Chris Kanyon Death – Suicide
Chris Kanyon suffers from mental illness, takes life. He was 40. photo: wwe.com
1970-2010 (age 40)
Most professional wrestlers gain fame for their antics in the ring, but every so often, someone in professional wrestling ends up making a name for himself or herself due to what they do out of the ring. Chris Kanyon is one such wrestler.
Although Kanyon won the WCW World Tag Team Championship twice and both the WCW United States Championship and WWF Tag Team Championship once, Chris Kanyon will forever be known for his legal battles and criticisms of professional wrestling. This is the Chris Kanyon death story.
Drama and Stress Surround the Retirement of Chris Kanyon
In 2001, Chris Kanyon suffered a leg injury that greatly impacted his career. Over the next few years, his relationship with the WWE would become rocky. First, he sued World Wrestling Entertainment, accusing the organization of trying to deny him health care benefits.
After he was released from the WWE in 2006, he came out of the closet and alleged that he was fired because he was gay. Ultimately, he would back track on these claims and say that it was all a publicity stunt. Many people now look back and see the wrestler’s behaviors as signs that things weren’t completely right with him mentally, and ultimately, it would be mental illness that would lead to the Chris Kanyon death story.
Kanyon takes on Ultimo Dragon in an August 2003 episode of Heat. He would be found dead less than 7 years later
An Ongoing Battle With Mental Illness
Following the Chris Kanyon death news, it was revealed that the former professional wrestler was struggling with severe mental illness during much of his life. Chris Kanyon was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a mental illness that is marked by episodes of mania and depression. Reportedly, Chris Kanyon became very depressed towards the end of his life. The failure of his career and the turmoil of his personal life sent him on a downward spiral that would result in his death.
The Details of the Chris Kanyon Death Story
A few weeks prior to the Chris Kanyon death, the former wrestler apparently told family that he wanted to kill himself. Whether or not they believed the claims is unclear, but sadly Kanyon make good on his threat.
On April 2, 2010, Chris Kanyon took what was left in a bottle of antidepressants in order to end his own life at the age of just 40. His body was found by his brother Ken Klucsarits. His place of death was Sunnyside in Queens, New York City. The wrestler left behind a suicide note with an apology to his family.
WCW legend Diamond Dallas Page pays tribute to Kanyon
A Book Reveals More About the Chris Kanyon Death Story
After Chris Kanyon died, it was revealed that he had been working on a biography of his life with writer Ryan Clark. Called “Wrestling Reality,” the book was released in 2011. In it, Chris Kanyon details how difficult it was to be a homosexual who was afraid to come out of the closet throughout his life. The book sheds more light on Chris Kanyon’s depression and the despair that led him to take his life.
Chris Kanyon was cremated. It’s not public knowledge who his ashes were given to.
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