I was never a huge fan of the WWE (then the WWF) when I was a kid, but it was so popular that it kind of permeated everything. Like, everyone knew who Hulk Hogan was, who Rowdy Roddy Piper was. And when Chyna burst onto the scene in the late 1990s, everyone knew who she was. Especially girls. Sadly, Joan Laurer, the woman behind Chyna, a.k.a. “The 9th Wonder of the World,” has passed away at the age of 45.
Laurer was found dead in her apartment in Redondo Beach, California by a friend who’d come over to check in on her. According to CNN, while there are no signs of foul play, her death is under investigation and may be linked to a drug overdose.
Laurer came into the WWE having already accomplished more than most people do. Growing up in Rochester, NY, she had a rough childhood as the daughter of an alcoholic parent in a home filled with domestic trouble. According to her bio on her official website, “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.”
She studied Spanish Literature at the University of Tampa and graduated with a 3.9 GPA, and in addition to her athletic accomplishments, she could speak four languages: English, Spanish, German, and French. Laurer also served in the US Army ROTC as well as in the Peace Corps after college. But soon, she returned to the world of fitness, specifically fitness competitions.
Laurer always had an entertainer side to her as well. Early on, she was a belly dancer, but her height (she was 6 feet tall!) and her athleticism, along with her abilities as a performer, made her a natural fit for professional wrestling.
Laurer trained with Walter ‘Killer’ Kowalski alongside only men, and eventually she got discovered by Paul Levesque (a.k.a. Triple H) and Shawn Michaels (a.k.a. Heart Break Kid). After debuting in professional wrestling in 1997 as Triple H’s bodyguard, Laurer, now known as Chyna, became a standout. Eventually she became the only woman to qualify for the Royal Rumble and King of the Ring tournaments, as well as the only female Intercontinental Champion and the only undefeated Women’s Champion in WWE history.
After five years of professional wrestling, she went on to tackle other titles in sports, both here in the U.S. and in Japan, as well as make a career as a model, actress, and performer in adult film. She also penned an autobiography titled If They Only Knew, where she talks about the difficulties around building a career in entertainment when you don’t fit the cookie-cutter female mold.
I remember thinking back in the day that Chyna was an actual, real-life Xena: Warrior Princess. Nothing against Lucy Lawless, but Chyna was hardcore and the real deal.
RIP, Ms. Laurer. Thanks for teaching us that there are many ways in which women can walk through the world.
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