As long as women compete in professional wrestling, Joanie Laurer will be remembered as a trailblazer. When Chyna debuted in WWE in February 1997, women weren’t considered serious competitors. While the Women’s Championship was technically established in 1956 as the NWA Women’s Championship, this title was barely taken seriously in promotion or prestige.
Following an initial reign of 28 years and multiple deactivations, the Women’s Championship was essentially ignored before its permanent reinstatement in 1998. The lack of even a legitimate championship at the time of her debut in 1997 shows an insight into the model of female performers when Chyna arrived on the scene. Here are ten ways Chyna went against that image.
10 Body Type
First appearances are hard to overcome. Many will form them as soon as they see you. Chyna set a formidable first appearance. We’ll spend a few different items here exploring how this is impacted, but first, we want to look at her body type.
In a setting where females were typically built like models, Chyna stood as a titan. With muscles that rivaled many of the men on WWE’s roster, Chyna went against the grain by sheer physical dominance. That isn’t to say that she wasn’t attractive, but she could definitely beat you up.
9 Ring Attire
What does a physically intimidating female competitor in 1997 wear? All black leather, studs, and something which breathes intimidation apparently.
Chyna’s ring gear was simple: Shorts and a top. Her arms were exposed, as was her midriff. She wore shorts which allowed enough skin for her to fit the mold, but also accentuated every rippling muscle on her body. Encapsulated in one word, Chyna’s ring attire could be described as “intimidating.”
Compared to the evening gowns and skimpy swimwear which would barely be appropriate at the beach, yet served as the norm in WWE, worn by other women on the roster, Chyna drew a stark comparison which emphasized her nontraditional role in the company.
8 Bodyguard Instead Of Manager
Since we’re talking about her role, let’s explore what that looked like a bit. In 1997, most females in WWE served as managers for the male talent. Marlena served as a manager for Goldust. Sable was Marc Mero’s girlfriend and manager. They had the occasional match, but they had little independent success which wasn’t based on their appearance.
Chyna completely changed the pace. From her start, Chyna was a bodyguard for Triple H. She wasn’t just a companion or a sex symbol. She was there to make sure that Helmsley did not lose, and she did this with stoic professionalism.
7 Strongest Member Of DX
While D-Generation X formed shortly after her debut, Chyna’s role evolved because of it. DX certainly embraced juvenile antics and sexually suggestive material. In the midst of this faction, Chyna often served as the “adult” of the group, establishing her domination in a manner unlike any female in the industry had held prior.
Not only did she display a contrasting maturity which frequently served to set her fellow members in their places, but Chyna also managed to intimidate the masculine group whom she accompanied. Many times, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and even Billy Gunn would back away from Chyna when they went too far out of line and received a threatening gesture.
6 The Signs
While Chyna would often serve as the guiding hand for the group which kept the other members in line, she wasn’t always absent from DX’s antics. There were occasions where she would participate with the rest of the group, either indirectly as a bystander or directly participating in some very un-ladylike behavior.
On the 10/13/1997 edition of Monday Night Raw, DX set up shop at the top of the entrance ramp, actively critiquing a match between The Rock and Ken Shamrock with signs. During this interaction, Chyna not only provided inappropriate signs to her stablemates but held some up on her own as well.
5 Attitude
Attitude was important during the late ’90s. Many refer to that period as The Attitude Era – a name that doesn’t come from the stereotypical diva of the time.
At the time, Female wrestlers were typically featured landing low blows and pushing back against their male counterparts. The end of Sable’s relationship with Mero comes to mind in thinking over conflicts between male competitors and females. They were weaker than the men, and most angles involved a relationship.
Chyna breathed attitude. She wasn’t dependent on the men she competed alongside; she was an equal. She didn’t back down to challenges, she issued them. Chyna engaged in her fair share of low blows, but she never felt like she needed them. She carried herself differently, and it set a tone for future generations.
4 Promos
Largely due to her signature attitude, Chyna’s promos felt different than those of other female competitors. Since Sable has been our staple for comparison to this point, we’ll continue to use her. In a typical Sable promo, she would make mention of her looks, address an issue, then interact with another female.
To start, Chyna never mentioned her physical appearance, outside of her abilities. She was more often an aggressor in promos, and she would interact with anyone in her path. More often than not, Chyna would call out male competitors.
3 IC Championship
In her constant effort to level the playing field with the men, Chyna boasted several accolades. For starters, she was the first female to qualify for the King of the Ring tournament. While she wouldn’t compete for the WWF Championship, she did earn a number one contender spot for the title in 1999.
Most notable among these achievements is the fact that Chyna won the Intercontinental Championship on two separate occasions – first at Survivor Series 1999 against Chris Jericho, then again that December on SmackDown in a contest that saw the two serve as co-champions. Before Chyna, WWE's female competition was just that – female. Additionally, it often featured little real wrestling, and typically served to remove a maximum amount of clothing from one’s opponent as a key feature.
2 The Cage
While competing with male superstars broke the mold for females in WWE, it wasn’t the most impressive display of physical ability Chyna performed in her career. That nod goes to 1998’s Unforgiven: In Your House.
Prior to the event, Triple H and Owen Hart had been engaged in a long-term rivalry centered around the European Championship. Due to various interferences from Chyna, Commissioner Slaughter made the decision that Chyna would be suspended in a shark cage above the ring in order to prevent any involvement from her in the match. This did not work as intended, as Chyna would further stray from the female image and bend the bars in order to facilitate her escape from this prison.
1 Marlena
How do we top that feat of strength? By revisiting Chyna’s original nemesis.
Chyna’s visual portrayal of Marlena is classic. It appears in any montage where Chyna’s appearance might be considered desirable and displays her contempt for her mold-breaking predecessor. And while she makes a mockery in appearance and body language, the true moment worthy of this list comes from their physical altercation.
You’ve seen the one we mean. Chyna has Marlena held from behind, literally tossing her around like a ragdoll. Not only is this unlike the things women were doing in the ’90s, but it is also a symbolic representation of Chyna’s relationship with the female image of her time.