'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
What's the story?
Wrestling Inc. is reporting that former WWE and Impact Wrestling star Elijah Burke aka "Da Pope" D'Angelo Dinero was backstage last night when SmackDown Live took place from the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
In case you didn't know...
Elijah Burke made his main roster WWE debut in July of 2006 as the "cornerman" for Turkish MMA fighter Sylvester Terkay. He eventually would wrestle in singles competition on his own and actually was the last person to wrestle Chris Benoit before his death.
The heart of the matter
Early Wednesday morning, Burke would post a picture of himself with his former travel partner Kofi Kingston of The New Day.
It was also revealed yesterday that boxing legend Evander Holyfield was backstage at SmackDown as well. The two could either be good friends or business partners. Burke does have an amateur boxing background; which was used as a gimmick of his in the WWE.
It is interesting to speculate if he was just visiting or is looking to make a return to pro wrestling. Burke was released from the WWE in 2008 but made a name for himself as "Da Pope" D'Angelo Dinero in Impact Wrestling from 2010 to 2013.
Dinero would return to Impact Wrestling in 2015 as a color commentator on the announce team alongside Josh Mathews until August of 2017.
What's next?
Da Pope has wrestled for Ohio Valley Wrestling since he departed Impact Wrestling, so it is possible that he may be looking to return to the WWE. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda on any further developments on the matter.
Author's take
Elijah Burke really didn't do anything for me in the WWE, but I was a fan of Da Pope's gimmick in Impact Wrestling. It'd be interesting to see a version of Da Pope in the WWE, but I'm guessing he may be just visiting friends; however, in professional wrestling, you never truly know.
