Kanyon addresses his sexuality on MySpace

[Kyle]

Yeah, I know there was a thread already but I couldn't get it to load for some reason, so sorry.

Anyway, here what he posted:

Sunday, February 12, 2006

IS KANYON GAY?


CHRIS KANYON IS THE FIRST EVER OPENLY GAY ACTIVE PRO ATHLETE IN THE FIVE MAJOR MALE US SPORTS OF PRO BASEBALL, BASKETBALL, WRESTLING, FOOTBALL OR HOCKEY. Now, the question is this: Am I, Chris Klucsarits, the person behind the pro wrestling character known as Kanyon, the person who wrestles as Kanyon, am I also homosexual? Is the Kanyon character partially autobiographical, a complete mirror image of Chris Klucsarits, or a total work of fiction? Well, thats for you to think about, wonder, guess, ignore or whatever. I am throwing it out there. It is up to you to see how you react. What your knee-jerk reaction is. What your beliefs are. And, to figure out why you feel and think and react to this news as you have and will do. Pro Wrestling, in my opinion, has become too easy. It has become mindless. I offer you the opportunity to think past good guy, bad guy, heel, face, sport, real, fake and storyline. I offer you a character that makes you think not about the creative team, or the commissioner, or the owner, promoter, booker or even the wrestler. I offer you a character that forces you to look internally, at yourself, at your thoughts, beliefs and feelings. A character that can help you define yourself and how you think and what you believe. I offer you this: The first ever self proclaimed and titled GSBLT (Gay Straight Bisexual Lesbian Transgender) Champion of the World. Is this a joke? A scam? Reality? You decide.

I have been wrestling professionally now for 14 years. Starting in 1992, I wrestled three years part-time and than in 1995, it became my full time profession working for AOL Time Warners WCW (World Championship Wrestling) based out of Atlanta, Georgia, airing many, many hours per week on WTBS, TNT, and in syndication. I worked for WCW and was consistently on TV from 1995 until 2001 (including a reign as WCW tag team champ with DDP, Diamond Dallas Page). Than, in 2001, Vince McMahon and the WWF (World Wrestling Federation) bought WCW. Soon after buying WCW, I was hired by Vince McMahon and quickly became US Heavyweight Champion and again, along with DDP, a World Tag Team Champ, as we won the WWF tag team championship. Since then the WWF became the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and I was fired from the WWE in February 2004. I have continued to wrestle on and off since than on the independent wrestling scene throughout this country and in Canada. Last Saturday, in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, I wrestled for an independent group named BSE (Blood Sweat and Ears), where for the first time publicly, I announced that Kanyon was actually the first ever openly gay active Pro wrestler. Other things were said in the in-ring interview, and unless you get a transcript or a video copy of the interview, I would prefer you not try and report what was said, for I do not want anything taken out of context. I have already read a good bit of misinformation on what I said. For more information on that show, please check out www.bloodsweatandears.com . For more info on my career and on me, check out my official website at WWW.ChrisKanyon.net and my MySpace page at WWW.Myspace.com/ChrisKanyon.

Now, some will say that this is no big deal. That there have been other gay characters, from Gorgeous George, to Adrian Adonis, to Adrian Street, to Lenny and Lodi, to the WWEs gay marriage duo of Chuck and Billy. But there are many differences between them and I. I believe all of them, when asked out of character if they were gay or not, would say that they were straight. My answer to that question is, at this moment, what does it matter? Ultimately, you will know the truth, but the question now is less about me and more about you, how you deal with and perceive the question and possible answers. The question is less about my sexuality and more about our society and how homosexuality fits into sports, entertainment and our culture in general. This is so much bigger than me, my sexuality, and pro wrestling. This topic touches on individual beliefs, understandings and Perceptions, as well as religion, psychology and sociology. It is not often that a wrestling character can cover and cross that many topics and boundaries. And this is just the beginning.

One other thing I want to touch on. I know there are some guys on the independent wrestling scene who play gay characters and some who I believe also claim to be openly gay and/or bisexual. And I do not want to take anything away from them. After the interview I did in the ring in Sudbury, Ontario and the reaction I got, I realize how hard it is to be an openly gay wrestling character. So for all the independent gay characters and those claiming to be openly gay or bisexual, I have nothing but respect for you. But, I feel if you have not made your full time living as a pro wrestler, that if you needed a real job or another job to pay your bills and help support yourself, that you are not truly a Professional wrestler. I would say you participate in Pro Wrestling as a hobby, and maybe make a few bucks at it, but that you are not really a Professional Wrestler.. maybe an amateur Pro Wrestler. If I enter a local bowling tournament and I win the tourney and a few bucks, I am not going to run around telling everyone I am a pro bowler. But, once again, that is for each individual to determine for themselves

So what now? Well, I definitely want my career to continue, either on the independent scene, in the WWE or for the newer company, NWA TNA (Total Nonstop Action), which tapes its Television shows and airs its PPVs live from Orlando's Universal Studios. A very smart person recently told me that a wise man never makes promises. I was told to beware of those who do make promises. With that in mind, my promise is this: I promise nothing. But ultimately, and probably more sooner than later, I will tell the truth about the sexuality of me, Chris Klucsarits, the man behind the Kanyon character. I am hoping to do so within the next month, but again, I cant make any promises, and I am determined now to just go with the flow, like a twig in the current of a mighty river. See what life brings me and enjoy the ride.

Thanks for your time and consideration,

Chris "Kanyon" Klucsarits


The way I read this is that he really meant to come out, now he's not too sure he wants it known, so he's trying to blur the lines by saying his "character" is gay and that he will not openly reveal whether he personally is gay.

He's fishing for the "it doesn't matter, we like you anyway" reaction, but if he gets a bunch of "Hey, fuck this shitdick" reactions from other wrestlers and fans, he can always backtrack and say it was just a gimmick.

Can't say I blame him for backtracking a little...wrestling's probably one of the worst professions to be a known fag, and I could see him getting blackballed because of it.

But on the bright side, Fez probably just found his new favorite wrestler (with the exception of Naitch, of course). :action-sm

[askewcore]

The most glaring thing about that article is that they consider wrestling one of the top five american "sports".

[d0uche_n0zzle]

It's entertainment and everyone knows entertainers are fags.

[ratedRsuperstar]

http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/36/bbw8km.jpg

[InternetStalker]

Hoo Hoo I'm being ripped off.

[Dick Whiskey]

http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/36/bbw8km.jpg
I wish I knew how to pin you.

[Kid Brock]

Hoo Hoo Kanyon ripped off someone named Simon Sermon.
(credit twnpnews.com)

Recently here at twnpnews I reported the story about Chris kanyon being the first openly gay pro wrestler when he came out of the closet at a recent Indy event. I got an email this morning from a gentleman correcting this statement and thus reported the "New Documentary On First Openly Gay Pro Wrestler," article. Simon Sermon the wrestler in this documentary now speaks out against Chris Kanyon.

"Let me speak on this; Oye me, Arriba la Raza! You read the previous sentence and say to yourself, Simon just ripped off Conan. Can't you come up with your own shit, can't you get over without taking something from someone else? What is the point to all this? Well I've got two words for you (also another rip off), Chris Kanyon. I checked my email yesterday only to have my whole wrestling world turned upside down. I was informed of a press release. The subject of the email was "Simon, you should take a look at this". I check out the link to find that Kanyon is laying claim to being the first openly gay professional wrestler. That's very interesting since everyone that's laced up a pair of boots in the State of Georgia knows that I've been out in the business; that is, the boys in the back and the fans, since ing 2000!!! So I know that you are asking yourself, Simon, what's your beef with Kanyon, maybe he didn't know about you. And that is where I laugh to myself. Let's rewind to several months ago. I'm at Outwrite Bookstore in Midtown, Atlanta having coffee with a friend who is also in the business. My friend looks up and recognizes someone sitting in a window seat sipping coffee. That person was none other than Chris Kanyon. So we talk. And I tell him all about me, about how I've been in the business since 2000, how I trained as a gay man, and how I'm working as an openly gay professional wrestler all over Georgia. How I did two Wildside national TV tapings, NAWA, PWE, all as an openly gay man! We exchanged numbers and I walked him out to his very wrecked black Pontiac Trans Am convertible. It was funny since I was driving a white Trans Am with T-tops. And the last thing he said that day was "Brother, we have to keep this gay thing Kayfabe, I've got another run for the FED left in me and I don't want anything to it up." I promised to keep his secret. Because hey, I'm the first openly gay pro wrestler, why should I rat him out. Then he called me, and we went out to the clubs together. You see, I'm the shit in midtown Atlanta based on my work in the club scene and we went around to the gay clubs getting the royal treatment. And not once did I ever tell anyone who he was. He had a secret, he had a career to look after. He was trusting me with his livelihood. So I kept my mouth shut and Kanyon and I became friends. He was selling his house and moving to Florida so Kanyon stayed at my place on several occasions. Mostly after we went out to the gay bars. We watched wrestling videos where he heard people chanting "Queer Boy Sucks", "Make the Fag Bleed", and watched as workers tried to bash my head in during matches to see if I had heart enough to be in the business. All with the understanding that we keep his little secret Kayfabe. Well the little secret is out now isn't it. But it's not just a coming out, if you will, it's a slap in the face to not only myself but every single independent wrestler on the circuit. Cause you see, not only did he steal away my spot as the first openly gay professional wrestler he went further to define what a professional wrestler is and to him, that is someone that makes their entire living from wrestling. Now that means that unless you are born with a contract or you find one in your boots the day after you finish training, you do not fit his definition of a professional wrestler. That means no one qualifies but him and everyone that works currently for the WWE. Well I got news for him, we have all bled, we have all hurt, and we have all performed for money in front of a crowd and to say that we aren't professional wrestlers just so he can say that he is the first openly gay wrestler is bullshit!!! That's like saying that Bozo isn't a clown because he never worked for Ringling Brothers. If you trained like a wrestler, dress like a wrestler, perform in front of a crowd like a wrestler for money, and you sacrifice like a wrestler, then it's a ing professional wrestler!!! Chris Kanyon has not just tried to steal a move and call it his own, he's trying to take away my place in history by saying that only guys like him that have made it to the big time are professional wrestlers. None of the rest of us count. I have a question, what have you been doing to make a living the last couple years since they let you go. It comes down to this, he is right, he is very talented and does have another run at the FED left in him, but he is no more distinguished from the other 1000 professional wrestlers on the circuit. So now he has to turn to the one thing that he's been hiding because he thought it would be the ruin of his chance at a second career in the big leagues. He has to tell everyone the truth and hope that it gets him a mercy in the HR department with the WWE or TNA. How dare you! I'm proud of the fact that you got your life back together and you got back on TV and got yourself back into shape and is now performing. I'd like to think that I helped you to become brave enough to be honest with yourself, with the boys in the back, and with your fans and tell the truth. But you did not pave the way and show people how it's done, I did!! You didn't change people's perceptions of what a gay athlete is; it was me. I suffered the ridicule, the death threats, people holding me back because a few bookers on more than one occasion mentioned that no fag was going to hold one of their titles. I did it from training to today and never looked back or regretted it once because god damn it someone had to do it first! Now your wrestling career is spinning in place and you need that new something to get yourself over. Well check out gayprowrestler.com Changing Perceptions: Profile of an Openly Gay Pro Wrestler; you know, that documentary about my wrestling career that I told you about. Order the DVD, watch the video trailer on the website, learn from it! And be very quick to remember that you won't get anywhere in this business by stealing from someone else. The first openly gay professional wrestler has already been done, it's me Simon Sermon, and you knew that before you did your press release. Now I may not fit your description of a professional wrestler but somehow I think I was on your mind when you designed it."

[Beer Gut]

lol, queers...

[FAngel]

Stupid indy egos. And you wonder why there's so much bitterness in the business...

[Coffee Diva]

Too many words. Does he dig the sausage or not?

[Douchebag Listener]

Who's gayer than Kanyon?!?!

[JakeYourBooty]

Chris Klucsarits, the person who has portrayed the Wrestling character of Chris "Kanyon" since 1992 has come out of the closet. I revealed myself to be legitimately openly gay this past Sunday in Orlando Florida at the Universal City Walk Hard Rock Live venue, at a national Pay Per View taping after a match with former WCW World Heavyweight Champion, DDP, Diamond Dallas Page, which I believe will air nationally on PPV in April. Once the date is known for sure, I will post it. WCW was an AOL Time Warner/Ted Turner owned wrestling group named World Championship Wrestling, which aired on TBS and TNT and was ultimately bought by the WWE's Vince McMahon in 2001.

The match went very well, and, the announcement was handled with a tremendous amount of class and respect by both DDP and by the fans in attendance. It was a very emotional night for me, and I am glad I was given the opportunity to do this and I definitely have no regrets at all about anything I have done or said in the past month concerning this topic.

The main reason for the month long ambiguity between the sexuality of the character, Kanyon, and the sexuality of me, Chris Klucsarits, the person portraying the character is as follows: I initially made the announcement of Kanyon, the character, being gay to get the buzz started and to try and get some anticipation built up. I was hoping to sign with Vince McMahon's WWE or Spike TV/ Jeff Jarrett/Panda energy's NWA TNA wrestling group before making the official announcement that I, Chris Klucsarits, the person playing the wrestling character Kanyon, was gay, so that I could possibly get more attention/publicity for the company I was working for, and on the flip-side, that the announcement itself would get more publicity/attention by doing it thru one of the 2 promotions. And, if I did not get signed to a contract by the 3-5-06 PPV taping, than it was always my plan, from the beginning, to make the announcement at that taping. Now some people felt that I was making a mockery of the serious issue that I was dealing with or that I created a circus-like atmosphere or that I was deciding all along if I was going to really do this or not. None of that was ever my intention or my plan. I was hoping to sign with one of the companies prior to the announcement to maximize the impact of the announcement, but either way, I was going to come out.

However, like they say, timing is everything. I did speak with both the representatives of the WWE and of TNA prior to 3-5-06 about potentially signing a contract. Unfortunately, with the WWE's biggest show of the year, their WrestleMania 22 PPV, coming up on April 2 and all the storylines already set and planned for that show, they told me that the timing just was not right for the WWE to introduce such a potentially controversial character or to sign such a potentially controversial wrestler at this time. When I talked with TNA, there seemed to be definite interest, although since then I have heard that Universal Studios and/or Spike TV may have had a problem with the nature of what we would be attempting to do. So, 3-5-06 came, I had no contract with the WWE or TNA, so I decided to officially make the announcement that I, Chris Klucsarits, the person who has been playing the wrestling character of Chris "Kanyon" since 1992, was in fact a legitimate homosexual. In doing so, to make things finally less confusing, the entire sexual history, sexuality and sexual preference as well as the wrestling career and wrestling history of Chris Kanyon and that of Chris Klucsarits are now identical, they are the same. From this point on, anytime I refer to myself here I will be referring to both Chris Kanyon and Chris Klucsarits, unless I otherwise note it.

If I confused anyone or upset them or offended them, please know and understand that that was never my intention. I want to continue to raise awareness and thus spark discussion and interest, as I feel I have done the past month, in issues of homosexuality, celebrity fame vs. privacy, journalistic integrity and reporting vs. knee jerk reaction and opinions as well as political, sociological and psychological issues that come along with all these topics and issues. If possible, I want an opportunity to help and to educate kids as well as adults on some aspects of all of this and to discuss with them all these issues and topics and perhaps be a role model or an inspiration to young, closeted or confused kids or adults who are able to find very few, if any, masculine athletic homosexuals in the mainstream public eye. If I can help anyone who is struggling or dealing with these topics and issues or with any of the topics, issues, problems and dilemmas that I dealt with up until now, I want to be able to do that in as many ways as possible. The journey this past month has been intriguing, entertaining and interesting as well as emotionally and physically draining. But it is far from over. And now, I look forward with anticipation to the fact that this journey will continue..



PS I will be on 104.1 FM in Orlando Florida tonight, 3-7-06 at 8 pm. Tune in if you get a chance.


well he officially came out....and i have to say...that takes alot of guts....i still like kanyon he;s a tremendous talent and has alot of charisma.....here's hoping WWE has the guts to resign him...could be a great angle to make some heel a huge homophobe

[Jay Douglas]

Now some people felt that I was making a mockery of the serious issue that I was dealing with or that I created a circus-like atmosphere or that I was deciding all along if I was going to really do this or not. None of that was ever my intention or my plan. I was hoping to sign with one of the companies prior to the announcement to maximize the impact of the announcement, but either way, I was going to come out.

Bullshit. Other than that though, good for him.

[Kugzilla]

Guy could always work pretty ok.