Chyna

Biography

Joan Marie Laurer, known by her ring name Chyna, was a multifaceted American entertainer who made her mark as a professional wrestler, actress, bodybuilder, and adult film star affiliated with Vivid Entertainment. Laurer gained widespread recognition after joining WWE in 1997, where she was famously introduced as the "Ninth Wonder of the World," following André the Giant, who was labeled as the eighth. As part of the D-Generation X faction, she made history by becoming the first female wrestler to earn the WWE Intercontinental Championship, as well as the WWE Women's Championship. Chyna also broke barriers by being the first woman to compete in events like the Royal Rumble and King of the Ring.

After departing from WWE in 2001, Chyna continued to wrestle on and off, including stints with New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2002 and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2011. Laurer's personal life was marked by a troubled relationship with her family; she last saw her mother at age sixteen, and her father disapproved of her not joining the FBI. She claimed he incurred substantial student debt in her name without her consent. By February 2015, she had repaired her relationship with her mother, although her father had passed away in May 2014.

Chyna taught English in Japan, and on February 9, 2015, during a WWE Network podcast, Triple H acknowledged her deserving recognition in the WWE Hall of Fame, although concerns about her past complicate this. Tragically, Laurer was found deceased on April 20, 2016, at her home in Redondo Beach, California, having struggled with anxiety and sleep issues. A statement from her Twitter account poignantly announced the loss of a beloved icon.