the titles to Rayne and Buzz Stryker in Dundalk, Maryland on October 16, 2001. Burke had one more tag team championship run with his old rival Max Thrasher, winning them KPA on June 9, 2002, and successfully defended the belts until November 24, 2002, when he and Bob Starr (substituting for Thrasher) lost to Chad Bowman and Dino Casanova. Final years of the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation (2002–2004) Through Bruke's efforts, the MEWF was able to survive the departure of Corporal Punishment and Mark Shrader. It continued suffering from internal problems with MEWF talent, specifically backstage politics among the younger wrestlers, which resulted in stars like Ruckus and Sonjay Dutt, despite remaining loyal to the promotion and willing to work for less money, being phased out from the company. The promotion also failed to find a long-term replacement for booker Axl Rotten, using Bob Starr and Mark Osbourne among others, instead changing bookers every few months. These reasons, among others, ensured the MEWF would never fully recover. In early 2002, Tim's wife, Donna Burke took over the day-to-day running of the MEWF promoting shows twice a month at Dundalk's North Point Flea Market. On March 1, 2002, MEWF original Dave Casanova died following heart attack. A memorial show was held in his honor three months later jointly promoted by both the MEWF and MCW. It was the first time that wrestlers from either promotion appeared in the same ring together since the 1997 split. Lucifer and Thrasher successfully defended the tag titles against Thunder & Ceremery at the show. It was around this time that Derek Wayne, a former student of MCW's Bonebreakers wrestling school, heavily invested in the promotion and became a third co-owner. Wayne was able to make peace between Burke and MCW owner Dan McDevitt and was able to persuade them to begin working together in October 2002. A storyline invasion took place between the two companies for the next seven months, to somewhat mixed reaction from fans, ending with MCW's final show, the 2003 Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup, on July 16, 2003, at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Burke previously appeared on several MCW show during this time against Gillberg (January 29, 2003) and with The Holy Rollers (Earl The Pearl & Ramblin Rich) won a six-team blindfolded match with Lita as special guest referee (May 15, 2003). Though the MEWF was now the single