ECW's The New Breed: Where Are They Now?

6. Elijah Burke

In The New Breed

After briefly appearing on Smackdown, Burke also teamed with former MMA fighter Sylvester Terkay, before he was singled out by Vince McMahon as ‘the future’ of ECW (an unfortunately ironic nickname if ever there was one).

As The New Breed’s de facto leader, Burke formed the stable following a beatdown from the ECW Originals. The former amateur boxer had a refreshing look and skillset that made him stand out on a roster of jobbers, Mike Knox’s, and middle-aged white men in jeans and black T-shirts, but this also put him at odds with ECW’s more traditional fans.

After The New Breed

Following his team’s breakup, Elijah Burke languished somewhat in WWE. He wrestled Chris Benoit in his last televised match, before feuding with CM Punk for the ECW Championship. Following his contract release in November 2008, Burke spent several years on the independent circuit, before landing in TNA under the ring name D’Angelo Dinero, debuting a new ‘black pope’ gimmick.

Although a reliable worker throughout his time in TNA, Burke never managed to capture gold with the company, meaning his 8+ years spent between WWE and TNA have been completely championship-less thus far. Burke now serves as TNA’s colour commentator alongside Josh Matthews, and although he’s no Tazz (he’s not even Don West), even a potted plant would be entertaining if it was placed next to Josh Matthews.

Still, Burke earned himself a degree in criminal justice back in 2011, so it hasn't been all downhill for The Pope.