Chyna had been called "The First Lady of Sports Entertainment". Her accomplishments went far beyond the wrestling ring and anyone's guess. Before exchanging body slams, modeling for top magazines and guest-starring on hundreds of shows,
Chyna was a shy girl who was born Joan Marie Laurer in Rochester, New York, to Janet Carol (Wahl) and Joseph "Joe" Von Laurer, Jr. She spent most of her childhood in a home filled with alcoholism and domestic problems. She found her escape through working out, and began doing aerobics and lifting weights at a gym near her home. This is where she found her true niche: the world of fitness.
As the only female in the gym, Chyna always stood out but developed bonds and friendships with the gym members, who gave her the encouragement to keep going. She broke all gender barriers everywhere she went, and continued her love of fitness throughout her college days. Chyna graduated from the University of Tampa with a 3.9 GPA, and a double major in Spanish Literature, in under two years. She also studied foreign languages, and could speak English, Spanish, German and French. Chyna was a true humanitarian, and served in the U.S. Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) and the Peace Corps, helping to teach illiterate third-world children to read. She was a strong supporter of the National Animal Rescue charity, which helps domesticated animals find good, loving homes.
Throughout her life, Chyna dreamed of being an entertainer. She began that career in the early 1990s, as a belly dancer, and soon moved on to fitness competitions, but at 6'0" the star found her real calling in the entertainment world: professional wrestling. She began training to be a professional under the guidance of the wrestling legend Walter 'Killer' Kowalski, in a professional wrestling school in which all other students were men. She soon took the world of women's wrestling by storm and began competing in the PGWA, where she was given the 1996 Rookie of the Year award for the Women's Championship.
After dominating the world of women's wrestling, Chyna was discovered by Paul Levesque (aka "Triple H") and Shawn Michaels (HBK), two WWF (World Wrestling Federation) superstars who helped Chyna break into the big-time. She made her worldwide television debut in February 1997 as a bodyguard for Triple H, but soon went on to break all gender stereotypes by competing with some of the toughest men in the WWF, under the name "Chyna". Years later, she was the only woman to qualify for the Royal Rumble and King of the Ring tournaments, and became the only female Intercontinental Champion and the only undefeated Women's Champion in WWF history.
Five years after she debuted as a professional wrestler in the WWF, Chyna parted ways with the company. She then toured Japan, taking the country by storm and battling in the ring with the likes of such champions as Keiji Mutô, The Great Kabuki, and most notably, Masahiro Chôno. Her 2002 Tokyo Dome match against Chono earned her the title of Nikkian Sport's 2002 Women's Wrestler of the Year.
Meanwhile, back in the US, Chyna appeared in several films, hosted a variety of shows, and showed that women can combine strength and beauty in two top-selling issues of "Playboy" magazine, which proved to the world that women can be beautiful without having the anorexic "Twiggy" look. She also appeared in the first-ever Playboy documentary, which conducted in-depth interviews with Chyna, her former manager Rich Minzer, her friend Joe Gold, and Hugh Hefner himself.
Her strong will to the best and "survival of the fittest" attitude made her one of the top wrestlers in history. She served as a role model to millions of men and women by proving anything is possible, through hard work and determination. In her best-selling autobiography "If They Only Knew", she discussed what it took to make it to the top, and showed the world what she had to overcome to make her one of the most well-known pop culture icons in the world. Shortly after her first appearance in "Playboy", she released her own fitness video, Chyna Fitness: More Than Meets the Eye (2000), which won awards from fitness and lifestyle magazines. The video is still popular with both Chyna's fans and fitness fans alike.
Unlike most former pro wrestlers, Chyna had success on her own two feet. She was on nearly every talk show, and was featured on hundreds of magazine covers, from "Playboy" and "Newsweek" to "TV Guide" and "People". She was featured on Reggie Benjamin's CD "2X-Centrix", performing drums and back up vocals. She was on the top of the "dance music" billboard charts for five weeks with the CD single "Ride", and also sang with her own rock band, "The Chynna Dolls", for a short time, playing venues like The Roxy, Elrey Theater, Hollywood Athletic Center, and two performances on Howard Stern (1994). She starred in the comedies Cougar Club (2007) and Illegal Aliens (2007), and also hosted a variety of shows, from Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors (2001) to FYE and AMC's "Tough Guys series. She had many guest-starring roles on TV series, such as Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1998), 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996), Pacific Blue (1996), The Nick Cannon Show (2002), Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996), MADtv (1995), MTV's "Diary" and many others. She was also featured on season four of The Surreal Life (2003) and VH1's spin off, The Surreal Life: Fame Games (2007), as well as in films, including Alien Tracker (2003), Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion (2000), Frank McKlusky, C.I. (2002), Hunter: Back in Force (2003). In 2008, she appeared on VH1's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew (2008) TV series to conquer personal demons and depression caused from an abusive relationship and childhood trauma.
In 2009, she released a fashion book, "Paper Doll", which became a best-seller. In May 2011, she returned to the world of wrestling with TNA, debuting on the May 12 edition of TNA iMPACT! Wrestling (2004), and followed it up with one last match at the TNA TNA: Sacrifice (2011) Pay-per-view, where she and Kurt Angle took on Jeff Jarrett and Karen Jarrett. The episode was one of the highest-rated for the company in many years. Although her match with TNA was a one-time-only deal, Chyna showed the world she had turned her life around - she had overcome depression, emotional trauma and was finally where she wanted to be in life.
In June 2011, Chyna released her first adult video with Vivid Entertainment, Backdoor to Chyna (2011), which sold over a million copies. She said the movie allowed her to regain control of her life, gave her a newfound confidence and got her back on her feet. She embarked on a huge media tour, appearing all over the US. She began feature dancing at high-end nightclubs, appeared on dozens of radio shows, including Howard Stern on Demand (2005) and ABC radio, and in November 2011 won a Fleshbot Award for her "Backdoor to Chyna" video. In 2012, she appeared in A Night at the Silent Movie Theater (2012) and appeared in the music video "Gonna Make You Love Me" for the band Lovechild. She also appeared in a tell-all interview with KayFabe Commentaries, in which she discussed everything from her childhood to drugs, porn and everything in between.
Chyna died on April 20, 2016, in Redondo Beach, California. She was 46.
Many wrestling fans are familiar with Chyna, a World Wrestling Federation superstar, through her hard work in the ring and recent appearance in Playboy, but they rarely have been given a glimpse into who she really is.
This is something which may soon change.
Making a promotional appearance for her Chyna Fitness video at a Toronto-area movie theatre-bookstore complex, she spoke to a group over 200 fans and answered questions before signing copies of the video and Playboy. She seemed to appreciate the interaction with fans and noted their interest in her work.
“It’s great for me to see that because it always shows the dedication of the fans” she told SLAM! Wrestling. “I feel like this is a wonderful point in my career. I’m tickled pink that there’s been so much interest in what I’m doing. I feel like I’ve delivered this great message to people and it’s very rewarding. I enjoy the work, but when it actually happens people appreciate what you’re doing and listen to what you’re saying.”
Chyna answers questions at the Paramount Theatre in Toronto. — Photo by Greg Oliver
Chyna Fitness was a project close to her heart. She was part of the team which designed the 40-minute workout, which incorporates a variety of exercise techniques.
“Before I was ever a World Wrestling Federation superstar, that’s what I did,” she said. “I worked out, and that’s become part of my lifestyle and my job. Although I am the only woman who wrestles with the men, I have been able to hold my own and what we do is entertainment. However, I still get hit just as hard as the guys and I have to be able to pick them up and throw them around and maintain the body of an elite female athlete. I think there are more and more women out there working out now and we live in a fit society and women aren’t trying to look like Barbie anymore. They’re trying to look like Chyna, and I think that’s great.”
The wrestling superstar was born Joanie Laurer 27 years ago in Rochester, New York. She began to work out at age 15 to her mother’s copy of Jane Fonda’s Workout and later trained at Wladek ‘Killer’ Kowalski’s Massachusetts-based wrestling school. In 1997, she made her debut with the WWF and became one of it’s most popular attractions.
What made Chyna different from most women wrestling before her was her physical size and in-ring ability. She has also gathered a great deal of public recognition
“I think people recognize who I am in the athletic arena. I think that’s wonderful and I think that’s because I wasn’t okay with stereotypes,” she said. “It’s not okay to be told ‘no’ or ‘you can’t do that’ or ‘you shouldn’t be strong’ or ‘you shouldn’t be strong and beautiful’ or ‘you can’t’, ‘you shouldn’t’, ‘you won’t’.
Chyna is a three-time Intercontinental champion and regularly competes against male wrestlers often outweighing her by 100 pounds or more. She doesn’t believe she is held back by her gender and doesn’t believe other women should let it happen to them.
“I think I was given a genetic gift to be 5’10” and to have a big frame,” she explained. “I took that to a different level and developed the body of an elite female athlete. I put that at the forefront so people can really relate to that because maybe there are other women out there want to look like I do, but they’re ridiculed or they’re told that it’s not okay or what society deems is beautiful or you should starve yourself and look like a beanpole with fake breasts because that’s the only thing that’s going to get you looked at. It’s not true.”
Despite being considered by many in the audience to be a role model, Chyna appeared reluctant to consider herself in the role.
“I guess I really don’t consider myself to be a role model,” she said. “That was never my intention. I’ve done this for me, and everything I’ve done has been for myself. I think by standing up for myself, it reaches so many other people which then becomes inspirational to them. I don’t want people to be just like me, but I hope it does send a message to a lot of women out there. Be your own woman and don’t listen to how somebody else tells you how to be or how society tells you how to be. There’s so much potential locked up in our women and I think it’s not used because it’s crushed down. I think that people consider me a role model, but I don’t claim to be.”
Chyna has recently finished the final draft of her autobiography, which will be released in January. She felt it was one of her greatest accomplishments to date.
“I think this is probably one of the most rewarding, fascinating things that I’ve done so far,” she said. “Most celebrities when they describe their memoirs, and this is not a sports memoir, really don’t take off the mask and really only tell the people what they want them to know and see. I think I took that mask off and told people a detailed description of my life. It was important to me being a person that goes out and displays these messages. I think it was important for me to be candid and honest about who I am and what happened to me and why I chose this path.”
Chyna believes the book will also make people laugh and see another side of her.
“It’s written in an extremely funny way,” she said. “That’s a lot of Joanie, that’s my personality which is great. Chyna’s kind of stiff, Joanie is really funny. The book is funny, and you’re going to chuckle all the way through. It’s a very powerful book.”
For several years, many wrestling fans have debated the nature of Chyna’s relationship with fellow wrestler Hunter Hearst Helmsley, otherwise known as Triple H. She prefers not to discuss the matter, and lets people draw their own conclusions.
“I think it’s funny that people bring that up,” she said. “I, most of the time, try to keep that personal. Most people, because of what they watch on TV, have already determined that we’ve broken up or got back together or that we’re married or engaged. None of that has ever been discussed, so I don’t discuss it. I guess people have their own perceptions of what’s going on.”
Chyna is on the cover of the November 2000 issue of Playboy and felt she was making a positive statement by appearing in the notorious men’s magazine.
“I think it gave Playboy and myself a unique opportunity to do something special,” she said. “Not only is having Chyna on the cover of Playboy something special, but it’s also a very powerful statement. I think it’s something that people aren’t used to seeing. The curiosity level was there, the fan base was there, the years of dedication and hard work on my body were there, and that’s a very powerful combination. I think that’s an irreplaceable combination that made this issue very attractive to most people.”
The pictorial was shot by Arny Fretag, a longtime Playboy photographer. Chyna noted she felt incredibly comfortable with the shoot and with her body as well.
“It felt wonderful,” she said. “I was not apprehensive about taking off my clothing. I’m very proud of that, and I think it’s about darned time that we show something like that. I didn’t do this as a sexual thing, I did it because I think my body is beautiful and it’s a piece of art. That’s how I think it was shown, in the most incredible strength and sexuality.”
Despite her appearance in Playboy, Chyna noted she has not received any negative reaction from fans or members of the public in regard to the photographs.
“I really wondered at first whether people would say ‘she sold out’. That’s not what it is. I’m a woman and I have strength and sexuality and showed a very feminine side of myself. I haven’t gotten one negative comment about it. Let’s just say I’m pleasantly surprised,” she said.
Despite being in top physical condition, Chyna does not appreciate being perceived as a bodybuilder.
“Most of the time, I think bodybuilders are unhealthy people,” she said. “There’s a lot of drug use and different weights during the year. I’m lumped in with them all the time, and that’s not the case. I think I’m fit and healthy and sculpted my body the way I want to look.”
oronto Sun WWF contest winner Jamie Lewis, 13, of Etobicoke, had known for a couple of days he was going to a meet and greet.
But it wasn’t until the last minute that he knew who he was going to meet. Hunter Hearst-Helmsley and Chyna.
“Hunter’s extremely huge,” said Lewis to SLAM! Wrestling after the backstage meet and greet before Saturday’s SkyDome show. “He’s a monster.”
As for Chyna, Lewis said “she’s very nice,” and “she’s beautiful.”
Both HHH and Chyna took the meet and greet in stride.
“It’s all part of appreciation for your fans,” explained Chyna, wearing a white tube top, pink lipstick, and killer pink nail tips. “I always find it interesting what people ask us … There’s not a lot we haven’t heard. To tell you the truth, a lot of it is usually the same.”
However, when Lewis asked HHH if he and Chyna were actually a couple outside the ring, HHH skillfully deflected the question to Chyna, who then conveniently ignored the question. (The buzz is that they are.)
Chyna was also asked what she eats for breakfast.
“Actually, you’d be surprised by what I eat,” she said. “I eat a lot, and I eat as much as I can all day. I have to maintain my weight.” That includes protein shakes, “a huge bag of supplements,” vitamins and orange juice.
“We just eat as much as we can, which is a job in itself.”
The group of friends that Lewis brought along to the show seemed definitely more interested in Chyna than HHH.
At the end of the meet and greet, SLAM! Wrestling cornered HHH and asked him whether a ladder match at SummerSlam between him and Rocky Maivia is in the works.
“You’re asking the wrong guy. I don’t make the matches, I just go in there and wrestle,” said Helmsley.
“If Rocky Maivia wants to put the title up, I’ll take the match however I can. If it’s a ladder match, I’ll do it in a ladder match. If it’s in cage, I’ll do it in a cage. Whatever he wants to do. If he wants to put that belt on the line against me at SummerSlam, which he’s going to have to do, doesn’t matter what kind of match they make, I’m going to be the new Intercontinental champion come SummerSlam.”
n the 1990s, on the tail of the Golden Age of professional wrestling, there seemed to be an endless string of high-profile men that cycled in and out of the ring. But unlike anyone before, there was only one athlete like Chyna. Joanie Laurer, who performed under the name Chyna from 1997 to 2011, was nearly six feet tall and over 200 pounds. She redefined the place of women in professional wrestling and was exalted as one of the greatest in the sport. But by the time her tenure was over, the legacy of Chyna had been muddied. Struggling with addiction and media exposure, Laurer's life came to a tragic end.
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That journey is explored in Vice's new documentary Vice Versa: Chyna, which will air on Vice TV on Thursday night at 9 p.m. For the first time, wrestlers and friends close to the legend will open up about the politics, intimate details, and struggles that Laurer faced throughout her career. But for those unfamiliar with Chyna herself, the story of the famous wrestler is as incredible as it is heartbreaking.
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Who is Joanie Laurer?
Laurer was born in Rochester, New York in 1969. In her biography, If They Only Knew, she detailed a tumultuous childhood that involved multiple moves, multiple stepfathers, an eating disorder, and sexual assault from a seventh grade teacher. Laurer persisted, turning to working out in high school and eventually pushing forward and attending college. Also in her book, she alleged that she was raped by two men while attending the University of Tampa. After college, she enlisted in the Peace Corps and held an assortment of odd jobs, including a cocktail waitress, a 900 number operator, and a belly dancer. Later, she started entering fitness competitions, regularly placing first.
Chyna's Ascent and Descent from Greatness
Laurer's wrestling career started in 1995, when she started wrestling under the name Joanie Lee. After meeting Paul Levesque and Michael Hickenbottom (better known by their stage names Triple H and Shawn Michaels, respectively) in 1996 following a WWF (now WWE) show, the company reviewed her wrestling tapes and expressed interest in her joining the organization. WWF's rival, WCW, was also considering Laurer for a position.
According to Laurer, after accepting the WCW position, WWF countered and brought her on as a wrestler in 1997 as part of the famed wrestling faction Degeneration-X. This was disputed, partly, by one of Laurer's mentors who called her a liar, claiming he landed Laurer the position. In an interview about whether wrestling was a reputable sport and form of entertainment, she said, "I'm probably one of the most recognizable female athletes in the world right now. If I go to India, they know who I am... how does that demean me?"
chyna and hhh in wwf smackdown
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At the same time, Laurer starting dating Levesque and remained with him until 2000. In her early years at WWF, she adopted the name Chyna and became a force for women in wrestling unlike anyone before. She entered battle royale style matches—the first for a woman—and rose through the ranks to become one of wrestling's most popular and profitable stars, despite men in the circuit being intimidated by the idea of a woman beating them. Chyna ultimately became the first and only woman to win the Intercontinental Championship.
Behind the scenes, Laurer posed for Playboy, which stirred controversy in the wrestling circuit. A number of different issues started to arise, particularly after she and Levesque broke up in 2000, that led to Laurer leaving WWF. Reports of her pursuing an acting career were dominant at the time, but later on, it was confirmed that Laurer asked for a salary more than double the one she was offered from WWF, which they ultimately passed on.
The Media Spiral
Following her departure from the WWF, Laurer's public wrestling career never reached the same heights of her heyday. Ultimately, she found herself in a bind, unable to bring the name "Chyna" along with her, as it was licensed to the WWF. In a 2015 video, she addressed some of the issues, clarifying, "My name is Chyna. Those who know me as Joanie or Joan, that's cool. But just to let everyone know, my name is legally Chyna."
In 2004, a sex tape of her and then-boyfriend Sean Waltman (known as wrestler X-Pac) surfaced, titled One Night in China. The video and her subsequent pornographic films would haunt her for years, and before her death, she spoke on the issues, saying, "A tape came out that I didn't want to come out. I felt violated, both physically, sexually, financially. It was in the midst of a tumultuous relationship. An abusive relationship." She continued making videos, saying she was making "lemonade out of lemons."
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Later in life, Laurer developed a famous friendship with Anna Nicole Smith and went on Larry King Live to discuss her friend's death right after it was announced. She also appeared in a series of small bit roles on television, as well as film. Ultimately, from the time that Laurer was in wrestling and dating Levesque, she allegedly struggled with mental health issues and addiction, according to reports from family. In the years following her departure from the WWF, she appeared multiple times in the media, discussing her relationships, allegations of physical abuse against Waltman, addiction, and complicated relationship with the WWF.
In 2010, she overdosed on sleeping pills. In 2012, she moved to Japan and started working as an English teacher, alleging that her reputation was ruined in America, preventing her from working in media. "It’s one of the most disheartening illustrations I’ve ever seen of what mental illness and drug abuse can do to a person,” Jim Ross said for a Bleacher Report piece on Laurer. “The saddest part is that, at her core, Joanie Laurer was a very loving, sweet person—a gentle soul. She just couldn’t overcome her demons.”
In the same piece, Laurer's friend, Tonia Moore added (of their shared use of meth), "When you get caught up in that stuff, it feels like you’re in a time warp. Life doesn’t move forward very much. You sit around and come up with all these ideas but never follow through with any of them.”
An Unexpected Loss
In 2015, Laurer moved back to the United States. Six years after her 2010 overdose, Laurer was found in her California home, unconscious. Days before her death, she posted a video that was incoherent, though she seemed in good spirits. Initial reports expected that she died from an accidental overdose. Later in 2016, it was revealed that in addition to alcohol, Laurer had diazepam, nordazepam, oxycodone, oxymorphone, and temazepam in her system. Though her career and legacy were complicated by a number of issues in her life, Laurer remains one of the most influential wrestlers of the modern era, eventually being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019.
It was a massacre all right.
Vince McMahon, owner and biggest baddie in the World Wrestling Federation dares to challenge “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to a steel cage match? What the heck was this guy thinking? Impersonating a punching bag at INYH: St. Valentine’s Day Massacre held in The Pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee, McMahon was throttled within an inch of his life. His master plan involving Paul Wight (formerly The Giant in WCW) also backfired landing him squarely in the Heartbreak Hotel. It was the set-up for a three-way match between The Rock, Mankind and Austin or two separate matches to decide the World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight title at WrestleMania.
The WWF Hardcore Title match (Al Snow versus Bob Holly) starting the festivities off with a bang, the pay-per-view bumbled along until the double main events of Mankind – Maivia and Austin McMahon commenced. Although the draw finish of the Mankind and Rock bout severely ticked off the fans in attendance, they marked out heavily for the cage match. And who can blame them? Say what you want about “McMahon the business man”. Tonight, he stole two chapters out of Mick Foley’s Guide To Making It Big In Pro-Wrestling showing how just far he would personally go to entertain WWF fans. They weren’t disappointed.
As they have for over a year, mindgames played a crucial role in the beginning of the match. McMahon balked at entering the cage, walking away twice while Austin waited inside. Fed-up with McMahon’s stalling tactics, Stone Cold chased the WWF President around the outside. McMahon won the race back to the cage door standing there kicking at Austin preventing him from entering so the bell could be rung.
Stone Cold took another approach climbing the cage. McMahon kicked at him sending Austin to the floor. Stone Cold got to his feet limping and holding his ankle. Vinnie Mac exited the cage preparing to do more damage to the ankle. Austin was playing possum. He clotheslined McMahon to the floor, smacking his head against the announcer’s table. McMahon was whacked with a headset and rammed into the cage. Austin wrapped a camera cable around McMahon’s throat strangling him then up-ended him over the security fence into the first row.
Austin vaulted the fence. He stomped McMahon, dumped a bottle of water over his head then flung him into the steel ring steps. A poke to the eyes blinded Stone Cold. McMahon ungracefully shoved him into the cage. Austin stood up no worse for wear as McMahon taunted him from the crowd. Not a good idea. The WWF rattlesnake pummeled him up the arena stairs.
On the run, McMahon tried several times to climb into the cage from outside. Austin yanked him down. Upon stomping McMahon in the crotch, Stone Cold took a seat at ringside watching the man who has made his professional life a living hell writhe in agony. Austin and McMahon scaled the cage side by side. His head bounced off the steel bars like a tennis ball, McMahon pulled a Mick Foley falling from the top of the cage landing on the announcer’s table below. The table shattered. McMahon didn’t move a muscle.
Shane McMahon and medical personnel arrived on the scene. Austin smiled. The medical staff placed a neck brace carefully around McMahon’s neck. They loaded the WWF prez onto a stretcher. Ring announcer Howard Finkle was about to declare Stone Cold the winner. Austin ripped the microphone out of his hands saying the whole situation was bulls–t since the match never officially started.
“He’s not going to lose that easy,” said Austin pulling the medical staff out of the way. As was the calling card of Sid Justice (Sycho Sid, Sid Vicious), Austin pushed the stretcher down the aisle and into the cage. The stretcher popped up to a standing position flinging McMahon forward into the cold, hard steel. Austin picked up the stretcher’s back board and beat McMahon. Austin threw McMahon into the ring. The bell sounded signaling the start of the match.
McMahon shook as Austin hit two flying elbow smashes. Austin called for the door. Just as Stone Cold was about to touch the floor ending the match, McMahon sat up giving him the one-finger salute. An angry WWF rattlesnake returned inside teasing a loss. He stomped McMahon mercilessly. When he turned his back, McMahon hit Austin with a low blow and tossed him into the cage.
McMahon climbed for dear life but Austin caught him. McMahon’s head cracked against the unforgiving metal bars. While McMahon lay blading on the mat, Austin distracted the crowd by saluting them from a distant corner. Brought to his feet, blood poured from a wound in McMahon’s forehead. Austin sent him to the cage again before attempting to climb out. A bloody McMahon got to his knees flipping Austin a double “bird”. Fit to be tied, Stone Cold climbed back in Stunning McMahon.
As Austin yelled a blue streak in McMahon’s face, the mat ripped open. Paul Wight emerged from underneath the ring grabbing Austin by the throat. Wight flung Austin forcibly into the cage three times. On the third strike, an entire side of the cage came loose swinging. Austin held on dropping to the floor and winning the match.
Chyna[1] (born Joan Marie Laurer; December 27, 1969 – April 17, 2016) was an American professional wrestler, glamour model, author and bodybuilder.
Chyna
Chyna at Slim-Fast Fashion Show 1.jpg
Chyna in 2008
Born Joan Marie Laurer
December 27, 1969
Rochester, New York, U.S.
Died April 17, 2016 (aged 46)
Redondo Beach, California, U.S.
Cause of death Accidental drug overdose
Resting place Ashes scattered into the Pacific Ocean[2][3]
Alma mater University of Tampa
Occupation
Professional wrestlerglamour modelactressauthorbodybuilder
Partner(s)
Triple H (1996–2000)
Sean Waltman (2003–2005)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)
Chyna[4]
Chyna Doll[4]
Joanie Laurer[4]
Joanie Lee[4]
Just Joanie[4]
Billed height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[5][6][7]
Billed weight 209 lb (95 kg)[8]
Billed from Londonderry, New Hampshire[9]
Trained by Killer Kowalski[4][10]
Debut 1995[4][11]
Retired 2011
Signature
Chyna Signature.png
She first rose to prominence in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1997, where she was billed as the "Ninth Wonder of the World" (André the Giant was already billed as the eighth). A founding member of the stable D-Generation X as the promotion's first female enforcer, she held the WWF Intercontinental Championship (the only female performer to do so) twice and the WWF Women's Championship once.[7] She was also the first woman to participate in the Royal Rumble match and King of the Ring tournament, as well as to become number one contender to the WWF Championship.[12] With singles victories over several prominent male wrestlers – including multiple-time world champions Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, and Jeff Jarrett[13] – Chyna left what WWE called "a lasting legacy as the most dominant female competitor of all time".[12] After leaving the WWF in 2001, Chyna wrestled sporadically, with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in 2002 and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2011. The latter was her final appearance in a wrestling ring.
Outside of wrestling, Chyna appeared in Playboy magazine twice, as well as numerous television shows and films. She was considered a sex symbol. In 2005, she was a cast member on VH1's The Surreal Life, which led to several other celebrity reality appearances on the network, including The Surreal Life: Fame Games in 2007 and Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2008. Chyna was also known for her tumultuous relationship with fellow wrestler Sean Waltman.
In 2019, Chyna was posthumously entered into the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of D-Generation X, making her the first woman to be inducted as a part of a group or a team.[14]
Contents
1 Early life
2 Professional wrestling career
2.1 Training and independent circuit (1995–1997)
2.2 World Wrestling Federation
2.2.1 D-Generation X (1997–1999)
2.2.2 Intercontinental Champion (1999–2000)
2.2.3 Eddie Guerrero and Women's Champion (2000–2001)
2.3 New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2002)
2.4 Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2011)
3 Adult film career
3.1 Films
3.2 Awards
4 Other media
4.1 Playboy
4.2 Literature
4.3 Television and film
5 Personal life
6 Death
7 Legacy
7.1 Posthumous documentary
8 Filmography
8.1 Television
8.2 Film
8.3 Video Games
9 Championships and accomplishments
10 See also
11 References
12 Further reading
13 External links
Early life
Laurer was born in Rochester, New York, on December 27, 1969.[15][16] She had two older siblings: Kathy and Sonny.[17]
After her parents divorced when she was approximately four years old, Laurer had three different stepfathers and one stepmother.[17] According to Laurer, her first stepfather threatened suicide at one point,[17] and her biological father, who once accidentally stabbed her mother in the thigh with a butcher knife, had a problem with alcoholism.[18] From 1973 to 1983, she, her siblings and her mother moved several times.[18]
As a child, Laurer learned to play both the violin and cello.[19] She later said that in seventh grade she was sexually kissed by a much older teacher who worked at her school.[20] At age thirteen, while attending Penfield High School, she began purging after she ate.[21] She left home at age sixteen after her mother tried to force her into a drug rehabilitation facility, going instead to live with her biological father.[22] That same year, she began working out, and because her abdominal muscles were so strong, she did not feel any pain when she developed an ovarian tumor.[20] She finished her last year of high school in Spain.[23]
She attended the University of Tampa,[24] graduating in 1992 with a major in Spanish Literature.[25] During college, she also studied French and German (she could converse in either language[25]) and later stated during this time she was raped by two men after getting drunk at a party.[26] She also was a member of the ROTC.[24] She originally wanted to use her knowledge of foreign languages to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation or Drug Enforcement Administration.[25] Subsequently, she joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to Guatemala.[27]
After returning from abroad, Laurer held several different jobs: a cocktail waitress in a strip club, singer in a band, and a 900-number chat line worker.[28] In her mid-to-late 20s, while living in the Florida Keys, she took a six-week class to train to be a flight attendant.[29] On the way to her first flight, she was in a car accident and spent four days in the hospital.[30] After recovering from the accident, Laurer's sister Kathy helped her get a job selling pagers, and both women also worked as belly dancers.[31]
After college, Laurer began to regularly enter fitness competitions. In 1996, Laurer competed in the New York City regional level of the Fitness America competition.[8] Because of her large size compared to the other women, she usually finished in last place.[8]
Professional wrestling career
Training and independent circuit (1995–1997)
Joanie Laurer trained at Wladek "Killer" Kowalski's professional wrestling school in Malden, Massachusetts.[10] Her first match was in 1995 against a male wrestler dressed as a woman.[11] While attending the school, she also worked for various independent promotions as Joanie Lee.[32][33] Some of her earliest matches were set up by The Fabulous Moolah.[33][34]
Laurer met World Wrestling Federation (WWF) performers Paul "Triple H" Levesque and Shawn Michaels after a professional wrestling show in 1996.[35][36] After watching tapes of her matches, they decided to bring her into the WWF as a bodyguard.[35][36] Vince McMahon, the owner of the WWF, initially did not want her to join the company because he did not believe the audience would find a woman beating up men believable.[36][37] While waiting for the WWF's decision, Laurer was approached by World Championship Wrestling (WCW), who wanted her to be the sole female member of the New World Order.[38] She initially accepted the offer, but later turned it down when Shane McMahon, Vince McMahon's son, informed her that she was about to be hired by the WWF.[38] However, Kowalski claimed that he got Laurer hired by the WWF after introducing her to Shane McMahon and telling him of WCW's interest in her.[39]
World Wrestling Federation
D-Generation X (1997–1999)
Main article: D-Generation X
Chyna in 1997
Laurer made her WWF debut on February 16, 1997 at In Your House 13: Final Four; her character emerged as a plant from a ringside seat, choking Marlena while Goldust was in the ring with Triple H.[40] Her original role in the promotion was as the laconic enforcer/bodyguard for D-Generation X which was founded by Shawn Michaels and Triple H. She often helped them (then, a rising villain) cheat to win by physically interfering in matches by executing her trademark low blow to the groin.[40] She was later given the ring name "Chyna", an intentionally ironic moniker; fine china is delicate and fragile, a sharp contrast to her character.[41] Off-screen, however, the male wrestlers were hesitant at first to let a woman overpower them onscreen.[42]
During her time in D-Generation X, she was put in a romantic storyline with Mark Henry, member of the rival stable Nation of Domination.[43] It started in August 1998 after The Rock ordered Henry to kiss Chyna to humiliate her, during which she fought back.[44] Henry would chase her romantically, eventually threatening her with a storyline sexual harassment demand over one of her beatdowns if she didn't accept to go to a date with him.[45] Chyna accepted and eventually reconciled with him, becoming his on-screen girlfriend and ally.[46] However, in January 1999 Chyna revealed it had been all a ruse to humiliate Henry.[47]
A week after her storyline with Henry, Chyna was the thirtieth entrant in the Royal Rumble, becoming the first woman ever to enter the eponymous match.[25] The day after the Royal Rumble, Chyna became a villainess by betraying Triple H and aligning herself with his enemy Vince McMahon and Kane.[36] Laurer teamed with Kane at the St. Valentine's Day Massacre pay-per-view against former allies X-Pac and Triple H.[48] At WrestleMania XV, Chyna turned on Kane in his match by attacking him with a chair, appearing to rejoin DX.[36][49] Chyna and Triple H, however, turned against DX later that evening when they helped Shane McMahon defeat DX member X-Pac.[49] The duo became part of The Corporation and later Shane McMahon's Corporate Ministry. Following the dissolution of the Corporate Ministry, the villainous Chyna remained at Triple H's side.[36] They would eventually split up later in the year.
Intercontinental Champion (1999–2000)
In June 1999, Chyna became the first woman to qualify for the King of the Ring tournament.[36] She was also the first woman to be the number one contender for the WWF Championship, but lost the spot to Mankind before SummerSlam in August.[36] Later that year, Laurer became a fan favorite again during her long feud with Jeff Jarrett. She challenged the British Bulldog to a match on the October 4, 1999 Raw, a match in which she defeated him.[50] At Unforgiven, she had a match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship against Jarrett, which she lost.[51] She defeated Jarrett for the title at No Mercy in his last WWF match, a Good Housekeeping match, on October 17 at No Mercy, in the process becoming the first and only woman to win the Intercontinental Championship.[52][53] She also gained the services of his valet, Miss Kitty. Laurer claims that Jarrett demanded (and received) $300,000 from Vince McMahon in order to lose the title cleanly to a woman.[54] His contract had expired on October 16, and he was therefore not contractually obligated to appear on the pay-per-view.[55] If he had not appeared, the WWF would have been criticized for false advertising, and the lineage of the title would have been broken.[56]
Chyna then feuded with Chris Jericho over the belt, defeating him at Survivor Series,[57] but losing the title to him at Armageddon.[58] The two faced off again in a match on the edition of December 28 of SmackDown!, which ended controversially with both wrestlers pinning each other. As a result, then "head of authority" Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley declared them co-champions.[59] At the Royal Rumble, Jericho and Chyna defended the title against Hardcore Holly in a Triple Threat match to determine the Intercontinental Champion, which Jericho won;[60] Chyna's "co-champions" reign is no longer recognized by WWE and is now considered a continuation of Jericho's second Intercontinental reign.[61] Afterwards, Laurer briefly teamed with Jericho.
Eddie Guerrero and Women's Champion (2000–2001)
Chyna standing and holding flowers in ring with Guerrero nearby
Chyna at the King of the Ring event with Eddie Guerrero in June 2000
Not long after losing the Intercontinental title, Laurer became the on-screen girlfriend of Eddie Guerrero. Guerrero and Laurer, originally villains, later became fan favorites during the summer of 2000, with Guerrero dubbing her his "Mamacita".[62] The couple faced Val Venis and then-rookie Trish Stratus in an intergender tag team match at SummerSlam with the Intercontinental Championship on the line.[63] Chyna won the match, but lost the belt two weeks later to Guerrero in a Triple Threat match with Kurt Angle.[64] They officially split in November 2000 after Chyna, in storyline, found Eddie cavorting in the shower with two other women.[65]
At the same time, Laurer posed nude for Playboy magazine's November 2000 issue.[6] Her Playboy modeling was also worked into a WWF storyline (based, in part, on a real-life legal feud between the WWF and the socially conservative Parents Television Council),[66] in which it drew the ire of the Right to Censor (a group of morally conservative wrestlers). Shortly after, Laurer began a feud with Ivory, a member of the Right to Censor, over the Women's Championship. This culminated in a storyline at the Royal Rumble where Laurer appeared to reinjure her neck while performing a handspring back elbow.[67] In order to better convince the audience that she was injured, color commentator Jerry Lawler left the commentators' booth and entered the ring to check on Laurer's condition, something he had not done since the in-ring accident that killed Owen Hart in 1999.[67] When Laurer returned from the "injury", she won the Women's Championship from Ivory at WrestleMania X-Seven in a squash match.[68] Laurer also defended her title against Lita at Judgment Day in 2001.[69] Although she won the match, she soon vacated the Women's Championship, as this was Laurer's final WWF match.
She left the WWF on November 30, 2001, several months after she had been taken off of television.[70] Various accounts of her departure from WWF have circulated over the years. Behind the scenes, her former real-life boyfriend Paul "Triple H" Levesque, began a relationship with Stephanie McMahon; Laurer claimed the pair began seeing each other before she and Levesque had broken up.[71] In a 2002 interview with The Baltimore Sun, Laurer indicated that the breakup with Levesque had nothing to do with her leaving WWF and that she left to pursue an acting career.[72] Jim Ross, then Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, reports that it was "mutually agreed" to let her WWF contract expire in order for her to explore other career options.[73] In a 2015 interview with Vince Russo, Chyna stated that after a meeting with Vince McMahon about the Stephanie McMahon situation, she was sent home and was later sent a fax telling her that she was not needed anymore.[74] After Laurer's death, her sister stated that in 2001 she was offered a new WWF contract with a minimum salary of $400,000 per year and the potential for substantially higher income via merchandising and pay-per-view appearances, but she refused to sign a contract for less than a base salary of $1 million per year.[71] Ross later confirmed this account, characterizing Laurer's demand for $1 million per year as "outrageous" and unrealistic thus leading to the reluctance of WWF officials negotiate with Laurer despite her popularity among fans.[71]
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2002)
In 2002, Laurer joined New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and made her first appearance at the New Japan Thirtieth Anniversary Show, refereeing a bout between the Steiner Brothers and Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kensuke Sasaki.[70] In September and October 2002, she wrestled several matches for the promotion.[70] After losing to Masahiro Chono on October 14, 2002, Laurer performed her final match on October 26, teaming with a fake Great Muta played by Troy Enders in a loss to Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kenzo Suzuki.[70]
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2011)
During the May 3, 2011, tapings of the edition of May 12 of Impact!, Chyna made her TNA debut, introduced by the returning Spike TV network consultant Mick Foley. He introduced her as Kurt Angle's business associate (she had been previously referred to as his "Mistress") and tag team partner at Sacrifice, where they would face Jeff Jarrett and Karen Jarrett. During the taping she also took part in a battle royal, from which she eliminated Jeff.[75][76][77] At Sacrifice on May 15, Chyna submitted Karen for the win in the mixed tag team match.[78] She left TNA shortly after making Sacrifice 2011 her final wrestling match.
Adult film career
Laurer made her adult film debut with the 2004 video 1 Night in China. Laurer and Sean Waltman approached Red Light District Video to distribute the homemade video, which was released in 2004. Laurer appeared in her second adult video, entitled Another Night in China in 2009. In 2011, Laurer starred in her first professional pornographic film for Vivid Video entitled Backdoor to Chyna.[79] She also starred for Vivid as She-Hulk in their parody of The Avengers, released in May 2012.[80] A spinoff feature centered on the She-Hulk character and titled She-Hulk XXX was released to video in April 2013.[81][82]
In one of her final YouTube videos before her death, Laurer stated she previously had no ambitions to go into porn and was instead "making lemonade out of lemons" after the video of her and X-Pac was released, according to her, "without her permission".[83]
Films
Year Title Role
2004 1 Night in China Herself
2009 Another Night in China Herself