Christopher Morgan Klucsarits (January 4, 1970 – April 2, 2010) was an American professional wrestler from Sunnyside, Queens, NY, 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. Prior to WCW, he had also wrestled for Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling, ECW, and WWE as a TV Jobber.
After WWE bought WCW in March 2001, Kanyon was brought in as part of the WCW contingent in the InVasion 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. After leaving WWE in 2004, he competed in many independent promotions around the U.S. and Canada. He also broke ground by being one of the first wrestlers in the business to publicly come out as gay
Unfortunately, Kanyon committed suicide on April 2, 2010, after years of suffering from Bipolar Disorder. His life and struggles would later be chronicled on VICE's Dark Side of the Ring show in its third season.
Not to be confused with Mortiis.
"Whose tropes are better than Kanyon's? NOBODY'S"
- Arch-Enemy:
- As Mortis: Glacier and Ernest "The Cat" Miller
- As Kanyon in WCW: very briefly Raven, then Perry Saturn, later Diamond Dallas Page.
- As Kanyon in WWF: The Undertaker, although it wasn't mutual - Kanyon was never more than a minor annoyance to Taker.
- Armoured Closet Gay: When he was in the closet, he had a lot of pent up frustrations and paranoia from fear of his sexuality getting out, to the point that he was often vocally homophobic, and often took it out on his road buddy and manager James Mitchell.
- 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.
- 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.
- Catchphrase: See the page quote, also used "BANG!" as "Positively" Kanyon (his "copycat of DDP" gimmick).
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: In WWF. After being one of the few WCW guys to actually get air time during the InVasion, Kanyon simply disappeared (about the same time DDP was pinned by Undertaker's then-wife Sara to end the angle). He made a one night return where he attempted to ambush The Undertaker at Paul Heyman's behest and got beaten within an inch of his life instead. After that, he worked dark matches both as Kanyon and Mortis but never appeared on TV again and was eventually released.
- Cool Mask: As Mortis.
- Dem Bones: Mortis had a skull design on the front of his mask, his top was designed to resemble skeleton ribs, and he carried a staff with a skull in a jester's hat on it sometimes.
- Finishing Move:
- As Mortis: He initially used The Flatliner (a second-rope Samoan Drop), then dropped it for the DOA (Reverse STO), then renamed the DOA to The Flatliner. He also used a middle rope spinning heel kick a couple times.
- As Kanyon: the Flatliner/I'm Better Than You (Reverse STO); also spent some time using DDP's Diamond Cutter during the Positively Kanyon gimmick.
- Heel: Spent the vast majority of his career as one. Men At Work weren't really high enough on the card to have a fixed alignment, but Mortis was always heel. Kanyon had two short face runs - one was when he first debuted maskless, and the second was during the build-up to Ready to Rumble.
- Joisey: As a member of the Jersey Triad.
- Ominous Pipe Organ: Mortis' theme, and Kanyon's first theme both had pipe organ intros. Ironically, Kanyon used that version of his theme during his brief face run.
- Power Stable:
- (in WCW):
- Raven's Flocknote
- 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 , Mark Magnus, Queen Victorianote and Jackie Gayda.)
- (in WCW):
- Red Baron: "The Innovator of Offense," "Champagne," "Positively," "The Alliance MVP"
- Straight Gay: Until he decided to come out, no one barring James Mitchell had any idea he was in the closet to begin with.
- Tag Team:
- Men @ 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 @ Work had a construction worker gimmick.
