Wrestler Chris Kanyon dies, possibly from overdose, reports say

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Chris Kanyon, who wrestled in the WCW in the late 1990s through 2001 before joining WWE, was found dead in his Queens, N.Y., apartment Friday night. He was 40.

Kanyon, whose real name is Chris Klucsaritis, reportedly had bipolar disorder and had threatened suicide recently as well as in the past. Wrestlingobserver.com is reporting that his death was from an overdose of pills.

His biggest break in the WCW came when he teamed with Diamond Dallas Page and Bam Bam Bigelow as the Jersey Triad, winning tag-team titles along the way. When the WWE purchased WCW, Kanyon could not find a niche with the group and was released in 2004 after battling a series of injuries.

Although he had announced a retirement, he still wrestled on occasion. During one of his comebacks, he claimed to be an openly gay wrestler, but what publicity he garnered did not help his career and no organizations were interested in signing him.

-- Dan Loumena