Chyna, one of the stars of the Attitude Era, is the Wrestling Republic Wrestler of the Day for February 16th.
Chyna Biography:
Birth Name: Joan Marie Lauerer
Age: 46 (December 27th, 1969 – April 20th, 2016)
Height: 5’10
Weight: 200 pounds
Debut: 1996
Place of Birth: Rochester, New York
Accolades: 2x WWE Intercontinental Champion, 1x WWE Women’s Champion, WWE Hall of Famer (2019), #106 on the PWI 500 in 2000
A popular star during the Attitude Era, Chyna made her WWE debut on this day in 1996. At In Your House 13: Final Four, she made her debut attacking Melena as a plant in the crowd. In honor of this legend’s debut, she is today’s Wrestler of the Day.
After her debut, Chyna served as the bodyguard for D-Generation X. After helping the group for a while, she went out on her own. Chyna’s imposing appearance allowed her to have the unique role of winning matches against men. In her career, she defeated Kurt Angle, Triple H, and Jeff Jarrett. Notably, she made history by becoming the first woman to enter the Royal Rumble and the first woman to win the Intercontinental Championship. In addition to her title wins, on-screen romances were a staple of Chyna’s career. She had kay fabe relationships with Mark Henry and Eddie Guerrero.
Despite her popularity, Chyna’s time with WWE ended in late 2001, as a result of failing to agree on salary during negotiations. After leaving WWE, she bounced around, having brief stints in New Japan Pro Wrestling and Impact. Unfortunately, Chyna passed away in 2016 due to an accidental overdose. She was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of DX. Although many would argue she belongs in the HOF as an individual as well.
Photo Credit: WWE
