Big deal for The Real Deal
Sydney Steele wins PPW Leo Burke Cup
“T he Real Deal” Sydney Steele is this year’s winner of the Pure Power Wrestling Leo Burke Cup.
Steele defeated longtime friend and fellow Shark Club tag partner “Wildchild” Tyler James in a singles match. The Cup final had been planned as a triple threat match among qualifying round winners, but Chris Perish was injured in his qualifying win over the Irishman and unable to compete.
“We’re closing out 2017 on a really high note for me,” Steele said, following the win. “Leo Burke is one of the best wrestlers ever.”
The annual tournament is named in honour of retired Canadian wrestling legend Leo Burke, who held nearly 50 championships during a career spanning three decades.
After retirement, Burke went on to train professional wrestlers for many years, including noted WWE superstars Edge and Christian, Ken Shamrock and Mark Henry.
Steele said Burke’s long history and his influence on professional wrestling has had a profound impact on professional wrestling to this day.
“We’ve all got a little Leo Burke in us,” he said. “Through what we do in the ring. None of us would be here doing this, if not for him. So it really means a lot to come out as the winner of the Leo Burke Cup.”
Burke was on hand Saturday night to hand the Cup to Steele personally.
Burke said the final was an even contest and that he was impressed with Steele’s win. He was further impressed with the skill he has seen developing in PPW.
“I wouldn’t want to get in the ring with any of these guys,” Burke said.
“One of the guys I really like is Chris Perish. Pound-for-pound, he’s a very good athlete.”
Burke draws a crowd wherever he goes. Knowledgeable wrestling fans remember the name, and what he has done for wrestling.
“I’ve been coming here for the last five or six years,” he said. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. And it’s getting better every time I come over.
“It was nice to see wrestling is still alive after all these years. People don’t forget.”
“I was in Lethbridge the first time back in 1966,” he added. “And when I come here, the people make it seem like it was yesterday.”
Burke said he was thankful to fans who have kept professional wrestling going.
“Lethbridge was always my favourite place to come to,” he said. “I met a lot of good people and good friends who kept in touch over the years — even when I was gone to Japan or wherever. I still kept in touch with them. When you form a bond like that, it’s almost like family.”
Steele said he was happy to be in the ring against his longtime friend and tag partner.
“As the Shark Club, we were tag team champions for almost nine months,” said Steele. “We’re really great friends. We know each other really well, and we know what one another does.
“It was a hard match. Tyler James is one of my favourite people, and one of the best wrestlers I’ve ever met.
Earlier in the evening, Steele defeated Kato in his Cup qualifier, while James humiliated Cyanide by forcing him to tap out to an ankle lock.
Cyanide wasn’t in the ring for long, but he still managed to anger fans by calling out Burke and insulting him. Massive Damage was furious by the disrespect, but this type of behaviour is par for the course when Cyanide is involved.
In the undercard, “The Headline” Shaun Martens defeated T.S. Cutler by landing a low blow when the ref wasn’t looking. This, in spite of the expanded skill set Cutler displayed that had Martens reeling for much of the match.
Cowboy Bryn Watts was stomping mad over being ignored by PPW brass — in spite of him taking every opportunity to blindside Cruiserweight champion Travis “The Heat” Copeland.
In response, he was awarded a match against fan favourite The Bee — whom Watts repeatedly power slammed before pinning for a threecount.
Unfortunately for fans, The Bee’s losing streak continues.
Jumpin Josh faced “The AllAmerican” Steve Rivers in a match which saw the return of arguably the worst ref on the PPW roster — Rick Jules.
The match was lopsided in favour of Rivers, and veered off the rails when Jules and Rivers switched places.
The match ended when Cutler and Martens got involved, and an unexpected return by “The Cheetahbear” Jude Dawkins. Of course, Jules declared Rivers the winner after the dust settled and they were scurrying back to the dressing room.
And in tag team action, the Adult Social Society went up against Damage and Copeland.
While the Society continues to evolve as a tag team force in PPW, they were unable to fend off the high flying/ground-andpound combination of Copeland and Damage.
PPW will wrap up 2017 with their Dec. 30 event, “End of the Line.”
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