Chris Kanyon

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This article is about the WCW/WWE wrestler of the 1990s/2000s. For the wrestler Chris Canyon who appeared in the WWF in 1981, see King Kong Bundy.
Chris Kanyon
Afa Anoaʻi[1]
The Fabulous Moolah
DebutApril 5, 1992[1]

Christopher Morgan Klucsarits (January 4, 1970 – April 2, 2010) was an American

World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1994 to 2004, under the ring names Chris Kanyon, Kanyon, and Mortis.[1] He was given the nickname "The Innovator of Offense" during his career, and has been recognized by commentators as one of the most underrated stars of WCW.[2]

Early life and education

As a youth, Kanyon played

University at Buffalo with a bachelor's degree in physical therapy.[1] During his time there, he was a member of the Mad Turtles, the University at Buffalo Rugby Football Club. Kanyon worked full-time as a physical therapist for three years before becoming a wrestler.[3]

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1992–1995)

After college, he began training under Pete McKay Gonzalez, Ismael Gerena and Bobby Bold Eagle at the Lower East Side Wrestling Gym in Manhattan at some point between December 1991 and January 1992. He wrestled his first match on April 5, 1992, in Levittown, New York at the Island Trees Junior High School, and wrestled one match as Chris Morgan before adopting the ring name Chris Canyon and later changing it to Chris Kanyon. Kanyon worked as a physical therapist for the next three years, wrestling on weekends and in the evenings, before finally deciding to become a full-time professional wrestler in 1995. Early in his career, Kanyon formed a tag team with Billy Kidman which saw both men wrestle in hockey uniforms.[1]

In late 1994, he made several appearances with the

wrestling School.[1]

World Championship Wrestling (1995–2001)

Men at Work (1995–1996)

Kanyon debuted in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as a jobber. He did win one upset victory over Disco Inferno on a Saturday Night taping. After several months he was placed with Mark Starr in a tag team called "Men at Work".[1] Their gimmick was that they were two construction workers turned wrestlers who wore jeans to the ring, and that Kanyon would cause the team to suffer losses by taking measurements with his tape measure at inopportune times.[4] Kanyon was replaced with Mike Winner before the team disbanded altogether.

Mortis (1996–1998)

In 1996, Kanyon donned a

James Vandenberg,[1] Kanyon feuded with Glacier.[1] Kanyon faced Glacier at Uncensored on March 16 in his pay-per-view debut but lost to the undefeated Glacier.[1] Following the match, Wrath debuted, siding with Kanyon and assaulting Glacier. Glacier defeated Kanyon in a second match at Slamboree on May 18.[1] After the match, Wrath and Mortis once again attacked Glacier. However, Glacier was spared a post-match beating when Ernest Miller ran to the ring to defend him. The four men fought one another over the following weeks, culminating in a match at Bash at the Beach on July 13 which was won by Mortis and Wrath.[1] Mortis and Wrath continued to team together until the angle
was quietly dropped in early 1998.

The Flock (1998–1999)

Main article: The Flock

In February 1998, Kanyon (still in his guise as Mortis) asked

Fall Brawl, Kanyon and Raven continued to team together until Raven, in storyline, was sidelined with depression and Kanyon took time away from his wrestling career to work as stunt coordinator and stuntman on The Jesse Ventura
Story.

Teaming and feuding with Diamond Dallas Page (1999–2001)

Main articles: Jersey Triad and New Blood

In May 1999 at

Rey Misterio Jr. for the WCW World Tag Team Championship. Later that month, Kanyon (substituting for Raven) and Saturn defended the titles against Bam Bam Bigelow and Diamond Dallas Page. During the match, Kanyon turned on Saturn, enabling Bigelow and Page to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship. Kanyon then formed a stable with Bigelow and Page known as the Jersey Triad
.

The Triad feuded with Saturn and

stunt double of lead actor Oliver Platt
.

Kanyon returned to WCW in late 1999 as Chris "Champagne" Kanyon, abbreviated to C.C.K., accompanied by

champagne, women, and expensive cars. He feuded briefly with Bigelow and Page before being removed from WCW by interim booker Kevin Sullivan
.

Kanyon returned to WCW once more on April 10, 2000, when

New Blood faction. In the course of his renewed feud with Page, Kanyon began imitating Page, renaming himself "Positively" Kanyon (a reference to Page's autobiography, Positively Page) and wearing a long blonde wig. He eventually dyed his hair blonde and wore a "P.C.K." (Positively Chris Kanyon) T-shirt. In the course of the feud he began using a version of Page's finishing move, the Diamond Cutter, known as the Kanyon Kutter. He began arbitrarily delivering the Kutter to various WCW backstage employees, and at one point executed the move on Gene Okerlund and Buff Bagwell's mother Judy, leading to a short feud with the Bagwell family, which led to Buff Bagwell defeating Kanyon at New Blood Rising in a Judy Bagwell on a Forklift match
. Kanyon left WCW shortly afterward.

Kanyon returned to WCW on the February 5, 2001 episode of Nitro attacking Diamond Dallas Page renewing his feud with Page. Kanyon returned to the ring and defeated Page at

World Wrestling Federation
(WWF) in late March 2001.

World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment (2001–2004)

The Alliance (2001)

See also: The Alliance

On July 5, 2001, Kanyon made his WWF debut on

MVP
". On the August 2 episode of SmackDown!, Kanyon retained the title against Kane by disqualification.

Kanyon reformed his tag team with fellow Alliance member Diamond Dallas Page on the August 6, 2001 edition of

The Brothers of Destruction (Kane and The Undertaker) for the title in a steel cage match at SummerSlam. On the September 1 episode of Jakked/Metal, Kanyon defeated Essa Rios to retain the title. Kanyon went on to lose the WCW United States Championship to Tajiri
on the September 10, 2001 episode of Raw.

Kanyon then had a small feud with

Rhyno, Lance Storm, Chuck Palumbo
and Hugh Morrus, in a series of tag team matches. Kanyon then began working on the WWF's B-shows.

On October 29, 2001, Kanyon tore his left

angle. He would appear only once in a cameo role at the Survivor Series
pay-per-view. At this show, a team representing the Alliance took on a team representing the WWF in a tag team match. A pre-match stipulation declared that the side represented by the losing team would all be released from their contracts (excluding title holders and the winner of the immunity battle royal, Test). As a result of the Alliance team's loss, Kanyon was "fired" along with all the other Alliance members. Eventually, all Alliance members returned as WWF superstars, usually quietly without a storyline or announcement. This storyline allowed Kanyon time to recover from injury.

Brand switches (2002–2004)

In May 2002, Kanyon was cleared to compete and was sent to

blood oxygen
level fell to 41%. He gradually recovered and was discharged from the hospital on July 28, 2002 having lost 32 lb (15 kg) in the interim.

Kanyon returned to OVW in October 2002 and remained there for a further four months, while continuing working dark matches before Raw and SmackDown! throughout late 2002 and early 2003. He made one appearance in a backstage segment with the APA, where they wanted him to attend a battle royal at the next pay-per-view event. Kanyon was among the challengers, but was largely inactive. On the February 13, 2003 episode of SmackDown! he returned to the main roster, emerging from a large crate, from The Big Show, dressed as

Velocity with his "Who Betta Than Kanyon?" gimmick and was defeated by Rhyno. Despite a few appearances on SmackDown!, Kanyon was relegated to Velocity from that point on for the rest of 2003, in addition to wrestling on several dark matches and house shows as Mortis. On February 9, 2004, after a year of facing two injuries and not being used in any major storylines, Kanyon was officially released from his contract.[1]

Late career (2004–2010)

Kanyon retired from professional wrestling on August 28, 2004, after losing a retirement match to Diamond Dallas Page in Wayne, New Jersey. In July 2005, he announced the end of his retirement and his imminent return to the independent circuit. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, he took part in several benefit shows.

Kanyon appeared at the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) pay-per-view Turning Point on December 11, 2005, as Larry Zbyszko's choice, Chris K, losing to Raven.[1] Kanyon also appeared in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) taking on PWG champion, Joey Ryan. Joey retained the title with the help of someone wearing a Mortis outfit, distracting Kanyon.

Kanyon announced his second retirement on April 5, 2007.[6]

He came out of retirement on December 19, 2009 for New York Wrestling Connection's Miracle On 57th Street defeating Alex Reynolds by disqualification. He continued working for the promotion before his death. He wrestled his last match on January 30, 2010 as Mortis in a handicap match defeating Blake Morris and Mike Reed.

Personal life

Kanyon appeared on the CNN special Death Grip: Inside Pro Wrestling, in November 2007 following the aftermath of the Chris Benoit double-murder and suicide. On the program, Kanyon stated that on September 14, 2003, he had taken 50 sleeping pills in a suicide attempt.[7]

In the early hours of October 16, 2004, he was arrested in

Ybor City, Tampa, Florida for "disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence" after attempting to break up a fight.[1] He was released that same day after fellow wrestler Luke Hawx
provided a $750 cash bond. Kanyon publicly stated he did nothing wrong, and the case was thrown out of court.

Kanyon, along with Raven and

sue WWE for "cheating them out of health care and other benefits" but a federal judge in Stamford, Connecticut, dismissed the case.[8]

In 2004, after Kanyon's release from jail, he began what was thought to be a gimmick in which he was an openly gay wrestler. This included an occasion in which he stated that WWE released him from his contract because of his sexuality. Kanyon later told reporters and radio personalities that this was just a publicity stunt,[9] but later retracted those statements and acknowledged that he was, in fact, gay.[10] Before his death Kanyon was working on a book, Wrestling Reality, with Ryan Clark. The book was released November 1, 2011, and it details Kanyon's struggles as a closeted gay man.[11][12]

On September 23, 2021, Viceland pro wrestling Canadian docuseries Dark Side of the Ring aired an episode focusing on Kanyon's career as well as his struggles with his personal life.[13]

Death

Kanyon had been suffering from

antidepressants and the drug Seroquel were found nearby. He was 40 years old. Kanyon left behind a note of apology for his family. His death was acknowledged by WWE.[14][15][16]

Championships and accomplishments
  1. Freebird Rule
    .

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak "Kanyon profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  2. ^ "Chris Kanyon & 9 Other Forgotten Heroes of WCW". 30 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Wrestling Reality: The Life and Mind of Chris Kanyon, Wrestling's Gay Superstar by Chris Kanyon, Ryan Clark". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  4. ^ Dilbert, Ryan. "Mike Graham, Chris Benoit and Pro Wrestling's Dark History of Suicide". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  5. ^ "WCW Thunder 12 February 1998 Thunder Results". Pro-Wrestling Edge. Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  6. ^ Kanyon, Chris (2007-05-05). "Retirement Announcement, Howard Stern & Jim Ross". Official Chris Kanyon blog. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
  7. ^ Clevett, Jason Chris Kanyon Dead at 40[usurped] CANOE SLAM! Sports (April 2010).
  8. Hearst Corporation. Archived from the original
    on June 24, 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  9. ^ Brady, Hicks. "2006: The year in wrestling". 2007 Wrestling Almanac and Book of Facts. Kappa Publications. p. 18. 2007 Edition.
  10. ISBN 978-1-59670-300-1
    .
  11. ^ "Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online -- WWE, TNA, UFC and International Wrestling and MMA Headlines - Chris Kanyon passes away". Archived from the original on 2010-04-06. Retrieved 2010-04-03.
  12. ^ "Chris Kanyon The Book — Wrestling Reality". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  13. ^ Eisener, Jason (2021-09-23), The Double Life of Chris Kanyon, Dark Side of the Ring, retrieved 2023-03-08
  14. ^ Martin, Adam (April 3, 2010). "Former WCW/WWE star Chris Kanyon passes away". wrestleview.com. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  15. ^ "PRO WRESTLING SCHOOL - Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  16. ^ "Chris Kanyon passes". wwe.com. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  17. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 – 1998". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  18. ^ "WWE United States Championship". Retrieved May 25, 2020.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chris_Kanyon&oldid=1220208311"