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A former WWE Women's Champion reportedly wanted to be paid the same as Stone Cold Steve Austin, according to Jim Ross, who was the promotion's EVP of Talent Relations at the time.
Prior to joining AEW, Jim Ross spent several decades working in WWE. While he is mostly known for his legendary calls with the mic in his hand, JR also served in an important backstage capacity for the company.
Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, The Voice of Wrestling spoke about the late WWE Hall of Famer Chyna. The former Intercontinental Champion was definitely one of a kind and a major asset for the promotion during the Attitude Era.
However, she also upfront with Jim Ross while negotiating new contracts. Female athletes are still fighting for equal pay in this day and age and we can only imagine how much tougher it was for the athletes of Chyna's generation.
"I had a lot of issues trying to negotiate a contract with Chyna. Chyna was demanding that she make the same money as [Steve] Austin. I thought that might have been a little far-fetched. That ended up being the straw that broke the camel's back, if you will. It's just that you're not gonna get a $1 million guarantee, and she didn't understand why," Ross said. [H/T: Wrestling Inc.]
Given that Stone Cold was one of the most popular Superstars in WWE history, JR was hesitant to give in to Chyna's demands. He continued:
"She actually thought she was a bigger star than Austin. Because she was female, and had that advantage, uniqueness, and a one-of-a-kind deal."
Chyna ended her four-year run in the company in November 1991 when an agreement could not be reached. She would go on to compete in Japan and TNA.
Chyna paved a way for many of today's WWE Superstars
Chyna stood out from the other women on WWE's roster at the time because of her muscular physique and no-nonsense demeanor. As a result, she regularly competed against men and claimed the Intercontinental Championship on multiple occasions.
Current stars like Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez are quite the modern day versions of Chyna. In many ways, she broke the mould of what a female wrestler should be.
She was posthumously introduced into the Hall of Fame Class of 2019 as a member of D-Generation X. .
