Wrestling Reality, livre ebook

WRESTLING REALITY The Life and Mind of Chris Kanyon, Wrestling’s Gay Superstar CHRIS KANYON and RYAN CLARK ECW To our parents and families — you gave us everything, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Preface I’ll never forget the day I met Chris Kanyon. I was a newspaper journalist, sent to cover National Coming Out Day in 2006 at the local university. The day — October 11 each year — was one of celebration for those who wanted to announce their sexuality and celebrate their choice while feeling comfortable and confident among peers in a supportive environment. Kanyon was speaking at Northern Kentucky University, and I was there to cover the speech for the local newspaper, the Cincinnati Enquirer . Why was Kanyon so important? In the late ’90s he had been one of the most famous wrestlers on the planet. He’d appeared on national television multiple times a week, made more than a million dollars and even had his own action figure. He was a legend in the professional wrestling world. That is, until 2004 when he let everyone in on his secret: He was gay. He was a gay professional wrestler. Kanyon spoke to a large group at the university that day, and his story was riveting. I am not a gay man, and I am not a huge fan of wrestling, but I know a good story when I hear one, and Kanyon’s was full of passion and rage and sadness and something else — hope. Kanyon wanted others to avoid the pain he had endured.