So sad but it's also sad that it's no surprise.

Whatever happened post-WWE, Joanie was such a huge star as Chyna ... never on Rock or Austin's level but she was just as well-known as Foley, Undertaker, Sable or anyone else in the company at a time when WWE's popularity was at an all-time high. I don't think it's unfair to say that she was probably the most famous muscular woman of all time; not even the likes of Cory Everson came close. No other female bodybuilder has ever achieved a tenth of what she did in pro wrestling; the closest was probably Beth Phoenix but wasn't anywhere near as massive as Joanie was.

 

She will be missed.

Truly as everyone said, she was one of the few women who made female muscles mainstream. But not only that, but she went out there to prove that a strong woman can be on even conditions with men even bigger than her. Which for the time was no common feat.

R.I.P. Chyna

I felt really sad when, today, I came to know about the untimely demise of Joanie Laurer, AKA Chyna.

I remember I was a little more than a child when I saw her for the first time in the ring. In Italy, wrestling at that time wasn’t followed by so many but I was immediately fascinated by this big girl who fight and sometimes WIN against men.
To my child's eyes, she was a true Superheroine…stronger than Wonder Woman, longer invincible than Supergirl. I used to push my 56 Kb modem to the limit looking for her images, videos and news…I also had created a big handmade poster of her, with all the images I had been able to find which it was proudly displayed on my bedroom.

In 1949 Indro Montanelli (a famous italian journalist), referring to a great tragedy that struck an entire, invincible, legendary italian football team [the ‘Grande Torino’] wrote:
“Heroes are always immortal in the eyes of those who believed in them.”
I think these words are the best epitaph for every person we admired.
So: ‘We’ll see you, Joanie…I will never forget you!’ 

WWF and later WWE would from time to time have female competitors in addition to the eye candy valets.  Alundra Blaze and Sable were ones that stand out.  I remember vaguely that there was a dedicated women's wrestling program galled GLOw when I was a kid.  I think it had a ex female bodybuilder, Terri Power, as one of the stars.  WCW had Christi Wolf around.  But Chyna definitely stands out for me for WWE divas of that time except for TRish Stratus because she actually competed in the guy events and won the intercontinental belt at some point.  She'll be missed.  almost as much as Shelly Beattie, who was Siren, on American gladiators.

Christi Wolf (Asya) as well as Ann-Marie Crooks (Midnight) came into wrestling after Chyna and I would bet it was because of her succes that WCW decided to introduce them as wrestling characters. Such was her influence at her peak!

THE most well known muscular woman of ALL time; Cory/Lenda/Iris very distant from a recognition perspective.

Got to admit, this did not come as a surprise unlike Prince's demise what WAS a shock.

Still a bummer, a major downer. Joanie Laurer was a true warrior.

It really is sad to hear that one of the women that I thought was one of the strongest and prettiest muscle women is gone.

A little video from her glory days



http://www.mediafire.com/download/5bex1bhbt6fla1k/Female_wrestler_Chyna_interviewed_with_Triple_HHH.mp4

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A very nice tribute by UK comicbook artist Simon Williams



http://simon-williams-art.*****art/Chyna-604597974

How many women have ever flex real muscle at a red carpet (Hollywood?) event? Not many I would think.

Christi Wolf (Asya) as well as Ann-Marie Crooks (Midnight) came into wrestling after Chyna and I would bet it was because of her succes that WCW decided to introduce them as wrestling characters. Such was her influence at her peak!

It was ABSOLUTELY because of Chyna's success that WCW brought in Christi and Anne-Marie. WCW even ripped off ECW by calling Christi 'Asya' ... Joey Styles, then ECW commentator, was the first to make the crack that Nicole Bass, an ECW star of the time, should be called 'Asia' because she was bigger than Chyna.

I always thought it was impossible to take Christi seriously in the same way as Chyna though because she was so short by comparison. Chyna was 5'9'' or 5'10'' and could pretty much look Shawn Michaels and a lot of other WWE guys in the eye, as well as towering over interviewers like Michael Cole. Christi was wider than Chyna but about half a foot shorter and looked tiny standing opposite any male stars apart from Rey Misterio. Midnight OTOH was about six foot tall and while she wasn't as massive as Chyna, looked pretty intimidating - you could buy her posing a challenge to guys like Curt Hennig. Her athleticism was obvious as well, she moved pretty well in the ring with those long legs. It's a shame she didn't last long in WCW.

I was always a fan of her's and really enjoyed Chyna in the early DX with Shawn Michaels and Triple H, I miss her so much.

It was just horrible. She was coming to Motor City Comic Con and I was really looking forward to meeting her. 

                                    We will miss her passing

                         

 





 
 

Chyna's segment from the 1999 VHS "Come Get Some - The Women of the WWF".  Includes some rare footage of her working out at a Gold's Gym and comparing biceps with male bodybuilders.





Download for a compilation of just Chyna's gym footage (cuts out all the other in-ring and interview stuff):



https://mega.nz/file/vkIUDKjI#jc0npN_MPho7SIo3acO1oqrIT1HSzIKaurcH10ScesY


Download for Chyna's full segment: 



https://mega.nz/file/K9RQSKrZ#MwjgU72LuvzQeYyCSvy0VXygjStlWC65rj1nBVoNFNg


And for the sake of posterity, here's a download of the entire video, including the other women:



https://mega.nz/file/zlAATCoR#in4LPGY2JHZGbaf84OPqodMt-9wjsr1KbHqx8V2rmn4

Here's her full segment from the Jan 17, 1999 episode of WWF Sunday Night Heat where she armwrestles Vince McMahon.  She does some nice flexes before and after the match.



Download:  https://mega.nz/file/f0YyQSBY#e_BFv49A5dz8D6icIbI07D92vFEuDhpRzT8woAvz9T4