Elijah Burke
[12] His first WWE match saw him defeating Scott Wright[13] and he would also break Vito's four month winning streak while on SmackDown!, albeit with Terkay's assistance.[15] The following week, Burke replaced Tazz, who had knee surgery, as color commentator alongside play-by-play announcer Joey Styles.[18] 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.Burke was then attacked by Tommy Dreamer, Rob Van Dam, Sabu, and The Sandman, who would later form the ECW Originals stable.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.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.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.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 later resurfaced once again in 2008 with a new "Black Pope" gimmick defeating Stevie Richards, Kung Fu Naki and Jamie Noble in dark matches.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.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.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.[29] 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".[30] 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.[39] At Against All Odds Dinero defeated Desmond Wolfe, Matt Morgan and Mr. Anderson, despite being attacked by Scott Hall and Sean Waltman prior to the match, to win the 8 Card Stud Tournament and earn himself a shot at Styles' World Heavyweight Championship at Lockdown.[45] Afterwards, Dinero started a storyline with Mr. Anderson, who had recently turned face and wanted to prove his change to the man he had injured two months earlier by saving him from Matt Morgan.[48] On the September 16 episode of Impact!, and the Reaction following it, Dinero seemingly turned heel by aligning himself with Kevin Nash and Sting, who had been feuding with Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and Jeff Jarrett for months over the way TNA was run, claiming to know that they were up to something.Sting and Nash refused to join Hogan's and Bischoff's new Immortal stable and instead walked out on TNA and Dixie Carter, noting that they had tried to warn her, but she had not listened.[68] On the September 8 episode of Impact Wrestling, Dinero and Devon defeated The British Invasion (Douglas Williams and Magnus) to become the number one contenders to the World Tag Team Championship.[69] On September 11 at No Surrender, Dinero and Devon failed in their attempt to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship from Anarquia and Hernandez of Mexican America.[74] Dinero returned to TNA on the June 14 episode of Impact Wrestling, when he entered the 2012 Bound for Glory Series, taking part in the opening gauntlet match, from which he was eliminated by James Storm.[75] After only one win and eight losses,[76] Dinero suffered a legitimate shoulder injury and was sidelined from the tournament during its final weeks in mid-August.[84] Burke returned to TNA on the June 3, 2015 episode of Impact Wrestling alongside Josh Mathews on commentary under the ring name Da Pope.The following week, Pope cost Lashley a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship when he interfered in a gauntlet match he was competing in and then fighting him to the backstage area.[89] On October 20, 2020, on UWN Primetime Live, Burke defeated Zicky Dice to win the NWA World Television Championship.
Jacksonville, FloridaProfessional wrestling careerRing name(s)Big Bear, CaliforniaHarlemNew YorkOhio Valley Wrestlingprofessional wrestlerring namesNational Wrestling AllianceWorld Television ChampionWorld Wrestling EntertainmentThe New BreedChris BenoitTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling/Impact WrestlingOVW Heavyweight ChampionshipOVW Television ChampionshipOVW Southern Tag Team ChampionshipPro Wrestling Illustratedcriminal justiceJacksonville Sheriff's OfficeFloridaamateur boxerknockoutsWWE MagazineRedd FoxxSirius Satellite RadioArda OcalJimmy KorderasHeavyweight ChampionshipChad TolandMatt MorganSpirit SquadSmackDown!Sylvester TerkayDecember to Dismembermixed martial artscornermanScott Wrightcolor commentatorplay-by-playJoey StylesThe HardysThe Full Blooded ItaliansboxingVince McMahonTommy DreamerRob Van DamThe SandmanECW OriginalsMatt StrikerMarcus Cor VonKevin ThornWrestleMania 23CM PunkMajor BrothersJudgment DayOne Night Standhis deathECW World ChampionshipJohnny NitroBalls MahoneyUnforgivenArmando EstradaNo MercyStevie RichardsWorld Heavyweight ChampionBatistaShelton Benjamin2008 Royal RumbleTriple HMick FoleyWrestleMania XXIVChavo Guerrero Jr.Kofi KingstonUnited States ChampionMatt HardyKung Fu NakiJamie NobleOne Pro WrestlingEnglandWorld Wrestling CouncilhardcoreSteve CorinoThunder and LightningWWC World Tag Team ChampionshipDetroitMichiganRicky BanderasCarlitoJohn MorrisonChicanoInternational Wrestling AssociationGilbertShawn SpearsTNA Impact!Hard JusticeDanielsConsequences CreedSuicideNo SurrenderUltimate X matchBound for GloryHernandezTeam 3DDixie CarterTwitterTurning PointJesse NealFinal ResolutionDesmond WolfeGenesisA.J. StylesAgainst All OddsMr. AndersonScott HallSean WaltmanLockdownKurt AngleVictory RoadReactionKevin NashHulk HoganEric BischoffJeff JarrettMiss Tessmacher