The late Chyna was one of the most popular and successful women in WWE history. Chyna proved that women could draw as much money as the male main eventers when gaining huge momentum in the Attitude Era. The legendary run of Chyna featured her working with many Hall of Fame names before becoming one herself.
Quite a few pictures tell the full story of the things Chyna accomplished and the memories that made her such a special performer. WWE giving the ball to Chyna saw her becoming a major success story and raising the ceiling of what a woman could aspire to reach in WWE. The journey of Chyna’s career can be told with the following photos.
9 Breaking Out With Triple H
The real-life relationship between Triple H and Chyna led to WWE bringing her in to become his new manager. Triple H was struggling during his heel push and needed something new to create some interest before it was too late.
Chyna was unlike any other woman in WWE history and earned the “ninth wonder of the world” nickname for that reason. The physique of Chyna made it an impressive feat when she interfered in matches to become a WWE star with Triple H.
8 Finding Her Voice In D-Generation X
Chyna was a silent enforcer during her time with Triple H, but the formation of D-Generation X allowed her to expand her character more. Shawn Michaels joining Triple H and Chyna helped them both immensely since he was the top heel in the company.
DX showcased more comedy than any of the three did with their previous characters. Chyna laughing or getting in on the jokes was a huge change here from the serious mysterious bodyguard character. The success of DX made WWE realize that Chyna could do more than just interfere in matches.
7 Taking The Next Step
This photo of a different version of D-Generation X showed the 1998 group after turning face. X-Pac and The New Age Outlaws replaced the retired Shawn Michaels to align with Triple H and Chyna. DX having a face run led to them showing even more of their characters.
Chyna took the biggest leap of a change by having a serious feud against Mark Henry. There were also comedic moments when Chyna and others took part in having fun on the live microphone. WWE allowing Chyna to have more storylines started her momentum for greater things.
6 The Corporation
WWE took a huge risk at WrestleMania 15 when Triple H and Chyna officially turned heel to join The Corporation. Chyna turned a few weeks prior, but fans thought it was a swerve when she helped Triple H defeat Kane.
The big swerve was that Triple H was also in The Corporation with her after they both betrayed D-Generation X. Chyna and Triple H worked closest with Shane in 1999, culminating in Triple H winning the WWE Championship for the first time.
5 Making History
The end of The Corporation allowed Chyna to move forward on her own as a face character. WWE wanted to make the most out of Chyna’s popularity by having her compete full-time against male wrestlers and win most of the matches.
The biggest moment shown here featured Chyna after she defeated Jeff Jarrett in a Good Housekeeping match to win the Intercontinental Championship. Chyna was and still is the only woman to hold that title, and it came in an emotional moment.
4 All-Time Great Romance Angle With Eddie Guerrero
One of the next big storylines for Chyna featured her in an odd couple romantic angle with Eddie Guerrero. The two characters had little in common, but that added to their overall chemistry, and their on-screen relationship certainly added new layers to each character.
Eddie won over Vince McMahon by proving he could thrive on the character side of things. Chyna was the bigger star, but she implemented more comedy and showed more heart than her previous angles. The entire storyline was outstanding from the skits together to an emotional breakup.
3 Dominating Women's Division
WWE tried to make Chyna a draw for the women’s division after slowing down on the intergender matches. Chyna entered a feud with Ivory for the Women’s Championship when Ivory’s Right to Censor faction spoke against Chyna’s Playboy photoshoot.
WrestleMania 17 was arguably WWE’s greatest show, and Chyna got to have a moment on the card. The Women’s Championship match saw Chyna squashing Ivory with ease to win the title for the first time. Chyna reportedly felt this was a demotion and wanted to wrestle the male talent, but it was still a noteworthy part of her career.
2 New Japan Pro Wrestling
Chyna was phased out of WWE when Triple H left her for Stephanie McMahon and the company didn’t want to negotiate a deal she felt was of her worth. One of the first projects for Chyna after WWE was a stint in New Japan.
The photo here shows the unlikely matchup of Chyna and Jushin Liger going at it in a match few fans are aware of. NJPW booked Chyna against male talents like Liger and Masahiro Chono, but the fit didn’t make sense as she left the business shortly after.
1 First & Last TNA Match
The post-wrestling career of Chyna saw her trying to find more success in Hollywood. However, wrestling would remain the thing fans associated most with her. Chyna did make a bold decision to come back to the ring when TNA offered her a one-match deal.
Kurt Angle needing a partner to face his ex-wife Karen and her new husband Jeff Jarrett made perfect sense for Chyna. The former rival of Jeff made her first in-ring appearance in many years to team with Angle in a winning effort. Chyna and Angle shared a warm embrace after the victory for her final moment in the squared circle.