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Pro Wrestler Suicide? Chris Kanyon is Dead

chris kanyon mortis

Chris Kanyon is dead. Kanyon (real name: Christopher Klucsaritis) overdosed on pills yesterday, police say. It looks like he committed suicide because he had been depressed recently. Kanyon had been blacklisted from the WWE and TNA in recent years due to his outspokeness (i.e. complaining about the system). His points were valid, of course, (lack of healthcare in pro wrestling, discrimination against gays in the industry, and behind-the-scenes politics) but his lack of acceptance for these issues and I guess personal issues ultimately caused him to end his life at age 40.

Who is Chris Kanyon? Well Kanyon was actually more popular on MySpace and wrestling message board forums than as an actual performer. After no one would hire him anymore, Kanyon joined the out-of-work former WWE and WCW wrestlers by criticizing the industry. His internet cult following worshiped him because he used to be a somebody for a few years during the Monday Night Wars starting in 1997. Kanyon also had a bunch of radio interviews and shoot video interviews, so he had been a source of gossip and inside info about WWE, WCW, and TNA. He once said Bret Hart was in on the Montreal Screwjob with Shawn Michaels, Vince McMahon, and Pat Patterson. This was denied by all.

Chris Kanyon came out as a gay wrestler, but then went back inside the closet- saying it was just a publicity stunt to get hired by the independent circuit or to make appearances somewhere. Then he came out again. Kanyon was sidelined with depression in 1998 when we was teaming with Raven in WCW as his lackey in the Flock.

Kaynon was probably best known by older fans as Raven’s sidekick in WCW in 1998-1999. His first real character in 1997 was Mortis, a green masked wrestler who feuded with Glacier. This was WCW’s blatant  ripoff of MORTAL KOMBAT. It bombed, but Mortis had great moves. Announcer Mike Tenay truthfully gave birth to Mortis’s cult following by saying he had innovative moves. His original gimmick was being part of a jobber tag team called Men at Work.

New fans remember Kaynon as Chris “Champagne” Kanyon, abbreviated as C.C.K. This happened after WCW had jumped the shark, so I personally didn’t watch him in 1999 – 2000.

After WWE bought out WCW in 2001, Kanyon finally got the exposure he always wanted by being part of WCW’s “Invasion” of WWE. Although WWE fans saw him a mid-carder at best in WCW, Kanyon got his push and went with it, getting the U.S. Title and being involved in a storyline with Diamond Dallas Page, Undertaker and Kane. It was at this time when Kanyon came up with a motto for himself: “Who betta than Kanyon?”. However, he seemed destined to being on the lower card with Hugh Morris, Rhyno, Lance Storm, and Chuck Palumbo.

After that Kanyon’s career fell off a cliff, as he had some injuries, allergies, and was relegated to being a jobber, a  joke character, and in WWE’s minor league system. He was fired a few years after.

Many of his “friends” on MySpace and other forums are saying “RIP Chris Kanyon” and expressing their pain. Here’s what one fan posted:

So sad today to learn of the unfortunate circumstances of your death just wish you could have felt all the love of all your pro wrestling fans especially the ones who we’re so inspired by your coming out that they felt like maybe they to could fit into the wrestling world if one of its star athletes could. you had came out a little before me and helped me decide to as hearing jokes about my hero from so called friends offended me enough to out myself just so they would stop, I love you Chris my hero RIP.

Here’s what wrestler Billy Kidman posted:

“Saddened by the loss of my best friend…I’ve known him for almost 15yrs & we’ve been there for one another through thick & thin, we’ve both had demons & dealt with them together, and I love him like a brother…RIP Chris I will forever & always miss & love you & cherish the time we had together.”

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  9 comments for “Pro Wrestler Suicide? Chris Kanyon is Dead”

  1. WYarranton
    November 6, 2011 at 7:21 AM

    It’s a facebuster out of the electric chair position. Kanyon had a ton of cool moves that almost no one else did. I remember when Edge debuted he stole half of Kanyon’s moveset, including his Flatliner finisher which he called the Downward Spiral.

  2. Crusader1189
    October 10, 2011 at 8:45 AM

    I think when a government gets into the business of aiding people in sucide, that at some point they will decide that they have the power to FORCE you to 'commit suicide' for the 'good of society' naturally. It is a dangerous path to allow others to have any measure of power over any aspect of your life but especially the power to decide when you live and die.

  3. ScarletGhost4356
    September 28, 2011 at 2:40 PM

    “More Teen Suicide In Conservative Areas” – Why am I not surprised?

  4. barter
    May 27, 2011 at 8:35 PM

    RIP Randy "Macho Man" Savage, 1980s WWF, WWE, WCW superstar

  5. JEFFHARDYZ#1FAN
    May 21, 2011 at 3:15 AM

    When I heard Chris Kanyon was gay I couldnt believe it………so I will go with him because as he always said "Who better than Kanyon?"

  6. ceebs
    May 19, 2011 at 10:00 AM

    My older brother adores that kid, and he’s always saying that it’s really nice to see such a chill, put-together, gay friendly straight kid. But at the same time, my brother’s like, “He went to theater school. I maintain that he is, at the very least, open to suggestion.” It makes him happy, so I don’t argue.

  7. Squid Read
    May 18, 2011 at 1:45 PM

    Take THAT blue screen of death.

  8. kelvinimages
    April 20, 2011 at 2:41 PM

    mac512.com News #mac Mac 911: Death and iTunes: When planning your estate have you considered what happens to yo…

  9. puddy
    April 3, 2010 at 2:29 PM

    Billy Kidman (i think that is who said this: Chris was my best friend for 15 years and i will miss him).

Comments are closed.