Chris Klucsaritis, who competed as Chris Kanyon, was found dead Friday night at his apartment in the Sunnyside section of Queens, New York. He was 40 years old.
Klucsaritis’ death is believed to be suicide as a longtime friend reports that a pill bottle and several notes were found close to his body.
He had been vocal about suffering from a bipolar disorder and had threatened suicide many times in the past according to those close with him. He told one friend as recently as Monday that he was going through another bout of depression and contemplating suicide.
Kanyon also worked as a masked character named Mortis in World Championship Wrestling and had a run with World Wrestling Entertainment beginning in 2001 which resulted in reigns with the WCW United States Championship and WWF Tag Team Championship. He garnered headlines following his 2004 departure from WWE by going public with his homosexuality and claiming WWE fired him for being gay. Although he retired from wresting at one point, he returned to the ring and worked matches on occasion.
He, along with Scott Levy and Michael Sanders, attempted to sue WWE for “cheating them out of health care and other benefits” but a federal judge in Stamford, Connecticut dismissed the case.
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