Joanie Marie Laurer (born December 27, 1969 in Rochester, New York) is an American actress and retired professional wrestler. A former bodybuilder, she is best known for her appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1997 and 2001, where she was known as Chyna and nicknamed "The Ninth Wonder of the World" (with the eighth wonder being André the Giant).
Joanie Laurer trained at Wladek "Killer" Kowalski's wrestling school in Salem, Massachusetts, where she briefly dated Perry "Saturn" Satullo. She debuted in 1995 and worked for various independent promotions as Just Joanie and Joanie Lee. Her career reached new heights when she met World Wrestling Federation employees Hunter Hearst Helmsley (Triple H) and Shawn Michaels in a bar in 1997. Struck by her appearance, they helped her get into the WWF. Her original role was as Chyna, the laconic bodyguard of D-Generation X, often getting physically involved in Triple H's matches.
The day after the 1999 Royal Rumble, Laurer turned heel by betraying Triple H and aligning herself with his enemy Vince McMahon. She was a thorn in the side of Triple H until he too joined McMahon's s
e at WrestleMania XV. The duo became part of The Corporation, and later Shane McMahon's Corporate Ministry, harassing rebels such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kane, X-Pac and The Rock.
In late 1999, Laurer became a face again, allying with The Kat and feuding with Jeff Jarrett over the WWF Intercontinental Championship. She defeated Jarrett for the title in his last WWF match on October 17, 1999 at No Mercy, in the process becoming the first and only woman to win the Intercontinental Championship. She claims that Jarrett demanded (and received) $250,000 from Vince McMahon in order to lose the title cleanly to a woman (his contract had expired on October 16, and he was therefore not contractually obligated to appear on the pay-per-view. If he had not appeared, the WWF would have been criticised for false advertising, and the lineage of the title would have been broken). Laurer would go on to hold the title two more times.
In 2000, Laurer briefly teamed with Chris Jericho before becoming the on-screen girlfriend of Eddie Guerrero. Guerrero and Laurer became very popular during the summer of 2000, with Guerrero dubbing her his "Mamacita". They split in the autumn of 2000 after Eddie was found cavorting in the shower with two of The Godfather's "hos", Mandy and Victoria. At the same time, Laurer's appearance in Playboy attracted the unwanted attention of Right to Censor, a straight-laced group of wrestlers who lampooned the Parents Television Council. Laurer was announced as injured after a vicious double team piledriver at the hands of Ivory and Val Venis.
Laurer returned a few weeks later and began a feud with Ivory over the WWF Women's Championship. This culminated in a angle at the 2001 Royal Rumble where Laurer appeared to re-injure her neck while performing a handspring back elbow. In order to sell the injury, color commentator Jerry Lawler left the commentators' booth and entered the ring to check on Laurer's condition, something he had not done since the in-ring accident in 1999 that killed Owen Hart. The highly publicised return of Laurer from the "injury" culminated in her winning the Women's Championship from Ivory at WrestleMania X-Seven in a squash match.
Laurer was an extremely dominant champion, defeating challengers Lita and Trish Stratus with little problem. However, d
f 2000 after Eddie was found cavorting in the shower with two of The Godfather's "hos", Mandy and Victoria. At the same time, Laurer's appearance in Playboy attracted the unwanted attention of Right to Censor, a straight-laced group of wrestlers who lampooned the Parents Television Council. Laurer was announced as injured after a vicious double team piledriver at the hands of Ivory and Val Venis.
Laurer returned a few weeks later and began a feud with Ivory over the WWF Women's Championship. This culminated in a angle at the 2001 Royal Rumble where Laurer appeared to re-injure her neck while performing a handspring back elbow. In order to sell the injury, color commentator Jerry Lawler left the commentators' booth and entered the ring to check on Laurer's condition, something he had not done since the in-ring accident in 1999 that killed Owen Hart. The highly publicised return of Laurer from the "injury" culminated in her winning the Women's Championship from Ivory at WrestleMania X-Seven in a squash match.
Laurer was an extremely dominant champion, defeating challengers Lita and Trish Stratus with little problem. However, during her contract renegotiations, Laurer was unhappy with the pay she was offered and the fact that she was expected to compete principally in the women's division rather than against men. It was also rumored that the relationship between Triple H, her former boyfriend, and Stephanie McMahon, with whom he had an affair then left Laurer for, was a factor in her departure. She left the company on November 30, 2001, several months after negotiations had broken down and she had been taken off television.
Laurer's in-ring career since then has been very limited. She has sung and wrestled at a Ultimate Pro Wrestling event, and was scheduled to appear on a talk show hosted by Jonny Fairplay on a Total Nonstop Action Wrestling pay-per-view, but did not appear, supposedly due to a dispute over travel costs. She also made several appearances for New Japan Pro Wrestling, and in celebrity boxing tournaments. Laurer has however said in recent interviews that she would like to return to WWE but this remains to be seen at p
