud with then-World Heavyweight Champion Batista after Batista claimed his upcoming match with Burke was the last thing on his mind, thus disrespecting him and leading to two singles matches against Batista with Burke on the losing end of both. On the November 20 episode of ''ECW'', Burke introduced and formed an alliance with the newest member of the ECW roster, Shelton Benjamin, who moved over from the Raw brand. Burke was then taken off television for several months but he later reappeared by participating in the 2008 Royal Rumble, entering as the 28th entrant but was eliminated by Triple H after having Mick Foley pushed into him, after which both Foley and Burke were eliminated.

He later participated in a 24-man battle royal at WrestleMania XXIV to determine who would face ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. Burke was eliminated early in the match (shortly after he himself eliminated Stevie Richards) by Kane. Burke then reappeared again in a tag team match on ''SmackDown'' where he and Shelton Benjamin faced Kofi Kingston and then- United States Champion Matt Hardy in a losing effort. Burke faced Hardy the following week in what would be his final televised match, but was unsuccessful. Burke later resurfaced once again in 2008 with a new "Black Pope" gimmick defeating Stevie Richards, Kung Fu Naki and Jamie Noble in dark matches.

On November 10, 2008, Burke was released from his WWE contract after being absent from television since May 2008.

Independent circuit (2008–2010, 2012–2015)

On November 16, 2008, One Pro Wrestling based in England announced that Burke would be appearing on their Friday the 13th show in February 2009, but was canceled. Burke appeared at the World Wrestling Council WWC) show LockOut on December 13, losing a hardcore three-way dance match, also involving Steve Corino, to Sabu. Later in January on an event named Euphoria he teamed with Armando Alejandro Estrada to unsuccessfully challenge Thunder and Lightning for the WWC World Tag Team Championship. Burke appeared at the Blue Collar Wrestling Alliance (BCWA) show "Superslam 7" in Detroit, Michigan on April 12, 2009, winning in a singles match against local indy wrestler "The Reason" Black Velvet.

In 2012, he returned to WWC, defeating Ricky Banderas. He wrestled Carlito for the promotion in 2013. Burke made his return to the independent circuit on April 4, 2013, at Pro Wrestling Syndicate ''Super Card'' where he was defeated by John Morrison. Burke wrestled Jason Steel in WWC in December 2014. On January 1, 2015, he defeated Chicano. Burke made his return to Puerto Rico, but now in different promotion International Wrestling Association (IWA), defeating Gilbert.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Various feuds (2009–2011)

On May 27, 2009, Burke defeated Shawn Spears in a tryout dark match for TNA at their ''TNA Impact!'' television tapings. On July 29, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Burke had signed a contract with TNA. On the August 6 episode of ''Impact!'' a vignette was aired that announced that Burke would be debuting under the ring name D'Angelo Dinero at Hard Justice. Burke made his debut as a heel on August 16 in the Steel Asylum match, which was won by Daniels. On August 20, 2009, he made his ''Impact!'' debut and defeated Consequences Creed before he was attacked by Suicide, who had lost the Steel Asylum match because of Dinero's interference. On the September 17 episode of ''Impact!'', Dinero defeated Suicide. At No Surrender, Dinero defeated Suicide once again, this time in a "falls count anywhere" match. The following week on ''Impact!'' Suicide finally defeated Dinero, by pinning him in a street fight.

Burke was slated to take part in the Ultimate X match at Bound for Glory, but ended up missing the event due to a "family emergency". Dinero returned on the November 12 episode of ''Impact!'', aligning himself with Matt Morgan and Hernandez against Team 3D and Rhino, which turned him face as a result. Three days later, on November 15, 2009, Dixie Carter announced on her Twitter account that Burke had signed a new long-term deal with the company. At Turning Point Rhino and Team 3D defeated Dinero, Morgan and Hernandez. On the following ''Impact!'' Rhino and Team 3D won the rematch as well, when Jesse Neal

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