American professional wrestler, glamour model, pornographic film actress, actress, and bodybuilder.
Laurer first rose to prominence in the professional wrestling promotion the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1997, where she performed under the ring name Chyna and was billed as the “Ninth Wonder of the World” (André the Giant was already billed as the eighth). A founding member of the stable D-Generation X, she held the WWF Intercontinental Championship (the only female performer to do so) twice and the WWF Women’s Championship once. She is also the first woman to participate in the Royal Rumble and King of the Ring events, as well as to become number one contender to the WWF Championship. With singles victories over several prominent male wrestlers – including multiple-time world champions Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho and Jeff Jarrett – Chyna has left “a lasting legacy as the most dominant female competitor of all time”. Since leaving the WWF in 2001, Chyna has wrestled sporadically, most notably with New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2002 and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2011.
Outside of wrestling, Laurer has appeared in Playboy magazine twice, as well as numerous television shows and films. In 2005, Laurer was a cast member on VH1’s The Surreal Life, which led to several other celebrity reality appearances on the network, including The Surreal Life: Fame Games in 2007 and Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2008. She is also known for her tumultuous relationship with fellow wrestler Sean Waltman, with whom she made a sex tape released commercially in 2004 as 1 Night in China. She has since starred in a further five pornographic titles, and is a two-time AVN Award winner.
On April 20, 2016, Laurer was found dead at her home in Redondo Beach, California. She had been taking medication for anxiety and sleep deprivation. An official statement was posted to her Twitter account, saying “It is with deep sadness to inform you today that we lost a true icon, a real life superhero … She will live forever in the memories of her millions of fans and all of us that loved her.”
Chyna was announced as an inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2019 on February 18, 2019, as part of D-Generation X.
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