The Undertaker Addresses Accusation He Hit Kanyon With A Stiff Chair Shot Because Of His Sexuality

Whilst Chris Kanyon is often named as one of the most underrated wrestlers of a generation, his tale is also one of sadness, with Kanyon dying by suicide aged 40, with factors such as post-concussion syndrome, and the struggles of keeping his sexuality a secret for most of his life believed to have contributed to his death.

A closeted homosexual for much of his life, Kanyon appeared in a segment with The Undertaker in 2003 dressed as Boy George and singing Culture Club’s classic ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me’, to which Taker hit Kanyon with a stiff chair shot to the head, concussing him.

Rumours have suggested that Undertaker delivered a deliberately stiff chair shot due to Kanyon’s sexuality, an accusation Taker has rebuffed on his Six Feet Under podcast:

"I've been accused of smashing Kanyon with a chair because he was gay," Undertaker said. "I didn't even know he was gay. I didn't even know until years later. I could [not] care less. But there's people out there that have created that rumour, 'Oh, Undertaker smashed him.' Undertaker swung a chair the way Undertaker swung a chair... If I swung a chair at somebody the way I swung it, I'd expect the same one back." 

Kanyon alleged in his book Wrestling Reality: The Life and Mind of Chris Kanyon, Wrestling's Gay Superstar that the segment was 'another way for Vince McMahon to drive home the embarrassment'. Vice's Dark Side of the Ring covered Kanyon's career in season three.

H/T: Wrestling Inc.