6 Examples Of The Genius Of Chris Kanyon

3. Positively Kanyon

During his first solo run, Kanyon’s charisma and personality quickly shone through.

He developed the simple but memorable catchphrase, “Who Betta Than Kanyon?” used as a rhetorical boast in promos.

Needless to say, this gave fans the perfect opportunity to bombard him with their own suggestions, which is exactly what he intended.

He was no stranger to amusing the fans. During the early Vince Russo period WCW, Kanyon returned to WCW as Chris “Champagne” Kanyon.

After working in Hollywood “CCK” had let the luxury lifestyle go to his head and went everywhere in a limo, with agents and valets.

Yet another memorable run in WCW involved him feuding with former partner Diamond Dallas Page.

After blaming Page for a kayfabe injury, Kanyon dubbed himself “Positively” Kanyon and became unhinged, stealing Page’s finisher, slogan, and even his hairstyle.

---

2. Trainer, Stuntman, Mentor

As Kanyon he spent his career coming up with unique and creative moves, becoming the best he could be as a performer and helping others.

This ranged from helping to prepare the celebrities that WCW worked with for the ring, from Dennis Rodman to Karl Malone, as well as mentoring the likes of David Flair.

Recognized as a great teacher, Kanyon was handpicked to be a stunt coordinator on a couple of movies, including the wrestling picture Ready to Rumble.

He had a keen eye for talent and was responsible for recommending Shane Helms, Billy Kidman and many more to the WCW booking office.

---

1. Alliance MVP

There was not much to love about the kayfabe ‘invasion’ of WWF television after Vince McMahon hoovered up WCW in the spring of 2001.

By failing to position those who debuted as a major threat, the angle was doomed before it began.

Spots for ex-WCW talent to shine were few and far between but Kanyon made the most of his opportunity.

Gifted the WCW United States Title, Kanyon declared himself the self-appointed “Alliance MVP,” and off on a misplaced ego-trip he went.

As if his ego could not get any bigger Kanyon and DDP then reunited to topple the APA for the WWF Tag Team Title too.

The victory ensured the duo joined the shortlist of teams to hold both WWF and WCW tag gold and meant Kanyon was a double title holder for a couple of days.

If you have worries about suicidal thoughts, bipolar disorder or mental health issues, don’t suffer alone. Contact the Samaritans free on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org. Resources are also available as part of the Support WrestleTalk, Support Each Other campaign.

To make sure you stay updated with all the latest wrestling news, add WrestleTalk.com to your Google Discover feed and follow us on Twitter!

• dark side of the ring
• chris kanyon
• Kanyon
• wwe

Share this article with friends