Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Police in California have confirmed that former WWE wrestler Joanie “Chyna” Laurer has died at the age of 46. Laurer was found unresponsive in her Redondo Beach apartment on Wednesday night; police say that do not suspect foul play, though they’re investigating it as an overdose.
The WWE issued a statement on their website expressing sadness at Laurer’s passing, calling Chyna “a true sports-entertainment pioneer.” Chyna was a massively significant figure in the pro wrestling boom of the late ’90s and early 2000s. She was introduced as a bodyguard for Triple H and eventually for the entire Degeneration-X faction that included Shawn Michaels and Sean “X-Pac” Waltman. Known in the business as the “9th wonder of the world” (wrestling fans know Andre the Giant was the 8th wonder of the world) the wrestling world had never seen the likes of Chyna before. Five-foot-ten and a wall of muscle, Chyna’s role, particularly at the beginning of her career, was as the silent intimidator. While Triple H and Shawn Michaels broadcast their rude antics like a couple of vulgar teenagers, Chyna would stand behind them, arms folded. She was the woman who was tougher than any man, and the WWE used that to its advantage.
In 1999, Chyna became the first woman to participate in the Royal Rumble, the first woman to compete in the King of the Ring tournament, and in October of that year, she defeated Jeff Jarrett to become the first and only woman to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship. She was a legitimate threat in the ring, and she back down to no man, beast, or demon (hey, Kane qualified as all three).
Chyna’s real-life relationship with Triple H fizzled, and by the end of 2001, she was gone from the WWE for good. But her legacy as one of wrestling’s signature characters during its point of highest cultural visibility could not be denied.
In the years after her WWE departure, Laurer faced many public struggles. She and Waltman reportedly had a very tumultuous relationship that included a sex tape and domestic violence charges. She had to have her name legally changed to “Chyna” because the WWE would not allow her to use their intellectual property. She appeared on VH1’s The Surreal Life and later Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, where her struggles with addiction were made public.
The WWE has yet to induct Chyna into their Hall of Fame, which seems like a massive oversight. Triple H has publicly alluded to the fact that Chyna’s sex-tape and pornography experiences have something to do with this. Whatever the reasons (and you could argue that a lot of wrestlers might not yield the nicest Google search results), Chyna’s legacy in pro wrestling is undeniable; the WWE has lost a big piece of their history.
UPDATE: Just four days ago, on Sunday, April 17, Joanie “Chyna” Laurer posted this rambling, erratic video to her YouTube channel. Be warned, it’s a very distressing watch.
