Leo Burke
Encyclopedia
Leonce Cormier is a retired Canadian
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 tag team
with his brothers, three of whom were also professional wrestlers. He had long-term storyline feuds with such wrestlers as Cuban Assassin
and Bret Hart
, both of whom he later reconciled with and joined forces with to hold tag team championships. Since his retirement in 1992, he has also trained many wrestlers for both 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.
, who trained him to compete.
(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
. 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
). The following month, Martin also lost the heavyweight championship to Rhodes.
for his brother Jean-Louis' Eastern Sports Association
(ESA) (which owned International Wrestling, or IW) as both a singles and tag team wrestler. He did not want to use their name recognition to further his own career, so he took the last name of his friend, boxer Jackie Burke. The four Cormier brothers all competed in the territory and often joined forces in feuds
with the promotion's top heel
(villain) wrestlers. Burke won the IW North American Heavyweight Championship
on June 22, 1971 by defeating Eric Pomeroy. The title reign lasted for three months; Gino Brito
won the title from Burke during a match in Halifax
, Nova Scotia
, but Burke regained the championship five days later. On August 8, 1972. Burke teamed with his brother Romeo again (who was now wrestling as Bobby Kay) to win the ESA International Tag Team Championship
. They held the title until the following June, when they dropped it to Fred Sweetan
and Kurt Von Steiger
. In August 1973, Burke became the first ESA Taped Fist Championship when the promotion awarded him the title.
Burke next competed in the NWA's Amarillo, Texas
territory. He teamed with another brother, Yvon, who competed under the ring name The Beast. In January 1974, they defeated Don Fargo and Hank James to win the NWA Western States Tag Team Championship
, which they held for two months until a loss to Ricky Romero and Dory Funk, Jr.
. Returning to the ESA, Burke had a short reign as IW North American Heavyweight Champion in May 1974, which he followed in July with another reign with the ESA International Tag Team Championship. Holding the title with his brother The Beast, Burke held the championship for less than one month before dropping it to Geto Mongol
and Great Kuma. That month, he also dropped the Taped Fist Championship to Mongol but regained it in a rematch within days. The following year, he held the North American Heavyweight Championship twice more, defeating 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. Burke also had one final reign with the Taped Fist Championship before vacating the title.
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 Silver Streak and Ricky Romero in the finals on February 20, 1976 to win the belts but lost them in a rematch one week later. Returning from Texas to Nova Scotia, Burke became the only person ever to hold the ESA Maritimes Heavyweight Championship. He defeated The Brute
to win the title; when the ESA closed in 1977, the title became part of Romeo Cormier (Bobby Kay)'s Trans-Canada Wrestling (TCW). TCW closed later the same year, and Burke's Maritimes Heavyweight Championship was retired. In 1976, Burke also defeated The Brute to begin another reign as IW North American Heavyweight Champion. He later dropped it to Michel Dubois
but regained it by defeating Frenchy Martin
on July 14, 1977. The title was also retired when TCW closed that month. Prior to the promotion closing, Burke also had a short reign with Hubert Gallant
with the ESA Maritimes Tag Team Championship. While competing in Nova Scotia, Burke also challenged Terry Funk
for the 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.
In 1977, Burke moved to Calgary
, Alberta
to compete for Stu Hart
's Stampede Wrestling
. He teamed with Hart's son Keith to win the Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship
in early 1977 by defeating The Cuban Assassins. Although they dropped the belts to The Royal Kangaroos
, Burke was able to regain the title in September 1977 while teaming with his brother Romeo (who was then competing as Bobby Burke). On December 10, however, they lost the belts to Michel Martel
and Mr. Hito. In the new year, Leo Burke focused on competing as a singles wrestler and won the 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 defating Larry Lane, 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.
around that time. 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. 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
. AGPW only promoted shows in the summer, 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. 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). Another reign as NWA Central States Heavyweight Champion followed in November 1981, in which Cormier returned to his Tommy Martin ring name.
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. 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. 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, 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.
Around that time, Burke spent more of his time competing in Central and Eastern Canada. He wrestled for Maple Leaf Wrestling
in Toronto
, Ontario
, where he feuded with Johnny Weaver
. In the summer of 1983, he held both the AGPW United States Heavyweight Championship and the AGPW International Heavyweight Championship. He was also credited with an additional reign as United States Heavyweight Champion because he regained the title in a rematch after it was vacated due to a controversial match against The Spoiler
. In February 1986, Burke had one final title reign in Stampede Wrestling, holding the International Tag Team Championship with Ron Ritchie.
Back in AGPW, Burke continued to win championships. He held the International Heavyweight Championship three more times from 1986 to 1989, 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.
A turning point came in Burke's wrestling career in the late 1980s when he decided to compete in Puerto Rico's World Wrestling Council. He quickly won the promotion's top title, the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship
, by defeating Caribbean wrestling veteran Carlos Colón on December 17, 1989.
. This was followed by a return to AGPW, where he held the tag team championship with his brother Bobby Kay. Back in Puerto Rico, Burke defeated Colón again on March 24, 1990, this time to win the WWC Television Championship. 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. Shortly after dropping the tag team title, Burke defeated Invader #1 in a singles match to win the WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship
. 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.
, Mark Henry
, Adam Copeland
(known as Edge in WWE), Jason Reso
(known as Christian in WWE), and Andrew Martin (known as Test in WWE). He also trained two former Canadian Football League
players for their careers in professional wrestling: former Edmonton Eskimo
Jeff Thomas, who later opened his own wrestling training school, and former Ottawa Rough Rider
Glenn Kulka
, who went on to compete for the WWF.
When Cormier's contract expired, he began training wrestlers for WWF rival World Championship Wrestling. In January 2002, he was hospitalized with septicemia
and was put on life support
before recovering. In November 2005, he underwent surgery to replace his right knee; this was followed by a left knee replacement in February 2006. He has had eight operations on his knees altogether. 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.
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. 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. In 2010, Burke refereed a match at the final wrestling card ever promoted at the Berwick Arena in Nova Scotia.
Cormier has been inducted into the Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 2009, the Cormier wrestling family was honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club
in recognition of their contributions to the sport. Bret Hart has described Burke as "one of the greatest Canadian wrestlers ever". 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". Michel Martel, who wrestled against Cormier for several championships, called him "a great worker" and "a professional in the ring and outside the ring".
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
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...
. He was born in Dorchester, New Brunswick
Dorchester, New Brunswick
Dorchester is a Canadian village and shire town in Westmorland County, New Brunswick.It is located on the eastern side of the mouth of the lush Memramcook River valley near the river's discharge point into Shepody Bay...
. He competed across Canada, in several American promotions, and wrestled internationally for both Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
's 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....
(WWC) and the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
(NWA) in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. In Canada, where he spent the majority of his career, Cormier used the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
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 tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
with his brothers, three of whom were also professional wrestlers. He had long-term storyline feuds with such wrestlers as Cuban Assassin
Angel Acevedo
Angel Acevedo is an American filmmaker.-Biography:Acevedo attended Hofstra University where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Film Studies and Production and won Best Screenplay for his thesis film Cheesecake...
and Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
, both of whom he later reconciled with and joined forces with to hold tag team championships. Since his retirement in 1992, he has also trained many wrestlers for both 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...
(WWE) and World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW). Cormier also competes in occasional wrestling matches and has been honored by both the Cauliflower Alley Club
Cauliflower Alley Club
The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America....
, a fraternal organization
Fraternity
A fraternity is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. An organization referred to as a fraternity may be a:*Secret society*Chivalric order*Benefit society*Friendly society*Social club*Trade union...
of professional wrestlers, and Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
, who inducted him into their hall of fame.
Career
Growing up in a wrestling family, Leonce Burke decided at age six that he wanted to become a professional wrestler. He followed in the footsteps of his older brothers Yvon and Jean-LouisRudy Kay
Jean-Louis Cormier was a Canadian professional wrestler best known by his ring name Rudy Kay. Cormier competed primarily in Canada and often formed a tag team with his brothers; together, they are known as the Cormier wrestling family...
, who trained him to compete.
1960s
Cormier made his professional debut in 1966. Competing in Central States Wrestling, an affiliate of the National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
(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
NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship a professional wrestling championship that currently serves as the main title for the National Wrestling Alliance promotion, NWA Midwest. For most of its existence, however, the title was defended in the NWA affiliate Central States Wrestling from...
. Later that month, he gained another title when he formed a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
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
NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Central States version)
The NWA North American Tag Team Championship was a major tag team championship used and defended in the National Wrestling Alliance affiliated Central States Wrestling based out of Kansas City, Missouri. Although the name of the championship aludes to it being nationally recognized and defended,...
from Brown and Bob Geigel
Bob Geigel
Robert "Bob" Geigel is a former American professional wrestling promoter and also a former professional wrestler. Geigel ran the NWA Central States promotion between 1963 and 1986, until it was bought out by Jim Crockett Promotions...
. 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
Dick Murdoch
Hoyt Richard "Dick" Murdoch was an American professional wrestler.-Professional wrestling career:A second-generation wrestler, the son of 1950s Texas wrestler Frankie Hill Murdoch, Dick Murdoch grew up with fellow second-generation wrestlers Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk, watching their fathers...
and Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
). The following month, Martin also lost the heavyweight championship to Rhodes.
1970s
Cormier spent much of the early 1970s competing in the MaritimesMaritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
for his brother Jean-Louis' Eastern Sports Association
Eastern Sports Association
The Eastern Sports Association, often referred to in the business simply as "the Maritimes," was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Halifax, Nova Scotia...
(ESA) (which owned International Wrestling, or IW) as both a singles and tag team wrestler. He did not want to use their name recognition to further his own career, so he took the last name of his friend, boxer Jackie Burke. The four Cormier brothers all competed in the territory and often joined forces in feuds
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with the promotion's top 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...
(villain) wrestlers. Burke won the IW North American Heavyweight Championship
IW North American Heavyweight Championship
This is a list of people who held the "North American Heavyweight Title" under the banner of International Wrestling from 1969 to 1984. The promotion was owned by the Eastern Sports Association from 1969 until 1976...
on June 22, 1971 by defeating Eric Pomeroy. The title reign lasted for three months; Gino Brito
Gino Brito
Louis Gino Acocella , better known by his ring name Gino Brito is a Canadian professional wrestler. He was a popular wrestler in Montreal, and was one of the promoters in the city in the 1980s...
won the title from Burke during a match in Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, but Burke regained the championship five days later. On August 8, 1972. Burke teamed with his brother Romeo again (who was now wrestling as Bobby Kay) to win the ESA International Tag Team Championship
ESA International Tag Team Championship
Eastern Sports Association's International Tag Team Title was represented by a Trophy, and was defended in the Maritimes from 1969-75.- International Tag Team Champions :...
. They held the title until the following June, when they dropped it to Fred Sweetan
Freddie Prosser
Freddie Prosser was a Canadian professional wrestler, known by his ring name Freddie Sweetan. He competed in certain North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance as well as Grand Prix Wrestling, Maple Leaf Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling during the 1960s and 1970s,...
and Kurt Von Steiger
Kurt and Karl Von Steiger
Kurt and Karl Von Steiger was the ring name of professional wrestlers Lorne Corlett and Arnold Pastrick worked under for most of their careers. The Von Steiger gimmick was that of two German villains, called heels, despite both wrestlers hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada...
. In August 1973, Burke became the first ESA Taped Fist Championship when the promotion awarded him the title.
Burke next competed in the NWA's Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
territory. He teamed with another brother, Yvon, who competed under the ring name The Beast. In January 1974, they defeated Don Fargo and Hank James to win the NWA Western States Tag Team Championship
NWA Western States Tag Team Championship
The NWA Western States Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling title in the National Wrestling Alliance's Amarillo, Texas territory, NWA Western States Sports....
, which they held for two months until a loss to Ricky Romero and Dory Funk, Jr.
Dory Funk, Jr.
Dory Ernest Funk Jr. known professionally as Dory Funk, Jr. is a professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. He is the son of Dory Funk Sr. and brother of Terry Funk. He is credited with the invention of the Texas cloverleaf submission hold and runs the Funking Conservatory, a professional...
. Returning to the ESA, Burke had a short reign as IW North American Heavyweight Champion in May 1974, which he followed in July with another reign with the ESA International Tag Team Championship. Holding the title with his brother The Beast, Burke held the championship for less than one month before dropping it to Geto Mongol
Newton Tattrie
Newton Tattrie is a retired professional wrestler who started his career in the 1960s working for Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling promotion out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. During his career, Tattrie wrestled all over the globe, wrestling for promotions across the US and Canada, Africa, Japan,...
and Great Kuma. That month, he also dropped the Taped Fist Championship to Mongol but regained it in a rematch within days. The following year, he held the North American Heavyweight Championship twice more, defeating Bolo Mongol
Bill Eadie
Bill Eadie is a professional wrestler who has competed under the names of Ax as part of Demolition and The Masked Superstar...
and Bob Brown. For the second victory, Burke substituted for Killer Karl Krupp
Killer Karl Krupp
George Momberg , better known by the ring name Killer Karl Krupp, was a Dutch-born professional wrestler famous during the 1970s and early 1980s.-Early life:...
, 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. Burke also had one final reign with the Taped Fist Championship before vacating the title.
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 Silver Streak and Ricky Romero in the finals on February 20, 1976 to win the belts but lost them in a rematch one week later. Returning from Texas to Nova Scotia, Burke became the only person ever to hold the ESA Maritimes Heavyweight Championship. He defeated The Brute
Brute Bernard
Jim Bernard was a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known by his ring name, Brute Bernard, and spent much of his career wrestling as part of a tag team with Skull Murphy. He competed for several wrestling promotions associated with the National Wrestling Alliance...
to win the title; when the ESA closed in 1977, the title became part of Romeo Cormier (Bobby Kay)'s Trans-Canada Wrestling (TCW). TCW closed later the same year, and Burke's Maritimes Heavyweight Championship was retired. In 1976, Burke also defeated The Brute to begin another reign as IW North American Heavyweight Champion. He later dropped it to Michel Dubois
Michel Lamarche
Michel Lamarche is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, known by his ringnames Alexis Smirnoff and Michel "Le Justice" Dubois , who competed in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance, including the Mid-South, Central States, Georgia and San Francisco...
but regained it by defeating Frenchy Martin
Jean Gagné
Jean Gagné is a Québécois retired professional wrestler and manager, best known under the ring name Frenchy Martin. During his World Wrestling Federation heyday in the 1980s as the manager of Canadian wrestler Dino Bravo, he was known for his trademark sign that read "USA is not OK"...
on July 14, 1977. The title was also retired when TCW closed that month. Prior to the promotion closing, Burke also had a short reign with Hubert Gallant
Hubert Gallant
Hubert Gallant is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and trainer who competed in North American regional promotions during the 1970s and early 1980s including Stampede Wrestling and Emile Dupree's Grand Prix Wrestling as well short stints in the National Wrestling Alliance, specifically the...
with the ESA Maritimes Tag Team Championship. While competing in Nova Scotia, Burke also challenged Terry Funk
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
. 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.
In 1977, Burke moved to Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
to compete for Stu Hart
Stu Hart
Stewart Edward "Stu" Hart, CM was a Canadian amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, promoter and trainer. Hart founded Stampede Wrestling, a promotion based in Calgary, Alberta, and was the father of famous wrestlers Bret and Owen Hart...
's Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
. He teamed with Hart's son Keith to win the Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship
Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship
The Stampede International Tag Team Championship is the main tag-team title in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling. It was created in 1958 as the NWA International Tag-Team Championship...
in early 1977 by defeating The Cuban Assassins. Although they dropped the belts to The Royal Kangaroos
The Royal Kangaroos
The Royal Kangaroos was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of cousins “Lord” Jonathan Boyd and Norman Frederick Charles III. The duo played off their Australian heritage which included using a boomerang as their weapon of choice...
, Burke was able to regain the title in September 1977 while teaming with his brother Romeo (who was then competing as Bobby Burke). On December 10, however, they lost the belts to Michel Martel
Michel Vigneault
Michel Vigneault was a Canadian professional wrestler, known by his ring name Michel "Mad Dog" Martel, who competed in North American and international regional promotions including Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling, Stampede Wrestling, International Wrestling Enterprise and the World Wrestling...
and Mr. Hito. In the new year, Leo Burke focused on competing as a singles wrestler and won the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship
Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship
The Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship is the major title in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling. From its establishment in 1968 until 1972, it was Stampede's secondary singles championship, becoming the top title in 1972 after the previous top...
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 defating Larry Lane, 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.
1980s
Upon his return to Calgary in 1980, Burke teamed with Keith Hart once again to win the promotion's International Tag Team Championship. He also began feuding with Keith's brother Bret HartBret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
around that time. 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. Burke returned to Canada's Atlantic Coast briefly to compete for Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling
Grand prix wrestling
Grand Prix Wrestling is a wrestling promotion run and owned by Emile Duprée. Grand Prix Wrestling has currently stopped touring due to heavy traveling costs...
(AGPW) and won the promotion's North American Tag Team Championship with Hubert Gallant
Hubert Gallant
Hubert Gallant is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and trainer who competed in North American regional promotions during the 1970s and early 1980s including Stampede Wrestling and Emile Dupree's Grand Prix Wrestling as well short stints in the National Wrestling Alliance, specifically the...
. They lost the belts to Cuban Assassin
Angel Acevedo
Angel Acevedo is an American filmmaker.-Biography:Acevedo attended Hofstra University where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Film Studies and Production and won Best Screenplay for his thesis film Cheesecake...
and Bobby Bass that summer, but Burke was able to regain the championship by teaming with Stephen Petitpas
Stephen Petitpas
Stephen Petitpas , is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Big" Stephen Petitpas.-Career:...
. AGPW only promoted shows in the summer, 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. Two months later, he had another reign as North American Heavyweight Champion after defeating "Dr. D" David Schults
David Schultz (professional wrestler)
David Schultz is an American retired professional wrestler. Although he is known for competing in North American regional promotions such as Stampede Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance and the American Wrestling Association during the late 1970s and 1980s, he is perhaps best remembered for...
(who later regained the title in a rematch). Another reign as NWA Central States Heavyweight Champion followed in November 1981, in which Cormier returned to his Tommy Martin ring name.
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. He followed this with a brief return in August 1982 to AGPW, where he defeated Rick Valentine
Kerry Brown (wrestler)
Kerry Brown was a Canadian professional wrestler. Brown was best known for working in Stampede Wrestling in the 1980s under his real name, but also wrestled in Puerto Rico and the Maritimes using the ring name Rick Valentine.-Beginning and Canadian promotions:Brown began wrestling in 1979 in...
to win the AGPW United States Heavyweight Championship. 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, 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.
Around that time, Burke spent more of his time competing in Central and Eastern Canada. He wrestled for Maple Leaf Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name in the 1970s and 1980s of the professional wrestling promotion run by Frank Tunney in Toronto.-Queensbury Athletic Club:...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, where he feuded with Johnny Weaver
Johnny Weaver
Kenneth Eugene Weaver was a professional wrestler and wrestling commentator in the National Wrestling Alliance, better known by his ring name, Johnny Weaver...
. In the summer of 1983, he held both the AGPW United States Heavyweight Championship and the AGPW International Heavyweight Championship. He was also credited with an additional reign as United States Heavyweight Champion because he regained the title in a rematch after it was vacated due to a controversial match against The Spoiler
Don Jardine
Don Jardine was a Canadian professional wrestler best known for his masked gimmick as "The Spoiler".-Career:Jardine began wrestling in the mid-1950s,making his wrestling debut in 1955 at the age of 15...
. In February 1986, Burke had one final title reign in Stampede Wrestling, holding the International Tag Team Championship with Ron Ritchie.
Back in AGPW, Burke continued to win championships. He held the International Heavyweight Championship three more times from 1986 to 1989, 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.
A turning point came in Burke's wrestling career in the late 1980s when he decided to compete in Puerto Rico's World Wrestling Council. He quickly won the promotion's top title, the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship
WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship
The WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the top title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council. The championship was established in July 1982, as the WWC World Heavyweight...
, by defeating Caribbean wrestling veteran Carlos Colón on December 17, 1989.
1990s
Burke held the WWC title until February 1990, when he dropped it to TNTSavio Vega
Juan Rivera is a professional wrestler best known under the name Savio Vega. During the mid-late 1990s, he was an active wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation...
. This was followed by a return to AGPW, where he held the tag team championship with his brother Bobby Kay. Back in Puerto Rico, Burke defeated Colón again on March 24, 1990, this time to win the WWC Television Championship. Four days later, he also won the WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship
WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship
WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship was a third-string Tag Team title that was defended in the World Wrestling Council.-Title history:...
while teaming with Chicky Starr
Chicky Starr
Jose Laureano is a semi retired Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Chicky Starr.-Career:...
. They won the title from Invader #1
Jose Gonzalez (wrestler)
José Huertas González, better known as Invader #1, is a former professional wrestler who wrestled in the United States and around the world, especially in Puerto Rico, and the man who killed, allegedly in self-defense, Frank Goodish, also known as Bruiser Brody.-Wrestling career:Since 1973, he has...
and Invader #4 but dropped it back to them in May. Shortly after dropping the tag team title, Burke defeated Invader #1 in a singles match to win the WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship
WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship
The WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship is a secondary title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council ....
. 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.
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 Ken ShamrockKen Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
, Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
, Adam Copeland
Adam Copeland
Adam Joseph Copeland is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Edge. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract....
(known as Edge in WWE), Jason Reso
Jason Reso
William Jason Reso is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring names Christian and Christian Cage...
(known as Christian in WWE), and Andrew Martin (known as Test in WWE). He also trained two former Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
players for their careers in professional wrestling: former Edmonton Eskimo
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
Jeff Thomas, who later opened his own wrestling training school, and former Ottawa Rough Rider
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
Glenn Kulka
Glenn Kulka
Glenn Kulka is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, hockey and football player who competed in Canadian independent promotions during the late 1990s and had a brief stint in the World Wrestling Federation in 1997....
, who went on to compete for the WWF.
When Cormier's contract expired, he began training wrestlers for WWF rival World Championship Wrestling. In January 2002, he was hospitalized with septicemia
Sepsis
Sepsis is a potentially deadly medical condition that is characterized by a whole-body inflammatory state and the presence of a known or suspected infection. The body may develop this inflammatory response by the immune system to microbes in the blood, urine, lungs, skin, or other tissues...
and was put on life support
Life support
Life support, in medicine is a broad term that applies to any therapy used to sustain a patient's life while they are critically ill or injured. There are many therapies and techniques that may be used by clinicians to achieve the goal of sustaining life...
before recovering. In November 2005, he underwent surgery to replace his right knee; this was followed by a left knee replacement in February 2006. He has had eight operations on his knees altogether. 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.
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
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
during a return to the Maritimes for a match in 1998. 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. In 2010, Burke refereed a match at the final wrestling card ever promoted at the Berwick Arena in Nova Scotia.
Cormier has been inducted into the Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 2009, the Cormier wrestling family was honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club
Cauliflower Alley Club
The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America....
in recognition of their contributions to the sport. Bret Hart has described Burke as "one of the greatest Canadian wrestlers ever". Les Thatcher
Les Thatcher
Leslie Alan Malady better known by the name Les Thatcher is a former professional wrestler who achievied many accolades over his career...
, who competed against Cormier, said that he, "technically, is probably one of the most sound performers that ever stepped foot in a ring". Michel Martel, who wrestled against Cormier for several championships, called him "a great worker" and "a professional in the ring and outside the ring".
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Sleeper hold
Championships and accomplishments
- Atlantic Grand Prix WrestlingGrand prix wrestlingGrand Prix Wrestling is a wrestling promotion run and owned by Emile Duprée. Grand Prix Wrestling has currently stopped touring due to heavy traveling costs...
- AGPW North American Tag Team Championship (6 times) - with Cuban AssassinAngel AcevedoAngel Acevedo is an American filmmaker.-Biography:Acevedo attended Hofstra University where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Film Studies and Production and won Best Screenplay for his thesis film Cheesecake...
(2), Hubert GallantHubert GallantHubert Gallant is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and trainer who competed in North American regional promotions during the 1970s and early 1980s including Stampede Wrestling and Emile Dupree's Grand Prix Wrestling as well short stints in the National Wrestling Alliance, specifically the...
(1), Bobby KayBobby KayRomeo Cormier is a retired Canadian professional wrestler best known by the ring name Bobby Kay. He is a member of the Cormier wrestling family, a group of four brothers who were all successful professional wrestlers. Romeo Cormier competed in Canada and the United States from 1967 to the...
(1), and Stephen PetitpasStephen PetitpasStephen Petitpas , is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Big" Stephen Petitpas.-Career:...
(2) - AGPW United States Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- Central States WrestlingHeart of America Sports AttractionsHeart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa...
- NWA Central States Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Central States Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship a professional wrestling championship that currently serves as the main title for the National Wrestling Alliance promotion, NWA Midwest. For most of its existence, however, the title was defended in the NWA affiliate Central States Wrestling from...
(2 times) - NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Central States version)NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Central States version)The NWA North American Tag Team Championship was a major tag team championship used and defended in the National Wrestling Alliance affiliated Central States Wrestling based out of Kansas City, Missouri. Although the name of the championship aludes to it being nationally recognized and defended,...
(1 time) - with Terry MartinBobby KayRomeo Cormier is a retired Canadian professional wrestler best known by the ring name Bobby Kay. He is a member of the Cormier wrestling family, a group of four brothers who were all successful professional wrestlers. Romeo Cormier competed in Canada and the United States from 1967 to the...
- Eastern Sports AssociationEastern Sports AssociationThe Eastern Sports Association, often referred to in the business simply as "the Maritimes," was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Halifax, Nova Scotia...
- ESA International Tag Team ChampionshipESA International Tag Team ChampionshipEastern Sports Association's International Tag Team Title was represented by a Trophy, and was defended in the Maritimes from 1969-75.- International Tag Team Champions :...
(2 times) - with Bobby KayBobby KayRomeo Cormier is a retired Canadian professional wrestler best known by the ring name Bobby Kay. He is a member of the Cormier wrestling family, a group of four brothers who were all successful professional wrestlers. Romeo Cormier competed in Canada and the United States from 1967 to the...
(1) and The Beast (1) - ESA Maritimes Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- ESA Maritimes Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Hubert GallantHubert GallantHubert Gallant is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and trainer who competed in North American regional promotions during the 1970s and early 1980s including Stampede Wrestling and Emile Dupree's Grand Prix Wrestling as well short stints in the National Wrestling Alliance, specifically the...
- ESA Taped Fist Championship (3 times)
- IW North American Heavyweight ChampionshipIW North American Heavyweight ChampionshipThis is a list of people who held the "North American Heavyweight Title" under the banner of International Wrestling from 1969 to 1984. The promotion was owned by the Eastern Sports Association from 1969 until 1976...
(6 times)
- NWA New ZealandNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship (New Zealand version)The New Zealand version of the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship defended in the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated Dominion Wrestling Union from 1929 to 1953 and in All Star Pro Wrestling from 1968 to 1990...
(1 time)
- NWA Western States SportsNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA Western States Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Western States Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Western States Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling title in the National Wrestling Alliance's Amarillo, Texas territory, NWA Western States Sports....
(2 times) - with The Beast
- Stampede WrestlingStampede WrestlingStampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
- Stampede North American Heavyweight ChampionshipStampede North American Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship is the major title in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling. From its establishment in 1968 until 1972, it was Stampede's secondary singles championship, becoming the top title in 1972 after the previous top...
(8 times) - Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team ChampionshipStampede Wrestling International Tag Team ChampionshipThe Stampede International Tag Team Championship is the main tag-team title in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling. It was created in 1958 as the NWA International Tag-Team Championship...
(6 times) - with Keith Hart (2), Bobby BurkeBobby KayRomeo Cormier is a retired Canadian professional wrestler best known by the ring name Bobby Kay. He is a member of the Cormier wrestling family, a group of four brothers who were all successful professional wrestlers. Romeo Cormier competed in Canada and the United States from 1967 to the...
(2), Bret HartBret HartBret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
(1) and Ron Ritchie (1) - Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame
- World Wrestling CouncilWorld Wrestling CouncilThe World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
- WWC Caribbean Heavyweight ChampionshipWWC Caribbean Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship is a secondary title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council ....
(1 time) - WWC Caribbean Tag Team ChampionshipWWC Caribbean Tag Team ChampionshipWWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship was a third-string Tag Team title that was defended in the World Wrestling Council.-Title history:...
(1 time) - with Chicky StarrChicky StarrJose Laureano is a semi retired Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Chicky Starr.-Career:... - WWC Universal Heavyweight ChampionshipWWC Universal Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the top title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council. The championship was established in July 1982, as the WWC World Heavyweight...
(1 time) - WWC Television Championship (1 time)