Retirement
After retiring from full-time wrestling, he went to Calgary in the early 1992. His old rival and real-life friend Bret Hart arranged a position for Cormier as a trainer for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now World Wrestling Entertainment). Cormier helped train Ken Shamrock, Mark Henry, Adam Copeland (known as Edge in WWE), Jason Reso (known as Christian in WWE), and Andrew Martin (known as Test in WWE). He also trained two former Canadian Football League players for their careers in professional wrestling: former Edmonton Eskimo Jeff Thomas, who later opened his own wrestling training school, and former Ottawa Rough Rider Glenn Kulka, who went on to compete for the WWF.
When Cormier's contract expired, he began training wrestlers for WWF rival World Championship Wrestling. In January 2002, he was hospitalized with septicemia and was put on life support before recovering. In November 2005, he underwent surgery to replace his right knee; this was followed by a left knee replacement in February 2006. He has had eight operations on his knees altogether. After his last surgery, WWE invited him back to resume training wrestlers, but Cormier declined. Since his retirement, he has worked in the now-closed bar at Calgary's Cecil Hotel and has also operated a mobile coffee and sandwich shop.
Although Cormier considers himself retired from professional wrestling, he continues to compete from time to time. He was featured in a news video by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation during a return to the Maritimes for a match in 1998. In June 2009, it was announced that he was participating in an Ultimate Championship Wrestling Legends Tribute Tour in Atlantic Canada alongside his former rival Cuban Assassin. In 2010, Burke refereed a match at the final wrestling card ever promoted at the Berwick Arena in Nova Scotia.
Cormier has been inducted into the Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 2009, the Cormier wrestling family was honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club in recognition of their contributions to the sport. Bret Hart has described Burke as "one of the greatest Canadian wrestlers ever". Les Thatcher, who competed against Cormier, said that he, "technically, is probably one of the most sound performers that ever stepped foot in a ring". Michel Martel, who wrestled against Cormier for several championships, called him "a great worker" and "a professional in the ring and outside the ring".
Read more about this topic: Leo Burke
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