My column for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review looks at the legacy Chyna leaves behind. Here’s an excerpt:
Pioneer is the most accurate description for what Chyna was in professional wrestling.
It was a word used appropriately by Stephanie McMahon, the Chief Brand Officer for WWE, in her tweet remembering Joanie “Chyna” Laurer, who was found dead Wednesday in her California apartment. No official ruling yet on the cause of death.
Before Chyna, tradition pretty much dictated that if a woman was a figure in pro wrestling, she was either a pretty face escorting a wrestler to the ring, or an athletic female wrestler who was naturally smaller in size than the male performers. But tradition got the wind knocked out of it in February 1997, when a mysterious women jumped the guard rail during a match and threw a bear hug around Terri Runnels, a petite blonde who did fit the traditional valet role in wrestling. All of this took place to the narration of Jim Ross saying, “she’s shaking her like a rag doll.”
Chyna immediately grabbed attention with her muscular build. Her athletic and imposing stature allowed her to stand eye-to-eye with many of her male counterparts.
The evolution of her character was a joy to watch. Silent and strong as the bodyguard for Triple H, Chyna’s combined her silence with a smirk of comedy as she protected the guys in D-Generation X while they carried on their sophomoric humor and antics. Eventually we started seeing and hearing more of her personality as she evolved into a singles performer who combined her intimidation factor with some sex appeal.
Chyna’s character truly bridged sports and entertainment in a time where the business was entering its most famous era.
Pitting a women against a man, even in a predetermined fight, was a recipe for entertainment, though a dangerous task brings about public relations issues, challenges the believability of the show and fuels backstage ego battles. WWE and Chyna made it work as best as they could and maybe as best as it ever will be done. The first female to enter the Royal Rumble match and the first and only female to become Intercontinental Champion.
The marks of a pioneer can never be forgotten.
CLICK HERE for my thoughts on her departure from WWE.
