Chris Kanyon

[9.0] "One of the few reasons to watch WCW in its latter days; Chris Kanyon was a good and innovative wrestler. It's a shame the booking at WCW and WWF let him down. He had a lot of potential in both companies but they obviously didn't see what I saw in him. The US and Tag title reigns he did have in WCW weren't very long, and neither was his Mortis character which also had potential and a great look!"

[9.0] "A perfect example of an underrated talent. Throughout all his gimmicks, he brought new moves and captivated both audiences and commentators. He was also the "go-to guy" for training up talent. He was deeply respected for his skill and work ethic offstage. Sad story, but his career and talent deserve so much more recognition than what they're given."

[6.0] "perfect midcard guy. Kanyon could work a match with lots of different types of wrestlers, he had some nice looking, inventive moves and he didn't mind taking big show piece bumps, perfect talent for the middle level of a company. Lacking in charisma and polish to be a top guy. Could have done more if not for unfortunate personal circumstances and time period where the industry was harsh. I'd have happily had Kanyon as a TV champ if i owned a company."

[6.0] "Chris is a great example that being an excellent worker doesn't mean you're destined to succeed... personally, "Mortis" was my favorite gimmick, since he looked spectacular and hid his limited promos. On the other hand, Kanyon was exposing him to unmask his weaknesses, his promos. I was tempted to give him a higher rating because of the sympathy I feel for his story... but here we are evaluating his career as a wrestler, so I won't allow myself to be cynical."

[9.0] "Life was not fair to Chris, Professional Wrestling in general does not usually value everything that Chris was capable of. Yes, perhaps in WCW he never stood out, although he was good like Mortis and Kanyon, he remained like one more of the overcrowded WCW Roster and never received an opportunity individually, we were able to see the best of him when he was accompanied, both in the Alliance and in the Triad Jersey. I will always remember my Invation MVP. Rest easy, your legacy will never go unnoticed."

[10.0] "The timeline where the wrestling industry isn't a horrible monster and Kanyon is booked proportionally to his talents is the timeline I want to live in. He was a wildly talented man who did new things not seen in wrestling at the time (And in some cases, since) virtually every single time he was in the ring. He did everything with 200% of his heart and clearly loved everything about the art form. I think there's even redemptive qualities in some of his more panned gimmicks--Mortis clearly got more over than Glacier, for example, and I think the jester-like way he presented the character was ahead of its time, something of a prototype firefly friend. We are in a worse industry with his loss."

[9.0] "The wrestling industry is not kind to people, and Chris Kanyon is one of the biggest victims of this sad fact. He had a great look, ok mic work, and an insane in-ring style. Most of his moves were not seen in the United States at the time, and The Innovator of Offense helped to bring plenty of unique spots to America. But like many others, the business chewed him up and spat him out before he could get the respect and success he was due."

[7.0] "How Chris Kanyon was not a bigger star is a mystery to me. He was great in the ring. He seemed to have charisma but he kept getting poor gimmicks or thrown into random teams and stables which hurt him. He also was hurt by his bipolar and sexuality which unfortunately ended his life way too soon."

[8.0] "Kanyon is very underrated. Great worker, looked fantastic in the ring. Kind of an undefinable charisma."

[8.0] "Damn, what's up with the mediocre rating? Kanyon was one of the most selfless wrestlers of all-time, hellbent on making every opponent he faced look as good as he could. On top of his great selling and bumping, he was also called the Innovator of Offense for a reason, man was ahead of his time at times with the moves he could pull out, but he never abused them. He used them for a reason, he had a good grasp of psychology in wrestling. His biggest flaw was his inability to cut good promos which held him back severely, as he straight up refused to talk at times. But still, he deserves more recognition for how great between the ropes he was."

[5.0] "Another talented wrestler wasted on dumb gimmicks and booking. His best year was probably post Mortis umasking and up to the Jersey Triad era. Dude was the legit innovator and was pulling out stuff the others weren't doing. By the Russo era, he was made into a glorified jobber then got scooped up in the WCW buyout and was hazed out of the company and legitimately injured by Undertaker and Kane just being shitty people. I wanted to give him a 6, but too much bad booking held him down."

[9.0] "What a horrible rating. You can bet nobody watched any of his matches. Actually, I initially never did as well. He was mainly pushed in WCW in 2000, so of course I wasn't gonna watch it. And in WWF he was killed by anyone. But if you watch any of his matches, you can see so much innovative stuff. It's an unironical injustice that such a good man died only at 40"

[10.0] "One of the most underrated wrestler of his generation. Kanyon was truly the "innovator of offense", he was ahead of his time with his really creative moveset. Good physique and very athletic. His runs in WCW her really good, Mortis was an awesome character. Sadly he was completely underused in WWE."

[8.0] "where to start with this guy? He consistently got good matches out of not-so-good wrestlers. He could get a 4-star match with me. He made the most out of bad gimmicks/storylines. His catchphrase "who better than Kanyon? " is one of the most catchy ever. His wrestling was exceptional. Even now you could watch a Kanyon match and think "I've never seen that before" or "hey that's (insert modern wrestler) finish! " His influence on wrestling in terms of in-ring work can't be underestimated" I wish Chris knew how much he meant to so many."

[7.0] "An ahead of his time talent, and constant fixture in WCW's midcard. It's a damn shame how the rest of his career turned out post 2001, had he come along just a few years later he'd have had a prime audience in early day ROH or TNA. Who better than Kanyon?"

[9.0] "Chris Kanyon was way ahead of his time. He was a great solid mid carder and was a very underrated wrestler."

[9.0] "Extremely underrated. A great wrestler way ahead of his time. Also very entertaining when given the chance. He was one of the few bright spots during the dying days of WCW when he was doing the Positively Kanyon character."

[9.0] "Very underrated, innovative wrestler that has inspired many great talents. A ton of potential that sadly got squandered with the rise of the NWO."

[9.0] "Great wrestler, manoeuvres that have not been done by anyone else at that time, very innovative. I really enjoyed his work in WCW. I dislike Cena for saying that Kanyon wasn t any good, because quite frankly, Kanyon was 10 times the performer in the ring, than Cena ever will be. And yes, Cena has charisma, and he? s good looking and he can talk well, everybody says he is a hard worker - which must be true, kids love him, he is very popular, sells heaps of merch, that is undeniable, and they can make him world champion 20 more times, but Kanyon was way more skilled as a wrestler, in the ring. He did not deserve to end like he did."

[9.0] "Kanyon truly was an innovator when it came to in-ring work. he had a lot of fresh and interesting moves, and played a pretty good character as well (the gimmick of him Kanyon Cutter'ing everyone to try and get the move over still gives me a good chuckle every time I watch it), it's a goddamn shame he's no longer with us. RIP."

[7.0] "Kanyon really brought a lot of fresh offense to the wrestling business at the time; a true innovator in that regard. He was also a fun character who brought a lot to a midcard role."

[9.0] "I'm shocked the rating for Kanyon is so low because when you watch his work, he really is underrated and under appreciated. His offense was very innovative for his time, he was good on the mic, and I really enjoyed his work, whether he was himself or Mortis. Plus, he is recognized for helping newcomers in the industry, which I can respect. I wish he got a better run in WWE, but they only saw him as a joke and a Velocity mainstay. But, based on his work, he was more than that and his contributions have not gone unnoticed."

[6.0] "While the whole Mortis gimmick was pretty damn dull and lackluster, Kanyon was one of the mainstays in the twilight years of the WCW. I don't know if I agree that he's criminally underrated, but if the whole Invasion angle would've panned out better I imagine he'd had a much longer and more interesting career in WWE."

[9.0] "A great wrestler and clearly underappreciated. Always did very well no matter what was handed to him and was a highlight in later years of WCW."

[9.0] "As seen in the rating here, disgustingly underrated. Had a fun gimmick albeit and unoriginal one as Mortis and then became a highlight of WCW programming from 1998 until the company's demise in 2001. The flatliner was a fantastic finisher as was the Kanyon Kutter, and it's a shame politics kept him from being used properly in WWE."

[6.0] "For a time, Kanyon was my favorite wrestler in WCW. I loved how innovative he was in the ring. Once he adapted the "who better than Kanyon? " persona, I started to find him obnoxious. The Invasion flopped in WWE & Kanyon flopped right alongside of it. A shame because I saw real potential with him."

[5.0] "Kanyon was a decent highspot wrestler, but he gets overrated in some circles, perhaps because he was one of the many talented workers who were underutilized in WCW."

[5.0] "Who better than Kanyon? Well, lots! The discussion regarding who has a better theme song than Kanyon, though... that's far more interesting!"

[8.0] "For me, one of the most underrated wrestlers I've ever seen. Very badly used at the WCW, ridiculed at the WWF. Yet charismatic, selling perfectly shots and shots of the opponent, with a very interesting Move Set, he never really pierced. Very underestimated, and it's really a shame because it was very good."

[9.0] "Extremely underrated talent that got a really raw deal in the wrestling industry. His story is definitely one of wrestling's saddest. Kanyon was so fucking innovative and always willing to do whatever it took to get over. More than that, he really loved pro wrestling and deserved a genuine break to showcase his talents. He never got that. He never lived to see any of the respects he deserved. Mental illness sucks. Kanyon really was a great talent though."

[6.0] "He was not the greatest wrestler but broke barriers in wrestling as a homosexual. I liked him in WCW as Mortis and himself. He had some of the best feuds with Goldberg, Perry Saturn, Raven, Chris Benoit, Kane and the Undertaker. When he went to WWE with DDP during the Invasion era he was mediocre. In 2003 he was going downhill in his career. It was very sad that he ended his life due to homophobia. I read his autobiography and it was pretty great."

[8.0] "Underrated. Good worker with a unique ring style. Solid charisma, too. He got stuck with a lot of crap in WCW (having to carry Glacier and a green Ernest Miller through a feud, Positively Kanyon, etc. ) but still stood out at times. I thought his "Alliance MVP" schtick would catch on in the WWF, but like most of the Invasion angle, it was never allowed to get over, and that was pretty much his last shot at the big time. RIP."

[8.0] "Great competitor that I always enjoyed watching. Interesting and innovative offensive style, including moves from the fireman's carry and electric chair positions, and innovating the oft-imitated Flatliner. Great at selling and had some good charisma. Had some good matches in WCW with the likes of DDP, Raven, Perry Saturn and Chris Benoit, among others. A shame he was never able to find a push in WWE, and a tragedy that he's no longer with us."

[10.0] "This guy was INSANELY talented in the ring. They didn't call him "The Innovator of Offense" for no reason. He seemed to make it all up as he went along, and make his opponent look good in the process. He should have been bigger. His personal life was fraught with tragedy resulting in his suicide. He is sorely missed."

[8.0] "Kanyon didnt have the right friends to break through the glass ceiling. Perhaps his sexual orientation hurt his opportunity? I heard kanyon shoot interview many times and the guy had passion for the business. Alot of the boyd have singled him out as someone who deserved a better chance. Ultimately i can only grade on what i see. Kanyon did a good job with whatever they gave him, but he was never allowed to prove if he could work top of the card with a major promotion"

[8.0] "I always thought that Kanyon was a bit of an underrated worker. Perhaps not the most charismatic, perhaps not the most technical in-ring worker, but definitely a hard worker. Wouldn't go as far as to say he was a straight-up spot monkey, but in major organizations where guys weren't taking crazy bumps, he was always willing to do so."