JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It was the 1980′s and a young child living in the heart of Jacksonville sat in front of his 19-inch TV with rabbit ears to watch his two heroes: Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair. But at that point the form of entertainment called pro wrestling seemed like a far away dream.
His initial influences in pro wrestling
Elijah Burke will immediately tell you that while Flair and Rhodes didn’t share his skin color they were iconic in his community. “Ric more so today in pop culture than Dusty was back then,” Burke said. “Because Dusty was the only thing that someone who looked like me could gravitate to. Because I always said ‘Dusty Rhodes was like a black man in a white man’s body’.”
He said he would watch the two wrestling icons clash weekly on Florida Championship Wrestling along with the old National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). “We’re watching Dusty Rhodes. He has that Southern Baptist Preacher type schtick if you will. So the moment he reached out on television and said your hand touching my hand. Man I’m up there at the television as a kid and I’m touching his hand.”
But those weren’t his only influences in wrestling. Other wrestlers like Rocky King, Abdullah The Butcher (who was featured in Going Ringside Episode 19) and Junk Yard Dog were huge influences on him. “JYD was not international at that time. JYD was based out of ... with Bill Watts Territory in Louisiana.”
Unfortunately for Burke he couldn’t see JYD much on his TV locally until he was brought up to the World Wrestling Federation which was broadcast nationally. Burke argues in certain parts of the country that JYD was a bigger star than Hulk Hogan. “He was bigger than Hogan in Bill Watts promotion. He was bigger than Hogan. He was the first black wrestler that really transcended the ring and had awards and keys given to him.”
He started as a Jacksonville Sheriff’s officer
Then Elijah Burke grows up, graduating from Frank H. Peterson Academy and then eventually Ed White High School. His first skill learned as a young man was plumbing. “I took a trade in plumbing,” said Burke. “Your boy can get down and change a pipe here and there but it was never my goal.”
His goal was in fact the police academy. “Didn’t have much of a direction,” said Burke. “My Grandfather was an Officer. My sister she was an officer. Became a sergeant. Retired as a sergeant.” So he followed in their footsteps.
As a corrections officer and eventually a police officer Burke was prepared for an eventual life where he would have to fight for a living. “I had my fair share of struggles if you will,” said Burke.
But wrestling at this point still seemed like a far off dream. “Going into law enforcement was my goal,” said Burke. “Becoming a professional wrestler was my dream.”
Life however became difficult while he was in law enforcement. Burke had a sister pass away and he wanted to be their for his nieces and nephews. But the hours of the job were frankly overwhelming along with personal family struggles he was going through.
Then, something happened in the Duval County Jail that changed his life. “I’m booking someone into the jail,” said Burke. “I go to the computer at intake of the pre-trial detention facility and all of a sudden across the top of a screen says ‘WWE try out match.’ I have no idea how it got there.”
Burke had already participated in a wrestling-like event with the annual “Guns & Hoses” boxing event put on annually by the local police and fire agencies. But he took his participation a step further, very much in pro wrestling fashion. “When I would come out there I would come out there in my Ric Flair-ish type robe. I had robes made.”
He’s off to WWE
So at this inflection point in his life Burke takes the leap and is off to Louisville, home to Ohio Valley Wrestling. That’s the promotion that WWE uses as its training ground for up and coming stars. Everyone from John Cena to Brock Lesnar did stints in OVW as they prepared for the big time.
He realizes he’s going into wrestling with an odd phone call from a very familiar voice. That would be Jim Cornette. Cornette was a longtime promoter and manager who hosts the most listened to wrestling podcast in the country today. He had mailed in video and photos of himself, this was pre-social media. So using “snail mail” was how it was done. The company selected 50 people from all over the world to call back. “Actually fell asleep in my car and the phone rings and it’s Jim Cornette. And I answer the phone and he goes ‘Hey Elijah, it’s Jim Cornette! Can you hear me,” said Burke doing his best Cornette impression. “And I’m thinking I’m dreaming because I’m asleep.”
“I just wanted to let you know you don’t know a headlock from a wristlock, but you’ve got presence,” Cornette told him.
Burke says no to Vince McMahon
OVW was just a stepping stone and soon enough he was brought up nationally. It was kind of back and forth on whether he would appear on WWE’s Raw or Smackdown program. At first he was called up to Monday Night Raw. Burke said it was actually Vince McMahon’s idea to make him part of the newly formed group the “Spirit Squad”. They were a group of male cheerleaders that were overly enthusiastic and annoyed the fans. They became a very strong “heel” stable that fans loved to boo. But Burke said when McMahon approached him about joining that faction, Burke did something unthinkable for a young wrestler. He turned down McMahon. “He gave me the choice to make and he respected the fact that I said no. Can you imagine somebody saying no, I decline Vince, I appreciate it.”
Following that Burke was eventually put in a managerial role. He managed a new wrestler named Sylvester Terkay. Terkay had legitimate fighting experience and was a very accomplished mixed martial artist. Burke, known for his ability on the microphone as much as athleticism, was a natural fit for the much bigger brawler who wasn’t a natural talker.
Eventually Burke started wrestling more than managing and took on all the stars from CM Punk to Batista. He departed the company in 2008.
Independent wrestling, TNA and starting a charity
Following Burke’s departure from WWE he spent time traveling the independent wrestling circuit and eventually wound up in Total Nonstop Action (TNA) wrestling. TNA at the time was a strong second promotion in the country behind WWE. He had multiple feuds with accomplished wrestlers like A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe and D-Von Dudley.
As the years went on Burke changed his in ring name a few times. Currently he’s settled on “Da’ Pope” as his in-ring moniker. He said this idea of an in-ring name change came when he started referring to the crowd as “his congregation” even when they booed him. Other wrestlers had been called “Reverend” or “Deacon”, so he wanted something different. “I said there’s never been a black Pope,” said Burke. “That’s how it was born.”
Along the way Burke’s heart moved beyond the squared circle as he returned to Jacksonville. Burke found the Love Alive Charity. The organization’s website describes its purpose as: “We aim to improve the quality of life to less-advantaged individuals, families and communities through humanitarian effort and charitable donations in Jacksonville, Florida and surrounding areas.”
One of the ways it does this is through pro wrestling events often held in Jacksonville. The organization just held a major event on July 29 in Jacksonville.