Chyna's career ended due to current WWE higher-up's stance, Vince Russo says (Exclusive)
Chyna made a one-off return to wrestling with IMPACT/TNA in 2011. Vince Russo, a writer for the company at the time, recently recalled how Bruce Prichard was allegedly responsible for ending her short-lived comeback.
The former Women's Champion stepped away from wrestling in 2002 after four years in WWE and a three-month run with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). She went on to feature in adult films before ending her nine-year absence from wrestling to compete in a match for TNA.
On Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws show, Russo said he contacted The Ninth Wonder of the World to see if she wanted to wrestle:
"I took a total shot in the dark because I didn't think she wanted to ever have anything to do with wrestling again, and I'm like, you know what, I'm just gonna call her and I'm just going to ask her. So, bro, I took a shot in the dark and she was interested in doing something, and of course I'm absolutely ecstatic." [1:57 – 2:26]
Chyna flew to Nashville, Tennessee, to meet TNA's higher-ups, including the promotion's then-owner Dixie Carter. Russo, who previously worked with the former D-Generation X member in WWE, was taken aback by her presentation:
"I never, ever looked at her this way before when I was working with her all those years in [WWE]. Bro, when she came back to TNA and we met at a restaurant, it was the first time I had seen her in years. Bro, she was stunningly beautiful. I mean, I could not believe her presentation. Perfect. Body, perfect. Hair, perfect. Makeup, perfect. Healthy. Looked like a million freaking bucks." [2:49 – 3:28]
Chyna teamed up with Kurt Angle to defeat Jeff Jarrett and Karen Jarrett at TNA Sacrifice 2011. Current WWE creative team member Bruce Prichard worked in TNA's talent relations department at the time. According to Russo, Prichard decided that Chyna could not stay with the company due to her appearance in an adult film:
"Of course, bro, you wanna bring her in, you wanna put her in the right spot. Who's better than Kurt? Absolutely, one thousand percent. We do the whole thing, it worked out well, we're trying to negotiate with her to do something more long term. Well, bro, I don't know how he [Prichard] found out, but he probably found out through her. She had another adult film coming out that was already done. It was already in the can." [3:29 – 4:12]
Watch the video above to hear more from Russo about another wrestling company that refused to work with the former WWE Superstar.
Bruce Prichard and Vince Russo disagreed on Chyna
Despite her non-PG work outside of wrestling, Vince Russo saw no problem with Chyna representing TNA. Bruce Prichard, by contrast, allegedly "didn't wanna hear anything" and had no interest in negotiating a long-term deal with her.
5/15/2011
Kurt Angle & Chyna defeated Jeff & Karen Jarrett by submission at #Sacrifice from the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida.
#TNA #ImpactWrestling #TotalNonstopAction #KurtAngle #RIPJoanie #Chyna #JeffJarrett #KarenJarrett #MyWorld #Tapout #WWE #WWELegends #WWEHistory https://t.co/RRlIAOvBLA
Looking back, Russo feels that Prichard should have been more understanding of the situation:
"She was contracted to do it. This is before any of the TNA stuff happened, but now it was coming out. And that was it. Bruce didn't wanna hear anything. I tried to say, 'Bro, she was contractually obligated. It was a year ago. What does that have to do with now? If we can start her with a new career here, that'll be the end of that.' That was it. That's why that run came to an end." [4:14 – 4:48]
Chyna passed away on April 17, 2016, at the age of 46. She was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of D-Generation X.
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