A review by pocketvolcano
Wrestling Reality: The Life and Mind of Chris Kanyon, Wrestling's Gay Superstar by Chris Kanyon, Ryan Clark

5.0

This is a major must read for fans of Chris Kanyon, wrestling and/or people who want to know what it is to be a closeted gay man in a strongly heterosexual sport. I knew the outcome, I knew what wound up happening to Kanyon and still wound up crying at the end. Chris' demons weren't the usual wrestling "demons" - his was dealing with being in the closet, fearing losing his job, his family and friends if his secret was discovered; plus, realizing he was bipolar to boot. He was given a burden that no one should have to bear, and ultimately he couldn't carry it any longer. My heart goes out to him and his family. Kanyon was tremendously talented in the ring and had a passion for wrestling that drove him to become as great as he was. Perhaps he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time as far as getting very far in WWE - most wrestling fans know about the Vince McMahon stereotype he sticks to - and we know things have changed in the past ten years. However, he still would have been dealing with wanting to be out of the closet at a time that Vince was still mocking homosexuals. It's only with Darren Young coming out as gay in the past year and WWE partnering with GLAAD that things are starting to change. At least publicly. Privately, we still have no clue how it is to be gay in WWE. Elsewhere, there are still very few independent wrestlers who are choosing to be public about their sexuality. Should they have to be? No. But it also shouldn't be a problem for wrestlers to have matches with others who are gay. Unfortunately many still do. But hopefully, with this book and more people wiling to be open about who and what they are, the tides will turn.

Sadly, it's too late for Chris Kanyon. But hopefully his place in wrestling history will never be forgotten, and his contributions to wrestling and society as a gay man who revealed his struggle in this autobiography will help change things. I hope so.

Who better than Kanyon? No one. Absolutely no one.