Former WWE and WCW Star Kanyon Found Dead

Professional wrestler Christopher Klucsaritis, better known by his ring name Chris Kanyon, was found dead of an apparent suicide in New York on Friday night.

He was 40 years old.

Details have yet to surface, but Prowrestling.net's Jason Powell reports that a longtime friend was told that there were several notes and a pill bottle found near the body.

Kanyon is a former WCW United States champion who held tag team championships in both WCW and the WWE. He is also known for his character "Mortis," a Mortal Kombat-inspired character brought into WCW alongside Glacier as part of the infamous "Blood Runs Cold" storyline. In 2006, Kanyon went public about his homosexuality and appeared on the Howard Stern Show as a result of the admission.

WWE released the following statement on its Web site Saturday:

World Wrestling Entertainment would like to express its deepest condolences to Christopher Klucsaritis' family and friends on his tragic passing. Klucsaritis was under contract with WWE from March 2001 until February 2004 and performed under the name "Chris Kanyon."

TNA Wrestling president Dixie Carter also expressed her condolences with a post on her Twitter account Saturday afternoon: "On behalf of everyone at TNA, our deepest sympathies go out to the family of Chris Kanyon."

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