Current, former wrestlers mourn death of Chyna

The wrestling community is mourning the loss of Joanie Laurer, known for years as the dominant star Chyna in the WWE during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.

Thursday started as a sad day in the world of professional wrestling with the news that Joanie Laure, who spent over a decade and a half in the ring while gaining stardom in the WWE as Chyna, passed away at the age of 45.

The cause of Laurer’s death has yet to be released, though she was found unresponsive inside her California home Wednesday night and was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene.

China gained fame in the late 1990’s when she was signed by the WWE (then called the WWF) and was paired with several other young stars, including Tripe H, to form D-Generation X, which would help the organization regain the title of most popular from the rival WCW.

DX formed rivalries and had epic matches against other stars like The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kane and many more during one of the WWE’s most profitable times in their history. Chyna was such a  popular figure that she was crowned the Intercontinental Champion, a title she held for nearly a year.

Across the wrestling community, current and former wrestlers (including those who worked with and against Chyna during her time in the WWE) remembered her as a giant figure both in and out of the ring:

After her wrestling career came to a close, Laurer went into the acting business, most notably her work in the adult film industry. She also posed for Playboy magazine and wrote her autobiography, which was a New York Times bestseller.

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