Chyna.

At 15, Joan Marie Laurer moved out of a home marked by alcoholism and domestic problems, finding escape through weightlifting at a local gym. Born on December 27, 1969, in Rochester, New York, to Janet Carol and Joseph Von Laurer Jr., she later graduated from the University of Tampa with a 3.9 GPA and a double major in Spanish Literature in under two years.

She served in the U.S. Army ROTC and the Peace Corps, teaching children to read in third-world countries, and studied foreign languages until she could speak English, Spanish, German, and French. Her early career included work as a belly dancer, singing telegram, and bartender before she enrolled in Killer Kowalski’s wrestling school.

Chyna made her worldwide television debut in February 1997 as a bodyguard for Triple H and Shawn Michaels on WWF programming. She quickly broke gender stereotypes by competing against men, becoming the only woman to qualify for the Royal Rumble and King of the Ring tournaments. In 1999, she defeated Jeff Jarrett to become the first female Intercontinental Champion, a title she held twice.

After leaving WWF in 2001 over contract disputes, she toured Japan and faced Masahiro Chono at the 2002 Tokyo Dome, earning Nikkan Sport’s 2002 Women’s Wrestler of the Year award. She returned to US television on TNA in 2011, teaming with Kurt Angle in a match at Sacrifice that was highly rated. Her film work included roles in Cougar Club 2007 and Frank McKlusky, C.I. 2002, and she hosted shows like Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors.

Chyna was engaged to fellow wrestler Sean Waltman X-Pac in November 2002. She had two older siblings, Kathy and Sonny. Her father Joe died in 2014. She legally changed her name to Chyna in November 2007. She lived in Tokyo, Japan from January 2012 to June 2015, teaching English to Japanese students. She also appeared on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2008 to address personal demons from an abusive relationship and childhood trauma.

In 2011, she released her first adult film with Vivid Entertainment, Backdoor to Chyna, which sold over a million copies. She stated the movie gave her confidence and helped her regain control of her life.

Chyna shattered gender barriers in professional wrestling, becoming the first woman to hold a men’s title in the WWF, the first to compete in the Royal Rumble, and the first to enter the King of the Ring tournament. She inspired a generation of female wrestlers and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019. Her brain was donated to science to study chronic traumatic encephalopathy CTE after her death. She is remembered as the Ninth Wonder of the World and a pioneer who proved women could succeed in a male-dominated sport.