The mid to late 90’s were a hell of a time to be alive as a pre/teenage girl. While you had the Spice Girls voluntarily making themselves 6’7, Britney Spears doing whatever the hell it was that she wanted to do, and Jessica Simpson taking full control of her image, there was one ultimate symbol for Girl Power: Chyna, former WWE Superstar, the 9th Wonder of the World.
I can’t say the phrase without hearing Jim Ross’s voice in my head.
Earlier this evening Joanie “Chyna” Laurer’s official Facebook and Twitter pages reported that she had passed away. As an avid follower of hers on social media, I wondered yesterday why I hadn’t seen her post anything since Sunday (she usually posted about 20 times a day, mostly photos with her and fans), but I chalked it up to Facebook and their stupid ever-changing algorithms.
Like most fans, I was skeptical at first due to the death hoax that surrounded her back in 2012. I waited for Mick Foley to once again post that she just passed out and was doing fine. But that post never came, and TMZ broke that they confirmed with her manager. To say that I am crushed, heartbroken, or shocked would be merely understatements.
In my desperate spelunking for a source reporting otherwise, I came across many heartless comments speculating how she passed away. And to those people I say this: have some respect.
To fully understand her impact on the wrestling industry you have to know how she rose to superstar status. Some will argue that she gained notoriety on the coat tails of Shawn Michaels and Triple H, but I will argue the contrary until I run out of words (which spoiler alert: I never do).
Chyna is the first and only woman to hold the Intercontinental Championship, and qualify for the King of the Ring Tournament. Also, the Women’s division of the WWE as it is today does not exist without Chyna.
She started as the strong, silent type in Triple H’s ringside goon. She would get involved with every match, often reaching for ankles or jumping up on the ring to distract the referee; and that’s why at one point I hated her.
I never really paid attention to Triple H, but was a Shawn Michaels fan when I started watching WWE right before the transition to the Attitude Era. DX was formed shortly thereafter.
At first, I found DX’s antics hilarious, but after the Pay-Per-View with their namesake in December 1997, when Chyna helped cheat Ken Shamrock out of winning the title match that he earned, my hatred for her entered a new atmosphere.
Obscenities spewed from my mouth that should have never should have come from a 12 year old girl, not a Catholic school girl anyway. As a gimmick in the Pay-Per-View that was held the following April when Triple H battled Owen Hart for the Intercontinental Championship, she was suspended above the ring in a cage. Was it a steel cage? Maybe, that’s what they told us, but who knows.
She was able to bend the bars and make her escape and still find a way to creep down and interfere. My brother told me it was fake; I was still impressed. She later betrayed Triple H for Kane, then reunited with Triple H, and then distanced herself when Stephanie McMahon became a character in the storylines. But I’m not going to waste time and words mentioning the whole love triangle thing; there’s been enough of that over the past few years and now is not the time.
But that was when I started to respect her.
She won the Intercontinental Championship from Jeff Jarrett in his final WWE match. It was rumored that he demanded a parting gift in order to lose his title cleanly to a woman, but she won, and that’s all that matters.
Chyna also had storylines with Chris Jericho and Eddie Guerrero (who she always spoke glowingly of, even in a post as recent as three weeks ago). The two faced Val Venis and then rookie Trish Stratus, and watching Stratus bounce off of her was a thing of gold. The Women’s Championship was resurrected in large part to Chyna, although no one really ever stood a chance at beating her.
Chyna left the WWE and vacated the Women’s Championship in 2001. There are conflicting reasons why she left; some say she left because Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, while others say she left for personal reasons. I would prefer to believe the latter, and that she was not forced out.
A few years ago, she emerged on social media, and showed everyone the real Chyna. She was lovely, engaging, and most importantly, adored her fans. Every single fan photo that was shared with her, she shared with all of her followers.
She took pictures and signed autographs for everyone that met her. I have even seen fans post to her saying that they met her and how gracious she was with everyone who wanted to meet her.
I’ve met some celebrities in my life that have the whole “okay, come over here let me sign your crap, take the picture, and move on,” mentality, and that was not Chyna. For the most part, her focus was on making amends with the WWE so she could take her rightful spot in the Hall of Fame, but was denied meetings. And now she is gone, still on the WWE black list.
Those that watched her, who followed her, and who grew up with her know that she deserves a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame, even if it is posthumously.
For me she shifted from villain, to hero, and then to human being who was more than just a character. She seemed to have been doing well in recent months, but it appears her demons have gotten the best of her.
There will never be another Chyna, and the WWE Women’s division would not be what it is today without her. No Project Runway episode, no Total Divas, perhaps not even a belt to call their own.
Rest in Peace Chyna. Anyone who watched and followed you recognizes your impact on the industry, regardless if they viewed you as a heel. You will be forever missed by your fans. I hope that Latino Heat was there to greet you as you crossed over.
Do the right thing, Vince. Put Chyna in the Hall.
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