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Samson Burke

b. 1929

Canadian professional wrestler and actor

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About Samson Burke

Born 1929. Samson Burke is a Canadian professional wrestler, bodybuilder, swimmer, film actor and actor.

Samson Burke (born Samuel Burke; 6 April 1930) is a retired Canadian bodybuilder, swimmer, wrestler and actor.

Biography Born Samuel Burke in Montreal Canada on 6 April 1930, Burke earned a college degree in physical education. In the 1950s, Burke wrestled for nine years under the names "Sammy Berg" and "Mr Canada", and sparred with athletes including Primo Carnera, Antonino Rocca, Lou Thesz and Joe Louis. He worked in Montreal, Ottawa, Ontario, Toronto, NWA St. Louis, California, Ohio, the Pacific Northwest, Calgary, and Hawaii.

His friend Gordon Mitchell recommended Burke for the lead role of Ursus in the 1961 film The Revenge of Ursus. Burke next appeared opposite Italian comedian Totò in the 1962 comedy Toto vs. Maciste. Norman Maurer then hired him to portray the mythical Greek hero Hercules in The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962).

As the sword and sandal craze faded, Burke played Little John in an Italian film called The Triumph of Robin Hood, Polyphemus in a 1968 Italian miniseries of The Odyssey, a villain in a Kommissar X film (Death Trip), Harald Reinl's Nibelungenlied films, and appeared alongside Gianni Garko and Klaus Kinski in both a spaghetti Western, Sartana the Gravedigger, and an Italian war film, Five for Hell (similar in theme to The Dirty Dozen). In the 1980s, Burke relocated to Hawaii and worked on the show Magnum, P.I. until it ceased production in 1988.

Championships and accomplishments Worldwide Wrestling Associates / NWA Hollywood Wrestling NWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Seymour Koenig

Stampede Wrestling NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Calgary version) (1 time)

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
McGill University

People in Samson Burke's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Samson Burke's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Samson Burke?

Canadian professional wrestler and actor

When was Samson Burke born?

Samson Burke was born on 8 April 1929 in Montreal.

What is Samson Burke's occupation?

Samson Burke is a professional wrestler, bodybuilder, swimmer, film actor and actor.

What nationality is Samson Burke?

Samson Burke is Canadian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Samson Burke

· Wikidata: Q2217716

· DBpedia: Samson Burke

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Samson Burke. https://biography.guide/samson-burke/

MLA: "Samson Burke." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/samson-burke/.

Chicago: "Samson Burke." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/samson-burke/.

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