- Serge Niles

When you talk about Maritime Wrestling Legends and most popular wrestler in the Maritimes, the name Leo Burke normally comes to mind. Burke as wrestled in the Maritimes since the early 70's and he would always stand up for what was right, and never backed down from a challenge. But, in 1992 that all changed.

Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling was now known as Canadian Championship Wrestling, and they where on a role. Burke and Petitpas started the year by winning the CCW Tag Team Titles, and one of the best teams in the Maritimes where dominating the Tag Team scene, however, that’s where strange things began happening.

In the month of June, Burke and Petitpas where upset by the team of the Cuban Assassin and Butcher Vachon, when Paul Peller made his return to wrestling by hitting Leo Burke with a pair of brass knuckles costing the team of Burke and Petitpas the Tag Titles.

In the following weeks, Burke began a quest to capture the CCW Heavyweight Title from the "Texas Outlaw" Rick Patterson. In those matches, Burke was more aggressive and would often break the rules resulting in a few DQ loses to the champ, but most importantly Burke was like a madman in the ring. After a few failed attempts, Burke finally captured the title in Sydney, NS and in the process he injured Patterson, forcing him to leave the Maritimes.

Now Burke was champion and everybody thought that the old Leo Burke would be back, but Burke continued his uncontrollable tactics and would barely stop at nothing to hold on to the title, but this was just the beginning of the shocking events that where about to happen.

During this spell, Todd McPhee was on a quest to capture the Jr. Heavyweight title from "Bad Boy" Eddy Watts, and it appeared that McPhee had captured the title in a Steel Cage Match in Cocagne, NB. But, a complaint by Goldie Rogers and Bobby Blaze resulted in McPhee getting weighted in the ring, and it was determined that McPhee was over the weight limit, and the title would return to Watts. McPhee went ballistic in the cage and began hitting everything in sight, Watts, Rogers, Blaze and referee Danny Marsh all got hammered. The Soaring Eagle and Leo Burke came out from the back to try to calm McPhee, but both got hammered by the enraged McPhee. Burke got up, and immediately applied the sleeper hold on McPhee trying to calm him down, the Soaring Eagle grabbed McPhee’s arms to try to help, but Burke released the hold and clobbered Eagle. The crowd was stunned, and didn’t know what to do with what was happening. Following this, Burke took the microphone and told McPhee that he was sick and tired of getting hit, when he’s trying to help and issued a challenge to McPhee for the following week.

That week arrived, and everybody in the arena was buzzing about the possible wrestling clinic we where about to witnessed. The match started out cleanly, and went a good 10 minutes with both men putting on a display. Then, Burke took advantage of McPhee while punching him in the ropes. Burke then took every dirty trick he knew, and he wouldn’t shy away from using them to keep his advantage. McPhee did manage to fight back, but Burke got the pin with his feet on the ropes. The crowd was stunned, that Burke would use the ropes for leverage during the pin. McPhee issued another challenge to Burke, and won the title in PEI, but re-lost the title in Halifax 2 days later.