WHO'S BETTER THAN KANYON?"WHO'S BETTER THAN KANYON?"
Christopher Klucsaritis (1970-2010) was an American
professional wrestler best known for his time in
WCW under the names
Mortis and
Kanyon from 1997-2001. The Mortis
gimmick was based on the
Mortal Kombat characters Reptile and Scorpion as part of the Blood Runs Cold feud with
Glacier. After the feud ended, Mortis dropped the mask and gimmick and became Kanyon. He held the
WCW World Tag Team Titles
twice with
Diamond Dallas Page and
Bam Bam Bigelow as the Jersey Triad in 1999. After
WWE bought WCW in March 2001, Kanyon was brought in as part of the WCW/
ECW InVasion/Alliance storyline. During this time,
WCW World Heavyweight Champion and
WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Booker T awarded Kanyon the US Title, and he and DDP defeated the APA (
Faarooq and
Bradshaw) for the
WWE World Tag Team Titles before losing them 12 days later to
The Undertaker and
Kane. He committed suicide on April 2, 2010 after years of suffering with
Bipolar Disorder. Prior to WCW, he had also wrestled for
Jim Cornette's
Smoky Mountain Wrestling,
ECW, and WWE as a TV
Jobber. After leaving WWE in 2004, he competed in many independent promotions around the U.S. and Canada.
The Other Wiki has a good writeup on his career.
"Whose Tropes Are Better Than Kanyon's? NOBODY'S"
- Affably Evil
- Arch-Enemy: (as Mortis): Glacier, Ernest "The Cat" Miller; (as Kanyon): Perry Saturn, Chris Benoit, Buff Bagwell
- Ascended Extra: Had previously been a Jobber as a member of the tag team Men at Work with Mark Starr and then with Mike Winner, as well as being one of the Lifeguards (Lumberjacks) for the Ric Flair-Randy Savage match at WCW Bash at the Beach 1995, July 16, 1995.
- Badass Beard
- Badass Longhair
- Bash Brothers: With DDP
- The Cameo: As Chris K., defeated Raven at TNA Turning Point 2005, as Director of Authority Larry Zbyszko's specially chosen opponent for Raven, who was feuding with Zbyszko at the time.
- Catch Phrase: See the page quote, also used "BANG!" as "Positively" Kanyon
- Cool Mask: As Mortis.
- Dem Bones: His mask and costume as Mortis.
- Demoted to Extra: In WWE.
- Department of Redundancy Department: Mortis and Wrath were called manager James Vandenberg's "rare oddities."note Not to be confused with WWE's the Oddities.
- Downer Ending: His 2010 suicide.
- Finishing Move: (as Mortis): The Flatliner (second-rope Samoan Drop), the DOA (Reverse STO); (as Kanyon): the Flatliner/I'm Better Than You (Reverse STO); (as "Positively" Kanyon): The Kanyon Cutter
- Game Breaking Injury: Suffered an ACL tear in a dark match with Randy Orton on October 29, 2001.
- Heel: From the Mortis gimmick on, this was his usual role.
- Foreign Wrestling Heel: Sort of. As Mortis, he was billed from Taipei, with the explanation that he wore a mask because he had suffered facial injuries while competing there in underground pit fighting.
- I Have Many Names: Chris Morgan, Chris Kanyon, Mortis, Kanyon, Chris "Champagne" Kanyon, "Positively" Kanyon, Chris K., Darkbird
- Joisey: As a member of the Jersey Triad
- Power Stable: (in WCW)
- Raven's Flocknote Last person to join and the only one to not walk away after Saturn defeated Raven at WCW Fall Brawl 98, which "freed" the Flock (Kidman turned face on Raven during the match, and Saturn's win freed Sick Boy, Lodi and Scotty Riggs.)
- The New Blood (initially led by Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff with Jeff Jarrett as the focus before the group fell apart.)
- (in WWE): The Alliance (led by Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Paul Heyman and Stone Cold Steve Austin).
- (in OVW): The Revolution (led by Doug Basham and also featuring Damaja [WWE's Danny Basham], Rob Conway, Big Bad John [Heidenreich], Mike Hardnote Mike Howell, aka ECW/TNA's Jack Dupp or Mike Maverick in the Hardyz' OMEGA promotion, Mark Magnus, Queen Victorianote TNA's Tara and Jackie Gayda.)
- Red Baron: "The Innovator of Offense," "Champagne," "Positively," "The Alliance MVP"
- Screwed by the Network/What Could Have Been: Kanyon (who was gay in Real Life) claimed that WWE rejected his idea for him to play an openly gay character that would have none of the campy qualities usually associated with such a character.
- Tag Team: Men at Work (with Mark Starr and with Mike Winner)
- with Wrath
- The Jersey Triad
- That Man Is Dead: Averted. As he said on the May 25, 1998 WCW Monday Nitro, "Mortis died, but I survived!"
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Feuded with and teamed with DDP and with Raven.
- Wrestling Doesn't Pay: Men at Work had a construction worker gimmick.
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