"One of the most incredible athletes" - Wrestling veteran remembers WWE Hall of Famer Chyna (Exclusive)

Bill Apter recently spoke about WWE legend Chyna, revealing how her personality outside the ring was starkly different from her on-screen character.

It's no secret that Chyna is one of the most celebrated female athletes in WWE history. She's a pioneer of intergender wrestling, with her matches against Chris Jericho, Jeff Jarrett, and Eddie Guerrero, among others, standing the test of time.

Her four-year stint with the company ended in 2001, after which she only sporadically worked in the business before her untimely death in 2016.

Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's The Wrestling Time Machine podcast hosted by Mac Davis, Bill Apter recalled witnessing Chyna's journey from close quarters. The veteran journalist stated that the former Intercontinental Champion was one of the best athletes he had seen, irrespective of gender.

"I met Chyna when she was being trained by Killer Kowalski way back in Massachusetts. Triple H, at the point, was being trained there too. I saw Chyna grow from a trainee to one of the most incredible athletes, male or female, that I had seen in my life, especially in the wrestling ring. Her muscular body, her focus was totally amazing, and I just think she was magnificent," said Bill Apter.

Furthermore, Apter revealed that unlike her imposing in-ring personality, the former D-Generation X member had a soft side to her in real life.

"It's so sad that we lost her at such an young age because she had her problems. But when you met Chyna socially, you would never know, and Teddy could back this up; you would never know what a tough person she was. She had this sweet side to her. But once you got in ring with her, you were in big trouble," added Apter. (6:15 - 7:19)

Check out the full episode below:

Chyna demanded an insane amount to remain with WWE

Before she exited the global juggernaut, The Ninth Wonder of the World quoted an insane amount of $1 million per year to stay with the promotion.

Jim Ross revealed as much during an episode of his podcast, Grilling JR, a couple of years back. Ross disclosed that Chyna's demand stemmed from her belief that she was much more valuable than most people on the WWE's roster back then.

"She wanted a million dollars guarantee because she felt like she was worth more being a female, being more unique, than Stone Cold, some of the other guys. There was only a handful of guys making a million dollars per year."

24 years ago today, Chyna made history by becoming the first woman to enter a Royal Rumble 🙌🏻 https://t.co/Lu1VNa1Uy6

Though her tenure with WWE was brief, Chyna still remains one of the most influential athletes in the company's illustrious history.

What'd your favorite moment of Chyna's WWE career? Let us know your pick in the comments section below.

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