Leo Burke: Stampede Wrestling sensation

Pro wrestler Leo Burke in his hey day on Stampede Wrestling.

Source: https://cpwhof.cwnonline.ca/2025/06/29/happy-birthday-leo-burke/

(May be subject to copyright)

Wrestling was the greatest soap opera going. You could tell the good guys from the bad guys. It was so easy to cheer for the heroes, and against the heels.

When I started watching, David Schultz held the North American Heavyweight title belt and was the biggest bad guy of them all, cheating any time the ref’s back was turned. His biggest challenger of the time was Leo Burke, a wrestler with many moves including a devastating sleeper.

Yet, every time it looked like he had Schultz, the champ or his nefarious manager J.R. Foley, would cheat, and Schultz’s hand would be raised in victory.

Then, one Saturday night, everything changed. Foley managed other wrestlers too, including the tag team champions Kerry Brown and Duke Meyers. They too benefitted from dirty tricks to stay on top. On this Saturday night, Meyers and Brown turned on Schultz. They double-teamed him and were beating him to a pulp. No one would come to Schultz’ defence, because he had been the biggest bad guy of them all, with a mouth to match.

Then the crowd, almost in disbelief, began to cheer.

Leo Burke ran into the ring, and chased off Brown and Meyers. Suddenly, the ring was empty as Burke stood guard as Schultz rose to his feet.

He demanded a match with Brown and Meyers, and asked if Burke would team up with him.

Burke said, he did not trust Schultz, or even like him, but what had happened wasn’t right.

So he agreed to team up with his biggest enemy.

We could not wait for the next week.

When it arrived, that tag team match was the main event.

As they did battle, Burke would reluctantly tag Schultz and vice versa. They began to gel as a team, and were hanging a bit of a beating on Brown and Meyers. Then Foley interfered again. They returned to the ring the next week, and became partners – and friends – after that.

Schultz became a good guy and a popular wrestler.

Burke was there beside him for much of that.

I was sad to hear the news today that Leo Burke had died a couple days ago, because I have such fond memories of watching him on Stampede Wrestling.

Must-see viewing
Stampede Wrestling was on every Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. on Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial. The matches were actually on Friday night, but broadcast the next afternoon. It was hosted by Ed Whalen who was renowned for his turn of phrase – “Malfunction at the junction”; “He’s gonna do a little noggin’ knockin’”; and “It’s a real ring-a-ding-dong-dandy”; and more. Interestingly, when he started broadcasting NHL games when the Flames came to Calgary, it took a little getting used to – for him and listeners.

He also challenged the wrestlers, especially when they cheated. Sometimes he would be so blunt as to say “You won because you cheated.”

It was that cheating, in large part, that made watching Stampede Wrestling so compelling for me. Just when I gave up hope the good guy would win. After seeing him lose sometimes because the bad guys cheated, he would win. Or, a really bad guy would be double-crossed and become a good guy.

It really was a soap opera in a squared circle.

That’s what made it must see viewing.

History
Wikipedia reveals Leo Burke made his professional wrestling debut in 1966 in Central States Wrestling, which held shows in Kansas and Nebraska. His real name is actually Léonce Cormier, but he wrestled under the name Tommy Martin in Central States Wrestling.

He was from New Brunswick and wrestled in the Maritimes for much of the 1970s. This was also where he assumed the name Leo Burke. He wrestled in his brother's promotion and did not want to use name recognition to further his own career. So he took the last name from his friend, boxer Jackie Burke

In 1977, Burke moved to Calgary to compete for Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling. He would wrestle as part of a tag team, with various partners, and as a singles wrestler. He would win a variety of titles as well.

Burke would wrestle in Atlantic Canada, return to Calgary, compete for Maple Leaf Wrestling in Toronto, wrestle in New Zealand, Puerto Rico, and more.

He retired from wrestling and went to Calgary in 1992. His old friend Bret Hart arranged for Burke to train wrestlers in the World Wrestling Federation, then World Championship Wrestling. He would also appear occasionally in wrestling events. After retirement he worked at Calgary’s Cecil Hotel, and operated a mobile coffee and sandwich shop.

He was inducted into the Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2009, and has been described by Bret Hart as one of the greatest Canadian wrestlers ever.

Leo Burke died on July 24, 2024.

He was 76.

Parting thoughts
I got so into Stampede Wrestling when I was a kid. After an episode ended at 4:30 p.m., usually with my favourite wrestler losing by some nefarious means and vowing revenge, I dreaded the fact I had to wait a whole week to see what happened next.

Eventually, I got away from Stampede Wrestling as I got older and into my friends, video games, computers, and more

However, in the years I watched Stampede Wrestling, there was no story line more compelling for me than Leo Burke and David Schultz. I can still remember it so clearly.

Now that makes it good writing, and great entertainment.