Former WWE Star Chyna Passes Away
It is our sad duty here at The Suplah, to report that Joanie “Chyna” Laurer has passed away at the age of 45.
The news first broke just mere hours ago of this writing via Laurer’s offical twitter account
The causes of death are unknown. Laurer was found in bed, in her home in Redondo Beach.
Stephanie McMahon, whom Laurer had a rocky relationship with during her time with the WWE over her ex-boyfriend and now husband to Stephanie, Triple H, took to twitter to express her sadness during this time:
I just heard the tragic news that @ChynaJoanLaurer has passed. She was truly a pioneer in our industry, and she will be missed. #RIPChyna
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) April 21, 2016
On top of that, WWE posted the following press release
WWE is saddened to learn of reports that Joanie Laurer, best known for competing in WWE as Chyna, has passed away.
A physically striking and wildly talented performer, Chyna was a true sports-entertainment pioneer. Not only did the Superstar dubbed “The Ninth Wonder of the World” help found the groundbreaking faction D-Generation X, but she also holds the distinction of being the first and only female to win the Intercontinental Championship.
WWE extends its condolences to Laurer’s family, friends and fans.
Laurer’s passing coincides with the anniversary of the death of Rick Rude, whom she shared a stage with in the the D-Generation X stable, along with Triple H and Shawn Michaels.
It could be argued that Chyna was the flag bearer of the original Diva’s Revolution in the 90’s, whilst Sunny was there being the eye candy, Chyna would intimidate everybody she came across, male or female, in the ring. Her fame rose to unprecedented heights when she was introduced as the enforcer for the DX Stable, but eventually broke out on her own and formed a comedic team with WWE Hall Of Famer, Eddie Guerrero, proclaiming her to be his “mamacita!”. She was also the first woman to ever compete in a Royal Rumble match, and the only woman to win the Intercontinental Championship.
Chyna was truly a star of the Attitude Era, as her career in the ring took a dive as the Attitude Era came to a close. Chyna struggled to get her footing back in the WWE door, despite runs in the independent circuit, and TNA. Eventually Chyna starred in reality TV shows, and then became an adult film star, which caused WWE to pretty much sever all ties with her. Most notably was her disappearance in the video game WWE ’13, which was focused on the Attitude Era:
She was recently teaching English in Japan.
With the tragic news, will WWE finally give her the recognition she deserves? Only time will tell.
We here, at The Suplah, give our condolences to to the Laurer family, and their friends, during this difficult time.
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