Chris Kanyon's Never-Before-Seen Mortis Dark Matches Released On WWE Vault

Four never-before-seen dark matches featuring Chris Kanyon's Mortis character recently uploaded to the WWE Vault YouTube page

Mortis / WWE.com

WWE is utilizing its “WWE Vault” YouTube page to release decades worth of hidden, long sought after, forgotten matches, segments, and events. Recent uploads on the page include a set of “forgotten” Hell in a Cell matches, a never-before-seen Nasty Boys WWE match from 2007, and a UPW match featuring Diamond Dallas Page.

One of its more recent uploads has been a set of four dark matches that features Chris Kanyon’s demonic WCW gimmick known as Mortis.

Mortis debuted in WCW in 1996. The character, who was managed by James Vanderberg, initially appeared as a singles star until aligning with Wrath, and began a feud with Glacier and Ernest Miller. Mortis then found himself in a short feud with Raven and The Flock, attempting to join the group until he was defeated by Diamond Dallas Page in a match for the WCW United States Championship. The character was dropped shortly after the loss, and Kanyon reverted to his own name, aligning with Bam Bam Bigelow and DDP as the "Jersey Triad" stable and holding the WCW Tag Team Championships.

WCW's "Jersey Triad" stable [L to R: Bam Bam Bigelow, Diamond Dallas Page, Chris Kanyon] / WWE.com

Kanyon joined WWE after its WCW acquisition in 2001, holding both the WCW United States Championship, and the WWE Tag Team Championships with DDP. The Mortis character was not seen again until 2003, where it was introduced during dark matches prior to “Velocity”. These dark matches were lore amongst Kanyon fans and had never been seen publicly before their Vault release. Fans of the WCW version of Mortis will note that the character's appearance is altered, donning purple gear as opposed to his green gear seen in WCW.

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The release on the WWE Vault shows a set of four separate matches, including one against a young Austin Aries, as well as being paired in a tag team with Funaki.

While no information has ever been publicly confirmed or released on why Mortis was never utilized on WWE programming, a change in creative direction to focus on realism as opposed to theatrics, a lack of emphasis on WCW characters post-purchase, and Kanyon's initial character work with WWE could all be potential contributing factors in this decision.

Grateful Chris Kanyon fans everywhere can now watch these often sought after chapters of his unfortunately short career.

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