He feels there was an opportunity there that was not capitalized on.
From October 2020 to the summer of 2021, The Pope Elijah Burke reigned as NWA World Television Champion. He debuted for the NWA in 2019. He has not wrestled for the organization since November 2022.
He looked back on his World TV Title run while on the Great North Wrestling Podcast. As he was reflecting, Pope expressed that he feels NWA made a big mistake and dropped the ball by not setting up a match between himself and Nick Aldis.
The only thing they (NWA) dropped the ball on if I can say so Billy (Corgan), was they did not go with Pope versus Nick Aldis when it was hot, when it should’ve happened. You got the two hottest personalities, two hottest acts on your roster and you don’t go with it. That was a huge mistake.
Throughout Pope’s career, he’s had several stints with IMPACT Wrestling/TNA. He mentioned that before Nelson Frazier Jr. a.k.a. Viscera passed away in 2014, they had been in contact about Viscera coming to IMPACT to be Pope’s on-screen bodyguard.
We (Burke & Viscera) had a great friendship, he was a big brother. I mean really a big brother, good guy and I was with IMPACT Wrestling in the commentating role at that time and so, he had already talked — we had been floating ideas to bring him in to have him be Pope’s bodyguard, you know? Even if it’s just him standing behind me at the desk because of the Tyrus connection.
As of this writing, Pope’s most recent match was in July for Championship Wrestling from Memphis which is under the United Wrestling Network banner.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit the Great North Wrestling Podcast with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
