April 21st, 2016 will be a day wrestling fans never forget. Joanie “Chyna” Laurer made a name for herself in the world of professional wrestling. Originally considered to be a male dominant sport, Chyna broke the glass ceiling for women in professional wrestling throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. During her stint in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), she was known to fans as the “9th Wonder of the World” where she became the first women to compete in the King of the Ring tournament, crowned Intercontinental Champion, and famously teamed up with Triple H and Shawn Michaels to form the popular stable Degeneration X.
The minute Chyna stepped foot into the ring business was about to pick up (Jim Ross Reference!). Outside of wrestling, she lived a troubled life and made many attempts to revive her career. After stints in adultery and reality shows, she had another obstacle to overcome: substance abuse. Even though her life was cut short, she leaves behind a legacy that will never be recreated. Chyna kicked down a major door as she showed the WWE how appealing a powerful women can be. As her entrance states “Don’t treat her like a women, don’t treat her like a man, Just treat her for who and what she is.”