It's difficult to appreciate just how big a name the bad ass bitch of the ring who could crush a guy between her steel-like thighs called Chyna Doll once was. She was the first woman ever to enter the Royal Rumble, qualify for the King of the Ring tournament and to be the number one contender for the WWF Championship. In 1999, she was also the first woman to hold the WWF Intercontinental Championship, which she held a total of three different times. She also held the WWF Women's Championship once, before leaving the company in 2001.
Joanie Laurer was born in Rochester, New York, on 27 December 1972. She trained at Killer Kowalski's wrestling school in Malden, Massachusetts. Her first match was in 1995 against a male wrestler dressed as a woman. In 1996, Chyna met WWF wrestlers Paul 'Triple H' Levesque and Shawn Michaels, who wanted to bring her into the WWF as an on-screen bodyguard for them. WWF owner Vince McMahon was initially resistant, not believing the audience would find a woman beating up men believable.
She made her WWF debut in February 1997, rising as a bodybuard for triple H from a ringside seat. She fulfilled the role countless times in the next couple of years, usually helping ring villain Triple H win by physically interfering in matches and executing her trademark illegal low blow to the crotch of his opponents.
Outside the ring, the new WWF buff star developed a growing army of drooling admirers. Chyna treated them to two Playboy appearances, also filming a Playboy adult documentary entitled Joanie Laurer Nude: Wrestling Superstar To Warrior Princess. After retiring from wrestling, her sex tape brought her even greater fame and Joanie Laurer has appeared in a string of TV shows like VH1's The Surreal Life, which led to several other celebrity reality appearances, including The Fear Factor, The Surreal Life: Fame Games in 2007 and Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew in 2008.
She's also been a host of Robot Wars: Grand Champions, had a brief role in 3rd Rock From The Sun and appeared in several movies, including Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy and Illegal Aliens, which also featured Anna Nicole Smith in her last ever role. It is reported Joanie Laurer was up for the role eventually won by Kristanna Loken in Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines. Arnie versus Chyna - now that would have been one right royal muscle rumble to witness!
