Former WWE champion feels responsible for letting down Chris Kanyon after tragic death
Former WWE Superstar Perry Saturn recently reminisced about his memories of the late Chris Kanyon.
Kanyon, a highly regarded professional wrestler in his era, earned the moniker 'The Innovator of Offense' during his stint in WCW. Despite his prowess in the ring, he faced internal struggles and battled bipolar disorder, which became public knowledge later on. Unfortunately, his life took a tragic turn, culminating in his suicide in 2010.
During a recent Signed By Superstars virtual event, former Hardcore Champion Perry Saturn, a close friend of Kanyon, disclosed that he harbored a sense of letting him down, as the latter couldn't confide in Saturn about his inner struggles.
The former WWE champion also took the opportunity to reminisce about the moments they shared in WCW.
"He [Chris Kanyon] was one of my best friends. It’s very sad that he didn’t think he could tell me his deal, because I wouldn’t have gave a f*ck one way or the other, and he did a lot of s**t at the [WCW] Power Plant, so he was in Atlanta a lot and we were on the road all the time, never home and if he would go out to the movies or something, he’d call my wife and ask her if she wanted to go so she wasn’t stuck home doing nothing. It’s so sad that somehow, I let him down where he didn’t think that he could tell me because I didn’t give a f**k, and just that’s horrible, right?" [H/T POST Wrestling]
John Cena previously spoke about Chris Kanyon's departure from WWE
Chris Kanyon was released from the company in 2004 following a three-year tenure. Following his departure, the star claimed that WWE had terminated his contract due to him being gay.
In a subsequent interview, the then-WWE Champion John Cena addressed Kanyon's allegations, stating that the latter was released because he did not meet the performance standards and emphasized that Kanyon publicly came out as gay after being let go from the promotion.
"Here's the weird thing about Chris. And I've known Chris for a long time. He actually came out of the closet after he was fired. He just, he wasn't any good. [He was not a good wrestler?] No. He was hired by WCW initially for like a demon persona he called Mortis, which was pretty entertaining... Chris just wasn't any good. [You say he was fired because he was not a good entertainer?] Yeah. [Not because he was gay?] Not at all. He came out of the closet after he was fired" Cena said.
Kanyon first retired from in-ring competition in 2004 and again in 2007, only to later make a return to wrestling, participating in various benefit shows.
What did you make of Perry Saturn's recent remarks? Let us know in the comments section below.