Chyna was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame
Joan Marie Laurer, better known by her in-ring name Chyna, was a former WWF/WWE wrestler. She was posthumously inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019.
Chyna contributed a lot to wrestling and especially WWE. The bullish fighter was one of the first overtly strong female characters in the promotion, overpowering her male counterparts regularly.
She was a trailblazer, who became the first women WWE wrestler to participate in a Royal Rumble match (1999), and qualify for the King of the Ring tournament. Her legacy, though, is largely defined by her time at D-generation X.
DX was formed by Shawn Michaels and Triple H, and Chyna was introduced as their ‘bodyguard’ in 1997. She spent two iconic years with the group, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of DX.
This also made her the first woman to be in the WWE Hall of Fame as a part of a group. It was at this group where she met her love real-life love interest, Paul Levesque (Triple H).
They started dating in 1996 but broke off 5 years later. She also left WWE in November 2001 after controversies arising with a photoshoot done with Playboy magazine.
It was later said that she wanted an annual salary of around $1,000,000 while WWE offered her somewhere around $400,000. Apart from WWE, she had short stints at NJPW (2002) and TNA (2011).
Lauren (Chyna) was found dead inside her house in California on 20th April, 2016. Her manager, Anthony Anzaldo, suspected something was wrong after she did not post any updates on her social media.
Initial reports stated that she died either of natural causes or drug overdose. Her brain was donated to science to study the effects of CET, which occurs due to repeated blows to her head.
Her memorial service was held on 22nd July 2016, in Los Angeles. Later reports confirmed that she died on 17th July due to drug overdose.
It was revealed that she overdosed on alcohol, anxiety drugs, painkillers, and sleeping pills. 3 years later, she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Jim Ross revealed that it was her wish to be included in it in the future.
Paul Levesque mentioned that she “100%”deserved to be included in it as a part of DX, and also warrants a second inclusion for her individual career.
She continues to be one of the most important wrestling figures in WWE’s recent history. Chyna was undoubtedly the most influential wrestler during the Attitude Era, and defined the future of the promotion.
Perhaps, her influence could be summed up best by what WWE commentator Jim Ross had to say about her.
“The distinctive athlete was to WWE what Ronda Rousey has been to UFC.”
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