Elijah Samuel Burke is a professional wrestler and color commentator, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as a commentator under the ring name “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero. He has spent time in other federations, including WWE, but is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
Elijah Burke, who performs as “The Pope” D‘Angelo Dinero, has already had a well-documented career. His journey up to this point has seen him compete with both the WWE and TNA for a number of years. His performance in the ring and charisma displayed on the microphone has always been a crowd pleaser. Burke is a very talented individual and one of the hardest workers in the business.
Along with his credentials inside the ring, Burke is also involved in many philanthropic projects and is always looking for new ways to give back. Community outreach is something that lives deep within his heart and continues to push him every day.
By following the Independent and Professional Wrestling Circuit, I am able to catch up with some of them and conduct an interview from time to time, which allows them to share with us their story. Recently I was able to catch up with Elijah and he was gracious enough to put a halt to his busy schedule to discuss his career, future, and accomplishments. This is what he had to say.
* With your time spent on the Indy circuit, how could you best describe the life on an independent wrestler?
Well actually Pope has never spent much time on The Indy Circuit, but when I have, it has always been fun and such a blast. But to keep it short and sweet, the answer to this question is Freedom.
* Are there any funny/crazy road stories you would like to share?
Yea once while in South Carolina I was propositioned by a female midget and a married couple following a show at separate times.
* Were there any obstacles on your journey to the ring? If so, what were they and how did you overcome them?
My biggest obstacle was transitioning from amateur boxing punches to wrestling punches. To overcome it I simply practiced punching light bulbs.
* Even though you have had some amazing matches throughout your career, do you still have a dream match that would make everything complete?
Hummm, can’t say I have a dream opponent as most would probably be “fantasy” matchups. I’ve been in the ring with almost everybody who is anybody in the business from Flair, Hogan, Angle, Styles, Joe, Batista, Kane, etc. I would like to face Dolph Ziggler who I consider a great performer.
* Up to this point, what would you say is your most memorable match to date?
My most memorable match would be my match vs AJ Styles at Lockdown 2010 as well as Bound for Glory being apart of The Wolfpac teaming with Sting and Kevin Nash.
* What would you say is your greatest accomplishment in the sport of professional wrestling up to this point?
Winning The 8 Card Stud Tournament held at Against All Odds where I defeated Desmond Wolfe, Matt Morgan, and Mr. Anderson in one night.
* If you could sum up your time in WWE in one sentence, how would you word it?
Awesome learning experience for a rookie in the business!
* Why was The Pope’s outstanding run fueled by the 2010 TNA Against All Odds tournament left basically unfinished?
Too many Chefs in the kitchen with different taste for different recipes.
* What was it like going through the many changes through TNA? Was there ever a point in your time when you thought the time was up?
Never thought time was up, but like most you can notice when there’s a missed opportunity to catch lighting in a bottle.
* What do you think of former TNA Stars such as Austin Aries, Samoa Joe and Sting going to WWE? Did you think Sting would ever leave?
Happy for all of them as WWE is great place to work. Steve (Sting) and I had long conversations about how he’d end his career and WrestleMania was always part of that discussion.
* With your current role as a Color Commentator, has there been a learning curve? How does it differ from actually being in the ring?
No curve, the only difference is instead of building up myself as The Pope and talking trash in the mic, I now talk in the mic to help build others and tell their story.
* Throughout your years in the ring do you prefer being a Heel or a Babyface? Are there any advantages/disadvantages to either?
No preference as both are equally rewarding.
* What other things are you involved with outside of the ring? Tell us about your charity contributions and how you decided to lend a helping hand.
Outside the ring I’m heavily involved with The Love-Alive Charity which is focused on impoverished communities and disadvantaged people. For the past 4 years I’ve held events called “Love-Drives” in downtown Jacksonville FL to feed the hungry and needy Burger King as well as clothing and blankets for those living on the street.
When the thought to do so dawned on it me was simply because I wanted to encourage others to “BE THE CHANGE THAT THEY WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD” and luckily I’ve had some faithful supporters to donate throughout these years to help make the effort possible by going to my website TheElijahExpress.com and donating $1 Dollar.
* What does the future hold for “The Pope” within the wrestling business?
To borrow a line from an old friend, “The only thing for sure is that nothing’s for sure!”
Hopefully you enjoyed this interview and learned some new and interesting things about Elijah Burke. The world of wrestling is a demanding business and the time he set aside to do this interview should not be underestimated. I would like to personally thank Elijah for taking the time to share with me his stories so I could share them with all of you. His time is greatly appreciated.
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