By James Caldwell, PWTorch.com assistant editor

Former WWE star Elijah Burke says Jerry Lynn is using "The Wrestler" to get his name back into mainstream wrestling, just like Mickey Rourke used wrestling to re-awaken his Hollywood career.

"I am not a big fan of the movie, 'The Wrestler,' and every time I hear Mickey Rourke's name mentioned, I think Jerry Lynn," Burke said in a recent interview with In Your Head radio.

Burke, the well-spoken former leader of the New Breed on ECW TV, says people in the wrestling business have been holding up Rourke as "some sort of hero" after being involved in a negative portrayal of the wrestling business. He says the movie is a C-level movie at best and Hollywood liked the movie for all the wrong reasons.

"I don't think all the Oscar talk is for the movie itself," Burke said emphatically. "I just think it's because of the back-story which is that that movie is almost a replica of Mickey Rourke's life - a washed up '80s actor went into boxing and obscurity never to be heard of until 'Sin City.'"

Burke says Rourke held onto his career until the right time came, just like Jerry Lynn returned from obscurity in Ring of Honor.

"He (Rourke) held on until he finally got a big break and that's that," he said. "Ya'll know good and well the media is not a fan of wrestling. It's not because 'oh my, this is such a compelling movie.' It's the fact that Mickey Rourke got his body together."

Regarding Jerry Lynn, Burke continued: "I thought he was done back in 1993 with ECW. People say, 'He looks great. He deserves one last run. He deserves a championship.' This guy has about as much charisma as Braden Walker."

Burke, who was interviewed in February before facing Lynn at an independent show, concluded: "And I'm a huge fan of Chris Harris, not Braden Walker."

Link: In Your Head radio online.

We suggest these recent related articles...

WWNLIVE NEWS: NXT star Sami Zayn announced for EVOLVE Tour

NEWS: Daughter of Bill DeMott dies in weekend car crash

HAAS NEWS: Charlie Haas getting back in the ring - big reunion match at OVW, headliner for CWE year-end tour