Elijah Burke
Burke in 2007 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Elijah Samuel Burke May 24, 1981 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | D'Angelo Dinero The Pope Elijah Burke General Pope Da Pope |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Billed weight | 230 lb (100 kg) |
| Billed from | Big Bear, California Jacksonville, Florida "The Streets of Harlem, New York" |
| Trained by | Ohio Valley Wrestling |
| Debut | 2003 |
Elijah Samuel Burke (born May 24, 1981), also known by the alias "Da Pope", is an American professional wrestler who works for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
Burke started his pro-wrestling career in 2003, working for World Wrestling Entertainment, first competing in their developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), 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 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 (under the ring name D'Angelo Dinero), 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 (PWI). He is also a one-time NWA World Television Champion.
Prior to his professional 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.