Leo Burke

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For other people named Leo Burke, see Leo Burke (disambiguation).

Leo Burke
Birth nameLéonce Cormier
Born (1948-06-29) June 29, 1948 (age 75)[1]
Dorchester, New Brunswick, Canada[1]
FamilyCormier
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Leo Burke
Tommy Martin
Billed height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Billed weight230 lb (100 kg)[2]
Trained byYvon Cormier
Rudy Kay[1]
Debut1966[1]
Retired1992[1]

Léonce Cormier (born June 29, 1948) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He was born in Dorchester, New Brunswick. He competed across Canada, in several American promotions, and wrestled internationally for both Puerto Rico's World Wrestling Council (WWC) and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in New Zealand. In Canada, where he spent the majority of his career, Cormier used the ring name Leo Burke. In the United States, however, he competed as Tommy Martin.

Over the course of his career, Cormier held 46 wrestling championships. Several of his title victories came as part of a

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Cormier also competes in occasional wrestling matches and has been honored by both the Cauliflower Alley Club, a fraternal organization of professional wrestlers, and Stampede Wrestling
, who inducted him into their hall of fame.

Career

Growing up in a wrestling family, Léonce Cormier decided at age six that he wanted to become a professional wrestler. He followed in the footsteps of his older brothers Yvon and Jean-Louis, who trained him to compete.[1]

1960s

Cormier made his professional debut in 1966. Competing in Central States Wrestling, an affiliate of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), he used the ring name Tommy Martin. He won his first championship belt on October 11, 1968, by defeating Bob Brown for the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship.[3] Later that month, he gained another title when he formed a tag team with his brother Romeo (who was competing under the ring name Terry Martin) to win the Central States version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship from Brown and Bob Geigel. The reign as tag team champions lasted for seven days before the Martins dropped the belts in a match against The Texas Outlaws (Dick Murdoch and Dusty Rhodes).[4][5] The following month, Martin also lost the heavyweight championship to Rhodes.[3]

1970s

Cormier spent much of the early 1970s competing in the

Kurt Von Steiger.[8] In August 1973, Burke became the first ESA Taped Fist Championship when the promotion awarded him the title.[9]

Burke next competed in the NWA's

Bolo Mongol and Bob Brown. For the second victory, Burke substituted for Killer Karl Krupp, who was unable to compete. Although Burke won the match, the title was later returned to Brown after Brown appealed the decision, claiming that a substitute wrestler should not be eligible to win a championship.[7] Burke also had one final reign with the Taped Fist Championship before vacating the title.[9]

Burke continued to compete for Central States Wrestling, and he teamed with The Beast in a tournament for the vacant NWA Western States Tag Team Championship. The brothers defeated

NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Burke controlled the majority of the encounter, but Funk intentionally got himself disqualified 55 minutes into the match. Because the title cannot change hands on a disqualification, Funk retained the belt.[14]

In 1977, Burke moved to

Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship on several occasions. He defeated Don Gagne (formerly known as Frenchy Martin) for the first title and Michel Martel for the second. He won it once more, by defeating Larry Lane,[17][18] before leaving the area to compete briefly in New Zealand. Competing for the NWA territory there, he won the New Zealand version of the NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship. He soon vacated the title, however, and returned to Stampede Wrestling.[19]

1980s

Upon his return to Calgary in 1980, Burke teamed with Keith Hart once again to win the promotion's International Tag Team Championship.[15][16] He also began feuding with Keith's brother Bret Hart around that time.[14] Burke defeated Mr. Sekigawa to win the North American Heavyweight Championship but lost it to Bret Hart later that year. He regained it in a rematch but dropped it to Hart once again.[17][18] Burke returned to Canada's Atlantic Coast briefly to compete for Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling (AGPW) and won the promotion's North American Tag Team Championship with Hubert Gallant. They lost the belts to Cuban Assassin and Bobby Bass that summer, but Burke was able to regain the championship by teaming with Stephen Petitpas.[20] AGPW only promoted shows in the summer,[1] and Burke then returned to Calgary during AGPW's off-season; while there, he teamed with his brother Bobby Burke again to regain the International Tag Team Championship in December 1980.[15][16] Two months later, he had another reign as North American Heavyweight Champion after defeating "Dr. D" David Schults (who later regained the title in a rematch).[17][18] Another reign as NWA Central States Heavyweight Champion followed in November 1981, in which Cormier returned to his Tommy Martin ring name.[3]

Returning to Stampede Wrestling once again, Burke entered and won a tournament for the vacant North American Heavyweight Championship, defeating Duke Myers in the final match on March 21, 1982, to win the title. He dropped it back to Bret Hart three months later, however.[17][18] He followed this with a brief return in August 1982 to AGPW, where he defeated Rick Valentine to win the AGPW United States Heavyweight Championship.[21] On November 19, 1982, Burke teamed with his longtime rival Bret Hart to win the Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship. After losing the title the following month,[15][16] the feud resumed, and Burke defeated Hart for the North American Heavyweight Championship on January 14, 1983; the men continued to face each other, and Hart regained the championship that May.[17][18]

Around that time, Burke spent more of his time competing in Central and Eastern Canada. He wrestled for

The Spoiler.[22][23] In February 1986, Burke had one final title reign in Stampede Wrestling, holding the International Tag Team Championship with Ron Ritchie.[15][16]

In 1987 he became the heel commentator for the nwa tv show in french, La Lutte Quatre Saisons, french version of World Wide Wrestling.

Back in AGPW, Burke continued to win championships. He held the International Heavyweight Championship three more times from 1986 to 1989,[23] and held the North American Tag Team Championship three times as well during that period. He won the tag team titles by reuniting with former partners Hubert Gallant and Stephen Petitpas; the third reign came with Cuban Assassin, a former enemy of the entire Cormier wrestling family.[20][24]

In the late 1980s Burke he decided to compete in Puerto Rico's

Carlos Colón on December 17, 1989.[14][25]

1990s

Burke held the WWC title until February 1990, when he dropped it to TNT.[25] This was followed by a return to AGPW, where he held the tag team championship with his brother Bobby Kay.[20] Back in Puerto Rico, Burke defeated Colón again on March 24, 1990, this time to win the WWC Television Championship.[26] Four days later, he also won the WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship while teaming with Chicky Starr. They won the title from Invader #1 and Invader #4 but dropped it back to them in May.[27] Shortly after dropping the tag team title, Burke defeated Invader #1 in a singles match to win the WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship.[28] Burke's final title victory came in the summer of 1990, when he defeated Ron Starr to win the AGPW International Heavyweight Championship for a fifth time.[23]

Retirement

After retiring from full-time wrestling, he went to Calgary in the early 1992. His old rival and real-life friend Bret Hart arranged a position for Cormier as a trainer for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now World Wrestling Entertainment). Cormier helped train

Edmonton Eskimo Jeff Thomas, who later opened his own wrestling training school,[29][30] and former Ottawa Rough Rider Glenn Kulka, who went on to compete for the WWF.[31]

When Cormier's contract expired, he began training wrestlers for WWF rival World Championship Wrestling.[1] In January 2002, he was hospitalized with sepsis and was put on life support before recovering.[2][32] In November 2005, he underwent surgery to replace his right knee; this was followed by a left knee replacement in February 2006.[33] He has had eight operations on his knees altogether.[1] After his last surgery, WWE invited him back to resume training wrestlers, but Cormier declined. Since his retirement, he has worked in the now-closed bar at Calgary's Cecil Hotel and has also operated a mobile coffee and sandwich shop.[34]

Although Cormier considers himself retired from professional wrestling, he continues to compete from time to time. He was featured in a news video by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation during a return to the Maritimes for a match in 1998.[35] In June 2009, it was announced that he was participating in an Ultimate Championship Wrestling Legends Tribute Tour in Atlantic Canada alongside his former rival Cuban Assassin.[36] In 2010, Burke refereed a match at the final wrestling card ever promoted at the Berwick Arena in Nova Scotia.[37]

Cormier has been inducted into the Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame.[38] In 2009, the Cormier wrestling family was honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club in recognition of their contributions to the sport.[39] Bret Hart has described Burke as "one of the greatest Canadian wrestlers ever".[40] Les Thatcher, who competed against Cormier, said that he, "technically, is probably one of the most sound performers that ever stepped foot in a ring".[41] Michel Martel, who wrestled against Cormier for several championships, called him "a great worker" and "a professional in the ring and outside the ring".[42]

In 2013 Cormier appeared in the Victoria Pavilion, in Calgary, Alberta for the Hart Legacy Wrestling promotion.[43]

On April 29, 2017, Cormier appeared alongside the Cuban Assassin as special guests at the Ultimate Championship Wrestling 10th Anniversary event at the Halifax Forum.[44] The pair would answer questions during a fan access event, reappearing later in the night during a match where an injured Nick Strong was replaced by Cuban Assassin.

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Oliver, Greg. "SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Leo Burke". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ a b c "Wrestler Profiles: Leo Burke". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d "NWA Heart of America/Central States Heavyweight Title History". Solie's Title Histories. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  4. ^
    ISBN 0-9698161-5-4
    .
  5. ^ a b "NWA North American Tag Team Title (Central States version)". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  6. ^ Oliver, Greg (June 20, 2009). "Bobby Kay still on Maritime minds". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ a b c d e "North American Heavyweight Title (Maritimes)". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  8. ^ a b c "Eastern Sports Association International Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  9. ^ a b c d "Taped-Fist Title (Maritimes)". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
  10. ^ a b c "NWA Western States Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  11. ^ a b "Eastern Sports Association Maritimes Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  12. ^ "Eastern Sports Association". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  13. ^ a b "Maritimes Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i Will, Gary. "Leo Burke". Canadian Pro Wrestling Page of Fame. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "International Tag Team Champions". Stampede Wrestling. Archived from the original on December 11, 2004. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  16. ^ a b c d e f "Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Title History". Solie's Title Histories. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  17. ^ a b c d e f "North American Heavyweight Champions". Stampede Wrestling. Archived from the original on December 11, 2004. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  18. ^ a b c d e f "Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Title History". Solie's Title Histories. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  19. ^ a b "British Empire/Commonwealth Heavyweight Title (New Zealand)". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  20. ^ a b c d "AGPW North American Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  21. ^ "Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  22. ^ a b "Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling United States Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  23. ^ a b c "Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling International Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  24. ^ "Faction Profiles: The Cormier Family". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  25. ^ a b c "WWC (Puerto Rico) World Heavyweight/Universal Heavyweight Title". Solie's Title Histories. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  26. ^ a b "WWC (Puerto Rico) Television Title". Solie's Title Histories. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  27. ^ a b "WWC (Puerto Rico) Caribbean Tag Team Title". Solie's Title Histories. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  28. ^ a b "WWC (Puerto Rico) Caribbean Heavyweight Title". Solie's Title Histories. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  29. ^ Ristic, Alex. "Former Eskimo big man in Can-Am Jeff Thomas learning the ropes out west". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  30. ^ Bhardwaj, Ajay (February 11, 2002). "Former Eskimo plans on opening wrestling school". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  31. ^ Brennan, Don. "Kulka joins mat pack". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  32. ^ Oliver, Greg (May 26, 2008). "Maritime legend Rudy Kay dead at 65". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  33. ^ Oliver, Greg (March 19, 2006). "Leo Burke recovering in-kneed". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  34. ^ Powers, Billy (March 4, 2007). "Knee replacements give Leo Burke renewed energy". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  35. ^ "Maritime legend". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. August 14, 1998.
  36. ^ Starratt, Kirk (July 3, 2009). "Hundreds turn out in Berwick to honour, pay tribute to Maritime wrestling legends". The Kings County Register/Advertiser. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  37. ^ "End of an era". The King's Country Register/Advertiser. August 16, 2010. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  38. ^ a b "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (1948-1990)". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  39. ^ Oliver, Greg (March 21, 2009). "Leo Burke won't be alone at CAC in Vegas". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  40. ^ Hart, Bret (August 26, 2000). "Kasavubu made big impact". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  41. ^ Follett, Jason (April 8, 2005). "Les Thatcher's Maritime memories". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  42. ^ Oliver, Greg (August 2, 2004). "Michel Martel: Forgotten great". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  43. ^ "Leo Burke at the Hart Legacy Wrestling debut show". Canoa.ca. Archived from the original on October 26, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  44. ^ "Leo Burke & Cuban Assassin appear at UCW 10th Anniversary". UCW Pro Wrestling. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  45. ^ "Honorees". Cauliflower Alley Club. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  46. ^ Whalen, Ed (host) (December 15, 1995). "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame: 1948-1990". Showdown at the Corral: A Tribute to Stu Hart. Event occurs at 27:55. Shaw Cable. Calgary 7.

External links

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