Chris Kanyon passes away
GG and I received the report late last night and have been sitting on it for a long time waiting for confirmation from one of the other major pro wrestling news sites.
I can sadly tell you that it is true. Chris Kanyon (real name Chris Klucsaritis), known as Kanyon, Mortis, and a few other alter egos, passed away due to what is believed to be a suicide late last evening in his New York apartment. It appears to be a suicide due to an overdose. He just turned 40 two months ago.
Kanyon worked in both the WWF and WCW. His biggest moments in the business were when he came out as the character Mortis, managed by Jim Mitchell in WCW in the late 90s when WCW tried to capitalize on the Mortal Kombat craze. Mortis was supposed to be a copy of Reptile from the video game; a reptilian ninja. Later on, Kanyon became a member of Raven’s Flock and the Jersey Triad stable with DDP and the late Bam Bam Bigelow. He created the infamous “Who better than Kanyon” catchphrase that would follow him his entire career. When WWF bought WCW in 2001, Kanyon had a brief stint there as US Champion and partner to DDP during the “stalker” angle. Kanyon was sent to OVW along with a number of WCW stars and was eventually brought back in 2003 for one or two TV appearances before being released.
We wish the best for the family of Chris Kanyon in this difficult time.
