Will Chyna ever be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on her own?
Chyna - also known as Joanie Laurer - was a legend and a trailblazer in WWE from the minute she debuted in 1997.
She was one of the first - if not the first - women in a "bodyguard/enforcer" role and also the first woman to compete in the men's Royal Rumble match. In 1999, she was even the first woman to hold the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Needless to say, the Ninth Wonder of the World certainly had a career worthy of the WWE Hall of Fame.
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However, it wasn't until nearly two decades after her last WWE appearance that she was finally inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame. In 2019, D-Generation X - the faction that Laurer founded alongside Shawn Michaels and Triple H - took their place in the hall, making the former WWE Women's Champion officially a Hall of Famer.
However, that induction merely honors her contributions to what is, to be fair, one of the most influential factions in wrestling history. But what about her body of work outside of the group? That certainly deserves a placement of its own, doesn't it? In fact, it's baffling that it hasn't happened yet.
So why hasn't it happened yet? And will it?
Chyna didn't exactly leave WWE on good terms
There are a number of stories regarding Laurer's departure from WWE in 2001. Most involve, as these things often do, money. Word has it that WWE had offered Laurer a $400K per year contract (plus merchandise and PPV showings), with Chyna countering with a $1 million per year deal.
There's also the situation between Laurer, her one-time boyfriend Triple H, and Stephanie McMahon. The story has it that Triple H had an affair with McMahon (whom he later married) while still in a relationship with Chyna. This was certainly a situation that would make staying with the company a tad bit difficult, to stay the least.
Following her WWE departure, Laurer found herself struggling with substance abuse. This also led to a career in the adult entertainment industry. In 2015 - one year before Joanie's death - while being interviewed by Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H (now an executive with the company) was asked why Chyna wasn't yet in the hall. He responded with:
“I’ve got an 8-year-old kid, and my 8-year-old kid sees Hall of Fame, and my 8-year-old kid goes on the internet to look at Chyna. What comes up? And I’m not criticizing anybody. I’m not criticizing lifestyle choices. Everybody has their reasons. I don’t know what they were. I don’t care to know. It’s not a morality thing or anything else. It is just the fact of what it is. That’s a difficult choice.”
Of course, there are plenty of other WWE Hall of Famers with less-than-reputable histories: Sunny, Mike Tyson, and a certain former US President all come to mind.
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While it seems like inducting Chyna into the Hall via DX is a way to get her into the Hall on a "technicality," it feels like opinions within the company are starting to soften regarding a solo induction.
With tonight's episode of WWE's A&E Network biography series on the Ninth Wonder, this could be the first step towards the company recognizing Chyna on her own merits.