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Former WWE star Elijah Burke, currently known as "Da Pope" in the NWA, received some heat from other WWE stars for turning down an offer from Vince McMahon.
In a recent interview with Lucha Libre Online, the current NWA World Television Champion said McMahon offered him the chance to join the Spirit Squad on the main roster but politely turned the chairman down.
While, in hindsight, rejecting Vince McMahon's initial offer was likely the right move, Burke said it led to some backstage friction with other members of the WWE roster.
"It was a great redemption, redeeming moment so to speak, in not taking the Spirit Squad and getting a bunch of heat for turning it down from some of the boys, who saw it as squandering an opportunity for telling Vince McMahon no. But Vince McMahon appreciated the fact that I was open and honest. I was man enough to say it’s not for me."
Elijah Burke didn't want to portray one of Vince McMahon's cheerleader
Burke said that while McMahon reacted well to his decision, he made it known that the Spirit Squad was going to make a lot of money.
"I won’t get into the names, because I know you’ll want to follow them, but I will say this. The opportunity was presented by Vince McMahon himself, and Vince McMahon told me along with the other original members of the Spirit Squad that we were going to make a lot of money, because it was his idea and he was going to push it, obviously. Because it was his very own idea, his own creation. Vince got on a plane one day and thought to himself, “Ha! People hate cheerleaders! Ha-ha-ha!” So, that’s what he did. He got himself some male cheerleaders and he wanted me to be one of them. I politely turned him down, as I don’t feel like I could have did that role any justice."
Do you think Burke would have suited a role in the Spirit Squad? Or did he make the right call? Let us know in the comments below.
