Elijah Burke
Encyclopedia
Elijah Samuel Burke is an American
professional wrestler
, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
under the name of "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero; a gimmick in which he portrays a Harlem
street preacher
. He is also known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment
, on its SmackDown and ECW brands under his real name.
in Florida
who would become an amateur boxer
in Jacksonville's Club 5 and Club Plush where he claims to have had a 98–1 win/loss record. According to his WWE.com profile, Burke has a record of 103–1 with 102 knockout
s in his amateur career. Both of these records are unsubstantiated. Still, 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 pro wrestling career, he never threw "worked" punches due to having difficulty pulling his punches.
(WWE), he was sent to their developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). There, he won the OVW Heavyweight Championship
on December 8, 2004, by defeating Chad Toland
. On April 14 Burke lost the Championship to Matt Morgan. Burke was offered a spot in the Spirit Squad
by the WWE Creative Team, but turned it down, forcing him to stay in Ohio Valley Wrestling on a longer stint before moving to SmackDown! with Sylvester Terkay
.
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.
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 off against the ECW Originals but were ultimately 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 Major Brothers
, a debuting tag team. 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.
(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 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 2007
. 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 the 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 edition of ECW, Burke introduced and formed an alliance with the newest member of the ECW roster, Shelton Benjamin
, who jumped 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
. 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.
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
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 February 2009 he wrestled for Xtreme Valley Wrestling in a 6 man tag match.
in a tryout dark match for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(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 edition 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 edition 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.
at Bound for Glory
, but ended up missing the event due to a "family emergency". Dinero returned on the November 12 edition 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
turned heel and joined them. On the December 3 edition Impact! Suicide accepted Dinero's offer for peace and joined him, Morgan and Hernandez in their war with Rhino, Team 3D and Neal. At Final Resolution
Morgan, Hernandez, Dinero and Suicide defeated Neal, Team 3D and Rhino in an eight-man elimination tag team match.
On the January 4, 2010, special live three-hour Monday night edition of Impact! Dinero picked up his at that point arguably biggest TNA victory, by defeating Desmond Wolfe
. Two weeks later at Genesis
, however, Wolfe avenged his loss and defeated Dinero in a rematch. On the February 4 edition of Impact!, Dinero scored a non-title victory over the TNA World Heavyweight Champion
, A.J. Styles
. At Against All Odds
Dinero defeated Desmond Wolfe, Matt Morgan and Mr. Anderson, despite being attacked by Scott Hall
and Syxx-Pac
prior to the match, to win the 8 Card Stud Tournament and earn himself a shot at Styles' World Heavyweight Championship at Lockdown
.
Two months later, at Lockdown, Dinero failed in his attempt to win the World Heavyweight Championship from Styles. During the match Burke suffered ligament damage in his shoulder, which would sideline him for over two months. In storyline Dinero's absence was attributed to Mr. Anderson attacking him backstage on the May 3 edition of Impact!. Dinero returned on the July 1 edition of Impact! and was immediately challenged to a match by Kurt Angle
, who had vowed to go through TNA's top ten wrestlers in the Championship Committee's rankings and had now arrived to the man ranked number eight. At Victory Road
Dinero was defeated by Angle in his return match. 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. On the August 19 edition of Impact! the TNA World Heavyweight Championship was vacated and Dinero was entered into an eight man tournament for it. In his first round match he defeated Morgan to set up a semifinal match against Anderson. At No Surrender
Anderson defeated Dinero to eliminate him from the tournament.
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. Dinero later claimed to have gotten inside information from Bischoff's secretary Miss Tessmacher
, that would suggest that Sting and Nash were right. At Bound for Glory
Dinero, Sting and Nash faced Jeff Jarrett and Samoa Joe
in a handicap match, after Hulk Hogan, who was scheduled to team with Jarrett and Joe, was forced to pull out due to a back surgery. At the end of the match Jarrett abandoned Joe and left him to be pinned by Nash. At the end of the event it was revealed that Sting and Nash had been right about Hogan and Bischoff all along, as they turned heel with Jarrett, Abyss and Jeff Hardy
, and in the process turned Dinero, Sting and Nash back to being faces.
On the following edition of Impact! 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. Dinero, now left alone, then became a target of the Immortal
/Fortune
alliance, with Fortune members A.J. Styles, Douglas Williams
, Kazarian
, James Storm
and Robert Roode defeating him in a 5–on–1 handicap match. The following week Dinero received a shot at Styles' TNA Television Championship in a street fight, but was defeated after an interference from Abyss. Afterwards, Dinero tried to form an alliance with Samoa Joe to fight Immortal and Fortune, but was turned down. At Turning Point
Abyss defeated Dinero in a Lumberjack match, after Dinero's lumberjacks, including his own brother, turned on him, after being bought out by Eric Bischoff. The following month at Final Resolution
Dinero was defeated by Abyss in a casket match.
, where Dinero visited a strip club, his true motivations were questioned by Joe on the January 6, 2011, edition of Impact!. On the January 27 edition of Impact!, Dinero completed his heel turn, talking down to the crowd at the Impact! Zone
and confessing his dislike of Samoa Joe. On February 13 at Against All Odds
Dinero was defeated by Joe in a singles match. After the match Dinero attacked Joe and bloodied him. On the following edition of Impact!, Joe got his revenge on Dinero by giving him a Muscle Buster through a table, after Okato prevented him from escaping the ring. On the March 10 edition of Impact!, Dinero defeated Joe in a rematch between the two, after hitting him with a chain. On April 17 at Lockdown
, Joe defeated Dinero in a steel cage match. In June Dinero entered a storyline, where he helped Brother Devon in his feud with Mexican America
, even though Devon tried to decline his help, claiming that he was a bad influence on his two sons. Later that month, Dinero and Devon were both entered into the Bound for Glory Series to determine the number one contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, during the course of which Dinero handed Devon a win in a tag team match, but Devon did not return the favor and save Dinero from a post-match assault at the hands of Samoa Joe. On August 7 at Hardcore Justice
, Dinero defeated Devon in a Bound for Glory Series match. At the start of the match, Dinero offered to lay down for Devon, but the offer was refused. Devon finally changed his attitude towards Dinero by saving him from Samoa Joe on the August 25 edition of Impact Wrestling. The attack however forced Dinero to pull out of the Bound for Glory Series with a storyline injury. On the September 8 edition of Impact Wrestling, Dinero and Devon defeated The British Invasion
(Douglas Williams and Magnus
) to become the number one contenders to the TNA World Tag Team Championship
. 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.
.
Ghost Hunters
, on the October 31, 2007 Halloween
live
special episode. He would become the second WWE wrestler to appear on Ghost Hunters, with the first being CM Punk
. He also had a journal on WWE.com called the Elijah Experience, where he discussed the happenings on ECW on Sci-Fi.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
under the name of "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero; a gimmick in which he portrays a Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
street preacher
Open-air preaching
Open-air preaching, street preaching or public preaching is the act of publicly proclaiming a religious message to crowds of people in open places...
. He is also known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
, on its SmackDown and ECW brands under his real name.
Law enforcement and boxing career
Burke is a former officer for the Jacksonville Sheriff's OfficeJacksonville Sheriff's Office
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is a joint city-county law enforcement agency, which has primary responsibility for law enforcement, investigation, and corrections within the consolidated City of Jacksonville and Duval County, Florida, United States...
in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
who would become an amateur boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
in Jacksonville's Club 5 and Club Plush where he claims to have had a 98–1 win/loss record. According to his WWE.com profile, Burke has a record of 103–1 with 102 knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
s in his amateur career. Both of these records are unsubstantiated. Still, 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
WWE Magazine
WWE Magazine is the official professional wrestling magazine of WWE. This incarnation of the magazine contains lifestyle sections, a monthly calendar, entertainment, work out tips, and other information.-History:...
, 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
Redd Foxx
John Elroy Sanford , better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American comedian and actor, best known for his starring role on the sitcom Sanford and Son.-Early life:...
. However, when you punch somebody, it's more accurately four upside the head. On the "Right After Wrestling" program on Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
Channel 98, Burke told hosts Arda Ocal
Arda Ocal
Arda Ocal is a Turkish Canadian TV personality, announcer and writer, currently with The Score Television Network...
and Jimmy Korderas that early in his pro wrestling career, he never threw "worked" punches due to having difficulty pulling his punches.
Developmental territories (2004–2006)
After signing with World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE), he was sent to their developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). There, he won the OVW Heavyweight Championship
OVW Heavyweight Championship
The OVW Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned by the Ohio Valley Wrestling promotion. The title was introduced on August 17, 1997 at an OVW live event, then known as the NWA-OVW Heavyweight Championship due to OVW's relationship with the National...
on December 8, 2004, by defeating Chad Toland
Chad Wicks
Charles "Chad" Wicks is an American professional wrestler best known for his time with the World Wrestling Entertainment...
. On April 14 Burke lost the Championship to Matt Morgan. Burke was offered a spot in the Spirit Squad
Spirit Squad
The Spirit Squad was a professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment and Ohio Valley Wrestling that consisted of Kenny, Johnny, Mitch, Nicky, and Mikey. The team's ring personas were those of an all-male cheerleading squad....
by the WWE Creative Team, but turned it down, forcing him to stay in Ohio Valley Wrestling on a longer stint before moving to SmackDown! with Sylvester Terkay
Sylvester Terkay
Sylvester Terkay is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist best known for his run in World Wrestling Entertainment ....
.
Alliance with Sylvester Terkay (2006–2007)
Burke would be brought up to the main roster of SmackDown! on July 28, 2006 working a mixed martial artsMixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
cornerman
Cornerman
A cornerman, or simply corner, is a combat sports term for a coach or team mate assisting a fighter during the length of a bout. The cornerman remains outside the combat area during the fight, but in proximity, and can assist the fighter through instruction...
gimmick with the also debuting former MMA fighter Sylvester Terkay
Sylvester Terkay
Sylvester Terkay is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist best known for his run in World Wrestling Entertainment ....
. His first WWE match saw him defeating Scott Wright
Scott Wright (wrestler)
Scott Wright is an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder, better known by his ring name Scotty Charisma. He currently performs on the independent circuit under his real name or as Mr. Scott Wright.-Early career:...
and he would also break Vito
Vito LoGrasso
Vito Joseph LoGrasso is an American professional wrestler, of Italian origin, best known for his work in World Championship Wrestling as Big Vito and more recently World Wrestling Entertainment and working for their "developmental territories" Ohio Valley Wrestling and Deep South Wrestling as...
's four month winning streak while on SmackDown!, albeit with Terkay's assistance.
Tazz
Peter Senerchia is a retired American professional wrestler and current color commentator best known by his ring name Tazz, originally Tazmaniac and later shortened to simply Taz...
, who had knee surgery, as color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
alongside play-by-play announcer Joey Styles
Joey Styles
Joseph Carmine Bonsignore better known by his ring name Joey Styles, is an American professional wrestling play-by-play commentator and former professional in the field of advertising sales...
. Two weeks later, Burke returned to the ring; he and Terkay lost to The Hardys
Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy...
. At the ECW brand's December to Dismember pay-per-view, Burke and Terkay defeated the Full Blooded Italians
Full Blooded Italians
The Full Blooded Italians is a professional wrestling stable and tag team that wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s and for World Wrestling Entertainment during the mid-2000s.-Extreme Championship Wrestling:...
. The pair were later dubbed The Knock-Out/Tap-Out Connection, in reference to Burke's amateur boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
career and Terkay's mixed martial arts background. On January 18, 2007, Terkay was released from WWE.
New Breed (2007)
Following this, Burke usually wrestled in singles matches, and appeared in a segment where WWE owner Vince McMahonVince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
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
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
, Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
, Sabu, and The Sandman
Jim Fullington
James "Jim" Fullington better known by his ring name Sandman, is an American professional wrestler, best known for his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling , where he developed into a "Hardcore Icon"...
, who would later form the ECW Originals
ECW Originals
The ECW Originals was a professional wrestling stable that made sporadic appearances in various wrestling promotions, including World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
stable. Burke then became the official leader of the "New Breed
New Breed (ECW)
The New Breed was a professional wrestling stable that appeared on the ECW brand of World Wrestling Entertainment in 2007. It was initially composed of Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von, Matt Striker, Kevin Thorn, and Ariel...
", a group of new ECW stars including Matt Striker, Marcus Cor Von
Monty Brown
Monty Brown is an American professional wrestler and former National Football League linebacker, also known as Marcus Cor Von. He is best known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment, where he wrestled on its ECW brand under the ring name Marcus Cor Von...
and Kevin Thorn
Kevin Fertig
Kevin Matthew Fertig is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring names Mordecai and Kevin Thorn....
, who proceeded to feud with the ECW Originals. At WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23 was the twenty-third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 1, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan...
, the New Breed faced off against the ECW Originals but were ultimately defeated.
After several weeks of trying to recruit fellow roster mate and new ECW superstar CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
, 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 Major Brothers
Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder
Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder were a American professional wrestling tag team who appeared on the independent circuit and WWE under a variety of evolving names....
, a debuting tag team. 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
Judgment Day (2007)
Judgment Day was the ninth annual Judgment Day professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on May 20, 2007 from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri...
, Burke was defeated by CM Punk. Then, at One Night Stand
One Night Stand (2007)
One Night Stand was the third annual One Night Stand professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on June 3, 2007 at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW brands...
, 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 (2007–2008)
On June 19, 2007, Burke lost to Chris BenoitChris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
(which would be Benoit's last match before his death
Chris Benoit double murder and suicide
The Chris Benoit double murder suicide occurred over a three-day period ending on June 24, 2007. World Wrestling Entertainment professional wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife, Nancy Benoit, strangled his seven-year-old son, Daniel, and subsequently committed suicide by hanging. Autopsy results...
) in a match that would decide who would face either CM Punk or Marcus Cor Von for the vacant ECW World Championship
ECW World Heavyweight Championship
The Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
at Vengeance: Night of Champions
Vengeance: Night of Champions
Vengeance: Night of Champions was the seventh annual professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment within its Vengeance chronology, and the last to be promoted with the Vengeance name until 2011. It featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands. The...
. 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 Championship. On July 10, Burke rebounded with a decisive victory over Balls Mahoney
Balls Mahoney
Jonathan Rechner better known by his ring name Balls Mahoney , is an American professional wrestler...
. He was then named the number one contender for the ECW Championship and went on to face CM Punk at the Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2007)
Unforgiven was the tenth annual Unforgiven pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on September 16, 2007 from the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands.The main match on the SmackDown brand was The...
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 2007
No Mercy (2007)
No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 7, 2007 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois...
. Estrada pitted four ECW wrestlers (Burke, Kevin Thorn, Tommy Dreamer and Stevie Richards
Stevie Richards
Michael Manna is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Stevie Richards. Also known by his ring names, Steven Richards and Dr...
) 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 the 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
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
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 edition of ECW, Burke introduced and formed an alliance with the newest member of the ECW roster, Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted...
, who jumped over from the Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
brand. Burke was then taken off television for several months but he later reappeared by participating in the 2008 Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2008)
Royal Rumble was the twenty-first annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 27, 2008 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands. The event was...
, entering as the 28th entrant but was eliminated by Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
after having Mick Foley
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
pushed into him, after which both Foley and Burke were eliminated.
He later participated in a 24-man battle royal at WrestleMania XXIV
WrestleMania XXIV
WrestleMania XXIV was the twenty-fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . The event took place on March 30, 2008, at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida and was the first WrestleMania to be held in the state of Florida...
to determine who would face ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero
Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
Salvador "Chavo" Guerrero IV also known as Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero, Jr., is a third generation Mexican-American professional wrestler and member of the famed Guerrero wrestling family who was well known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling...
. Burke was eliminated early in the match (shortly after he himself eliminated Stevie Richards) by Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
. Burke then reappeared again in a tag team match on SmackDown where he and Shelton Benjamin faced Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom...
and then-United States Champion
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
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
Shoichi Funaki
is a Japanese/American professional wrestler best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment, where he was a one-time Cruiserweight Champion and a one-time Hardcore Champion.-Early years :...
and Jamie Noble
Jamie Noble
James Howard Gibson better known by his WWE ring name Jamie Noble, is an American former professional wrestler currently working for WWE as a trainer. He is best known for his work from 2002 to 2009 when a severe back injury forced him to retire from competition...
in dark matches.
On November 10, 2008, Burke was released from his WWE contract after being absent from television since May 2008.
Independent circuit (2008–2009)
On November 16, 2008, One Pro WrestlingOne Pro Wrestling
One Pro Wrestling was a British professional wrestling promotion. 1PW was founded in 2005 by Steven Gauntley until the promotion went into liquidation in 2007; it was restarted within the same year..It ended in August 2011....
based in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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
World Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
show, "LockOut" on December 13, losing a hardcore
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
three-way dance match, also involving Steve Corino
Steve Corino
Steven Eugene "Steve" Corino is a Canadian professional wrestler, who currently works for Pro Wrestling Zero1, Ring of Honor and numerous other independent promotions. Corino is a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and ECW World Heavyweight Champion.-Early years :Corino began wrestling in 1994...
, to Sabu. Later in January on an event named Euphoria he teamed with Armando Alejandro Estrada to unsuccessfully challenge Thunder and Lightning
Thunder and Lightning (professional wrestling)
Thunder and Lightning is a Puerto Rican professional wrestling tag team consisting of masked wrestlers Reynaldo Rodriguez and Alex Cruz under the ring names Thunder and Lightning respectively.- World Wrestling Council :Both members trained in various small independent Puerto Rico wrestling...
for the WWC World Tag Team Championship
WWC World Tag Team Championship
The WWC World Tag Team Championship is the tag team title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council.-Title history:-External links:***...
. 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 February 2009 he wrestled for Xtreme Valley Wrestling in a 6 man tag match.
Debut and feud with Suicide (2009)
On May 27, 2009, Burke defeated Shawn SpearsRonnie Arniell
Ronnie William Arneill is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name as Shawn Spears. He is perhaps best known for his stint with World Wrestling Entertainment on its ECW brand, where he briefly performed under the ring name Gavin Spears.-Early life:Born and raised in St...
in a tryout dark match for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
(TNA) at their TNA Impact!
TNA iMPACT!
Impact Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that currently airs in the United States and Canada on Spike...
television tapings. On July 29, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Burke had signed a contract with TNA. On the August 6 edition of Impact! a vignette was aired that announced that Burke would be debuting under the ring name D'Angelo Dinero at Hard Justice
Hard Justice (2009)
Hard Justice was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on August 16, 2009 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. It was the fifth event under the Hard Justice chronology....
. Burke made his debut as a heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
on August 16 in the Steel Asylum match, which was won by Daniels
Christopher Daniels
Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
. On August 20, 2009, he made his Impact! debut and defeated Consequences Creed before he was attacked by Suicide
Suicide (character)
Suicide is a fictional character from TNA Impact! the video game. In December 2008, the Suicide character was introduced on television as a real-life wrestler in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, who had lost the Steel Asylum match because of Dinero's interference. On the September 17 edition of Impact!, Dinero defeated Suicide. At No Surrender
No Surrender (2009)
No Surrender was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on September 20, 2009 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
, 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.
Face turn (2009–2010)
Burke was slated to take part in the Ultimate X matchUltimate X match
The Ultimate X match is a type of professional wrestling match created by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , mainly used in their X Division. It is considered the "signature match of the X Division," as stated numerous times by Mike Tenay right before an Ultimate X match begins.-Match...
at Bound for Glory
Bound for Glory (2009)
Bound for Glory was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on October 18, 2009 at the Bren Events Center in Irvine, California. It was the fifth event under the Bound for Glory chronology. The Event was the Premiere...
, but ended up missing the event due to a "family emergency". Dinero returned on the November 12 edition of Impact!, aligning himself with Matt Morgan and Hernandez
Shawn Hernandez
Shawn Hernandez is an American professional wrestler of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent, better known by his ring names, "Hotstuff Hernandez" and "Hernandez"....
against Team 3D
Dudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...
and Rhino, which turned him face
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
as a result.
Three days later, on November 15, 2009, Dixie Carter announced on her Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account that Burke had signed a new long term deal with the company.
At Turning Point
Turning Point (2009)
Turning Point was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on November 15, 2009 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
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
Jesse Neal
Jesse Neal is an American professional wrestler and a former member of the U.S. military. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is one half of the tag team Ink Inc., with his partner Shannon Moore....
turned heel and joined them. On the December 3 edition Impact! Suicide accepted Dinero's offer for peace and joined him, Morgan and Hernandez in their war with Rhino, Team 3D and Neal. At Final Resolution
Final Resolution (2009)
Final Resolution was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on December 20, 2009 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
Morgan, Hernandez, Dinero and Suicide defeated Neal, Team 3D and Rhino in an eight-man elimination tag team match.
On the January 4, 2010, special live three-hour Monday night edition of Impact! Dinero picked up his at that point arguably biggest TNA victory, by defeating Desmond Wolfe
Nigel McGuinness
Steven Haworth is an English professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Desmond Wolfe and Nigel McGuinness. As McGuinness he first gained notoriety working for Ring of Honor in the United States and Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan...
. Two weeks later at Genesis
Genesis (2010)
Genesis was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on January 17, 2010 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. It was the fifth event under the Genesis chronology and the first event of the 2010 TNA PPV schedule...
, however, Wolfe avenged his loss and defeated Dinero in a rematch. On the February 4 edition of Impact!, Dinero scored a non-title victory over the TNA World Heavyweight Champion
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The TNA World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in TNA and is primarily defended in TNA's heavyweight division...
, A.J. Styles
A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones , better known by his ring name A.J. Styles is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
. At Against All Odds
Against All Odds (2010)
-See also:*TNA Against All Odds*List of TNA pay-per-view events-External links:**...
Dinero defeated Desmond Wolfe, Matt Morgan and Mr. Anderson, despite being attacked by Scott Hall
Scott Hall
Scott Hall is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation in the early and mid 1990s under the ring name Razor Ramon, as well as for his period in the mid 1990s and early 2000s with World Championship Wrestling under his real name...
and Syxx-Pac
Sean Waltman
Sean Michael Waltman is an American professional wrestler currently signed with WWE in their developmental program. He wrestled there under the ring names 1–2–3 Kid and X-Pac off and on from 1993–2002, World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Syxx, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ...
prior to the match, to win the 8 Card Stud Tournament and earn himself a shot at Styles' World Heavyweight Championship at Lockdown
Lockdown (2010)
Lockdown was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on April 18, 2010 at the Family Arena in Saint Charles, Missouri. It was the sixth event under the Lockdown chronology and the fourth event of the 2010 TNA PPV...
.
Two months later, at Lockdown, Dinero failed in his attempt to win the World Heavyweight Championship from Styles. During the match Burke suffered ligament damage in his shoulder, which would sideline him for over two months. In storyline Dinero's absence was attributed to Mr. Anderson attacking him backstage on the May 3 edition of Impact!. Dinero returned on the July 1 edition of Impact! and was immediately challenged to a match by Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
, who had vowed to go through TNA's top ten wrestlers in the Championship Committee's rankings and had now arrived to the man ranked number eight. At Victory Road
Victory Road (2010)
Victory Road was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on July 11, 2010 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
Dinero was defeated by Angle in his return match. 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. On the August 19 edition of Impact! the TNA World Heavyweight Championship was vacated and Dinero was entered into an eight man tournament for it. In his first round match he defeated Morgan to set up a semifinal match against Anderson. At No Surrender
No Surrender (2010)
No Surrender was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on September 5, 2010 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
Anderson defeated Dinero to eliminate him from the tournament.
Feud with Immortal and Fortune (2010)
On the September 16 edition of Impact!, and the ReactionTNA Reaction
TNA Reaction was a professional wrestling-focused documentary-style television program by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that aired in the United States and Canada on Spike...
following it, Dinero seemingly turned heel by aligning himself with Kevin Nash
Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor. As of 2011, Nash is signed to a five year contract with WWE under their WWE Legends program and appears as part of their Raw brand roster...
and Sting
Sting (wrestler)
Steven James "Steve" Borden , better known by his ring name Sting, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, who had been feuding with Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
, Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
and Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
for months over the way TNA was run, claiming to know that they were up to something. Dinero later claimed to have gotten inside information from Bischoff's secretary Miss Tessmacher
Brooke Adams (model)
Brooke Nichole Adams is an American model, dancer, and professional wrestler, currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Brooke Tessmacher. She previously worked for World Wrestling Entertainment appearing with Kelly Kelly and Layla in the dance group Extreme Exposé...
, that would suggest that Sting and Nash were right. At Bound for Glory
Bound for Glory (2010)
Bound for Glory was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , that took place on October 10, 2010 at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. It was the sixth annual event under the Bound for Glory chronology. Bound For Glory is considered to be...
Dinero, Sting and Nash faced Jeff Jarrett and Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel "Joe" Seanoa is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Samoa Joe. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
in a handicap match, after Hulk Hogan, who was scheduled to team with Jarrett and Joe, was forced to pull out due to a back surgery. At the end of the match Jarrett abandoned Joe and left him to be pinned by Nash. At the end of the event it was revealed that Sting and Nash had been right about Hogan and Bischoff all along, as they turned heel with Jarrett, Abyss and Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
, and in the process turned Dinero, Sting and Nash back to being faces.
On the following edition of Impact! 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. Dinero, now left alone, then became a target of the Immortal
Immortal (professional wrestling)
Immortal is a villainous professional wrestling alliance in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . It currently consists of Eric Bischoff, Bully Ray, Gunner, TNA founder and AAA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett, his wife and valet Karen Jarrett, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair and Scott Steiner...
/Fortune
Fortune (professional wrestling)
Fortune is a professional wrestling alliance in the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It currently consists of A.J. Styles, James Storm and Kazarian...
alliance, with Fortune members A.J. Styles, Douglas Williams
Doug Williams (wrestler)
Douglas Clayton Durdle is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Doug Williams. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Douglas Williams...
, Kazarian
Frankie Kazarian
Frank B. Gerdelman is an Armenian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Frankie Kazarian or simply Kazarian. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, James Storm
James Storm
James Allen Cox is an American professional wrestler who competes under the ring name "The Cowboy" James Storm. Since 2002, Storm has been employed by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he, along with A.J...
and Robert Roode defeating him in a 5–on–1 handicap match. The following week Dinero received a shot at Styles' TNA Television Championship in a street fight, but was defeated after an interference from Abyss. Afterwards, Dinero tried to form an alliance with Samoa Joe to fight Immortal and Fortune, but was turned down. At Turning Point
Turning Point (2010)
Turning Point was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , that took place on November 7, 2010 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
Abyss defeated Dinero in a Lumberjack match, after Dinero's lumberjacks, including his own brother, turned on him, after being bought out by Eric Bischoff. The following month at Final Resolution
Final Resolution (2010)
Final Resolution was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling professional wrestling promotion, that took place on December 5, 2010 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
Dinero was defeated by Abyss in a casket match.
Various feuds (2010–present)
On the following edition of Impact! Dinero started collecting donations in order to help those in need, however, after a vignette, filmed secretly by Samoa Joe's associate OkatoKazuchika Okada
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling. From February 2010 until October 2011, he was on a developmental tour, working for American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the name Okada.-Training and debut:Trained by Último Dragón at his Toryumon...
, where Dinero visited a strip club, his true motivations were questioned by Joe on the January 6, 2011, edition of Impact!. On the January 27 edition of Impact!, Dinero completed his heel turn, talking down to the crowd at the Impact! Zone
TNA iMPACT! Zone
The Impact Wrestling Zone is the professional wrestling nickname for Soundstage 21, a sound stage in Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, Florida...
and confessing his dislike of Samoa Joe. On February 13 at Against All Odds
Against All Odds (2011)
Against All Odds was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on February 13, 2011 at TNA Impact! Zone in Universal Studios Florida...
Dinero was defeated by Joe in a singles match. After the match Dinero attacked Joe and bloodied him. On the following edition of Impact!, Joe got his revenge on Dinero by giving him a Muscle Buster through a table, after Okato prevented him from escaping the ring. On the March 10 edition of Impact!, Dinero defeated Joe in a rematch between the two, after hitting him with a chain. On April 17 at Lockdown
Lockdown (2011)
Lockdown was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, that took place on April 17, 2011 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the seventh event under the Lockdown chronology and the fourth event of the 2011 TNA PPV schedule...
, Joe defeated Dinero in a steel cage match. In June Dinero entered a storyline, where he helped Brother Devon in his feud with Mexican America
Mexican America (professional wrestling)
Mexican America is a professional wrestling stable in the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It currently consists of leader Hernandez, Anarquia, Rosita and Sarita, who are portrayed as villainous anti-Americans, promoting the superiority of Mexican-Americans...
, even though Devon tried to decline his help, claiming that he was a bad influence on his two sons. Later that month, Dinero and Devon were both entered into the Bound for Glory Series to determine the number one contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, during the course of which Dinero handed Devon a win in a tag team match, but Devon did not return the favor and save Dinero from a post-match assault at the hands of Samoa Joe. On August 7 at Hardcore Justice
Hardcore Justice (2011)
Hardcore Justice was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on August 7, 2011 at the Impact Wrestling Zone in Orlando, Florida...
, Dinero defeated Devon in a Bound for Glory Series match. At the start of the match, Dinero offered to lay down for Devon, but the offer was refused. Devon finally changed his attitude towards Dinero by saving him from Samoa Joe on the August 25 edition of Impact Wrestling. The attack however forced Dinero to pull out of the Bound for Glory Series with a storyline injury. On the September 8 edition of Impact Wrestling, Dinero and Devon defeated The British Invasion
The British Invasion (professional wrestling)
The British Invasion is a professional wrestling alliance in the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , currently consisting of English wrestlers Douglas Williams and Magnus. The group previously also included their Welsh enforcer Rob Terry...
(Douglas Williams and Magnus
Nick Aldis
Nicholas Harry "Nick" Aldis is an English professional wrestler and actor. He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Magnus, where he is a one time World Tag Team Champion with Doug Williams...
) to become the number one contenders to the TNA World Tag Team Championship
TNA World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily contested within TNA's tag team division. It was created and debuted on May 14, 2007 at the taping of TNA's primary television program,...
. On September 11 at No Surrender
No Surrender (2011)
No Surrender was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that took place on September 11, 2011 at the Impact Wrestling Zone in Orlando, Florida. It was the seventh annual No Surrender chronology...
, Dinero and Devon failed in their attempt to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship from Anarquia
Matt Barela
Matthew Ramón Barela is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Anarquia. In TNA, he is currently a member of the Mexican America stable with Rosita, Sarita and Hernandez...
and Hernandez of Mexican America.
Personal life
In May 2011 it was announced on his official website that Burke had graduated and received his degree with high honors in criminal justiceCriminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
.
Other media
Burke was a guest on Sci Fi Channel'sSyfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
Ghost Hunters
Ghost Hunters
Ghost Hunters is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on October 6, 2004, on Syfy . The program features paranormal investigators Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson who investigate places that are reported to be haunted. The two originally worked as plumbers for Roto-Rooter as...
, on the October 31, 2007 Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
live
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
special episode. He would become the second WWE wrestler to appear on Ghost Hunters, with the first being CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
. He also had a journal on WWE.com called the Elijah Experience, where he discussed the happenings on ECW on Sci-Fi.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- As D'Angelo Dinero
- DDE – D'Angelo Dinero Express (Running double high knee to the back or chest of a cornered opponent, sometimes transitioned into a sitout rear mat slam)
- Double knee facebreaker – 2010
- As Elijah Burke
- Elijah Express (Running double high knee to the back or chest of a cornered opponent)
- Elijah Experience (Arm wrench forward Russian legsweep – WWE or a sitout facebuster – OVWOhio Valley WrestlingOhio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
) – 2004–2006 - Scissored armbar – 2006
- STO – 2006; used as a regular move thereafter
- As D'Angelo Dinero
- Signature moves
-
- 4-Up (Punching combination to the opponent's midsection followed by a high-impact uppercut)
- Coronation (Leapfrog body guillotine) – TNATotal Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
- Flying forearm smash
- German suplex
- Lifting sitout spinebuster
-
- Outer Limitz Elbow (Turnbuckle handstandHandstandA handstand is the act of supporting the body in a stable, inverted vertical position by balancing on the hands. In a basic handstand the body is held straight with arms and legs fully extended, with hands spaced approximately shoulder-width apart...
transitioned into a low-angle diving elbow drop to an opponent lying underneath the bottom turnbuckle) - Pimp Slap (Backhand slap to the opponent's face) – TNA
- Outer Limitz Elbow (Turnbuckle handstand
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "The Silver TongueSilver TongueSilver tongue is an expression used to describe a person who is able to clearly and effectively express themselves, or who has a clever way with words. The connotation associated with accusing a person of having a "silver tongue" is, in itself, ambiguous. While at once it is admission of...
d PugilistBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
" - "The ParagonParagonA paragon is a large, flawless diamond. The title is now used figuratively to denote a model of excellence or perfection of any kind; one having no equal; a perfect embodiment of a concept.Paragon may also refer to:-Places:...
of VirtueVirtueVirtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a positive trait or quality subjectively deemed to be morally excellent and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being....
" - "The Black PopePopeThe Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
" - "The Guiding Light"
- "Your Host of Hosts"
- "The Pope"
- "The Silver Tongue
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Don't Waste My Time" by Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
(WWE; 2007–2008) - "Catholi-Funk" by Dale OliverDale OliverDale Byron Oliver is an American music composer who works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Formerly a guitarist in BackHawk , Oliver serves mainly as a composer of theme music used in professional wrestling.-Music composer for TNA:Since 2003, Oliver writes, records, and produces music under...
(TNA; August 16, 2009–present)
- "Don't Waste My Time" by Jim Johnston
Championships and accomplishments
- Ohio Valley WrestlingOhio Valley WrestlingOhio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
- OVW Heavyweight ChampionshipOVW Heavyweight ChampionshipThe OVW Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned by the Ohio Valley Wrestling promotion. The title was introduced on August 17, 1997 at an OVW live event, then known as the NWA-OVW Heavyweight Championship due to OVW's relationship with the National...
(1 time)
- OVW Heavyweight Championship
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2010)
- PWI ranked him #36 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010
- Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
- 8 Card Stud Tournament (2010)
External links
- TNA Profile
- Interview
- VSplanet.net Profile (Russian)