Far away from the hustle and bustle of the WWE’s tour of the UK, on the other side of the globe, in California, a different kind of chaos was spiralling into eternal calm. The wrestling community was jarred awake today with news of former WWE Women’s Champion Chyna’s passing.
A revolutionary Superstar often identified with being the most dominant woman performer in in the history of the WWE, Joan Marie Laurer’s proud legacy was sadly eclipsed by the demons of her life after she left the WWE.
But that doesn’t diminish the footprint Chyna left in the world of pro-wrestling. Her unexpected and untimely death is a harrowing reminder of the price WWE Superstars pay in the name of entertainment, but at this moment, let us remember the mercurial life “9th wonder of the world”.
Toubled beginnings
The native New Yorker overcame a toxic environment to become the Superstar she is remembered as. After her parents divorced when she was four years old, Chyna lived an itinerant life with a succession of stepfathers and a stepmother. Her biological father was an alcoholic and her first stepfather had suicidal tendencies.
9. A simpler time
Despite her torrid surroundings, Chyna developed a passion for music and learned to play the violin and the cello. But trouble was never far behind and she developed an eating disorder at 13.
To escape her mother’s attempts to have her admitted to a rehab facility, Chyna sought the refuge of her biological father’s home at 16. It was at this time that she discovered her zeal for exercise and began a disciplined regime.
College
After completing high school in Spain, Chyna enrolled the University of Tampa, from where she graduated in 1992 with a degree in Spanish literature. She showed a flair for languages and learnt to speak French and German, a skill that would influence her immediate choices.
Into the real world
Chyna’s skill in languages drove her to seek a career with the FBI and the DEA, and in the same vein, she was posted in Guatemala as a member of the Peace Corps. Returning to the US, she took up some odd jobs before training to become a flight attendant.
Her career as a stewardess would be nipped in the bud when she a car accident she met with en route to her first flight hospitalized her for 4 days. After recovering, Chyna worked some odd jobs with her sister.
Baby steps
Around 1995, Chyna decided to make something out of her fitness background (she was a regular competitor) and joined Killer Kowalski’s wrestling school in Massachusetts. In 1996, she met Triple H and Shawn Michaels at a wrestling show.
The two would recommed her to Vince McMahon, who was initially averse to signing her but later came around after hearing that she was about to be snapped up by their fierce competitor, WCW.
Chyna was supposed to be the first female member of the iconic nWo and was on the verge of signing a contract with the WCW when Shane McMahon made the save by informing her that the WWE had decided to take her in.
D-X Origins
In February 1997, Chyna would debut her heel character by helping Triple H win a match against Goldust. Her ‘silent muscle’ gimmick was lapped up by what would become known as the Attitude Era’s fans.
What’s in a name?
The moniker “Chyna” is inspired by the expensive material that is her namesake. Porcelain, though elegant, is known to be hard and highly resistant to heat and chemicals and Chyna’s character was a symbolic amalgam of strength and beauty.
A number of firsts
Entering the 1999 Royal Rumble at number 30, Chyna created history by becoming the first woman in WWE history to take part in the battle royal. In June that year, she repeated the feat by qualifying for the King of the Ring. She lost her number one contender’s slot for the WWF Championship to Mankind just before SummerSlam that year.
At No Mercy, Chyna created a record that will probably never be broken when she defeated Jeff Jarrett for the Intercontinental Championship. Jarrett was rumouredly paid $300,000 by Vince to drop the title because the match was a day after his WWE contract ended and he refused to lose to Chyna.
Wielding the pen
After leaving the WWE, Chyna penned her autobiography, “If They Only Knew”, which laid bare the dichotomy of her success as her wrestler and the battles she waged outside the ring. The book enjoyed a stay on the New York Times’ bestseller list.
Mainstream success
It is a shameful reflection on the human mind that we first recall just the sordid portions of Chyna’s media appearances. She also had some facetime in prominent TV shows like ‘3rd Rock from the Sun’ and Hollywood Squares. Chyna was a presenter at the MTV Video Music Awards and even auditioned for the role of the ‘T-X’ in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
