On Wednesday night a “memorial celebration” was held Redondo Beach, California for former WWE Women’s Champion Joanie “Chyna” Laurer, who passed away on April 20th. For all of her ups and downs, there’s no debating that Chyna led a very colorful life and this memorial service was no exception. For a detailed recap, visit DailyBreeze.com.
Several wrestlers spoke about Chyna’s life, including former boyfriend Sean Waltman and Rob Van Dam. Hulk Hogan, Kurt Angle and Mick Foley all sent in video messages. Waltman got emotional talking about Chyna, apologizing for not taking better care of his while he could. “Joanie and I had a really rocky relationship,” X-Pac said. “Until the day she died, I loved her very much, I really did.” He added that he plans to do everything in his power to make sure she winds up in the WWE Hall of Fame.
– The dark match before Tuesday’s WWE TV tapings in Wichita saw Goldust and R-Truth defeat The Dudleyz.
– A memorial celebration for Chyna has been announced for Wednesday 6/22 at the Performing Arts Center in Redondo Beach, CA. The event is being put on by Chyna’s former manager and details are below:
TMZ released this video recorded by Chyna in the week before she passed away. The footage was to be used in the Chyna documentary her manager was developing.
Film maker Rob Potylo believes the facial wounds seen in the video were from a drunken fall that Chyna was too embarrassed to admit to but she told him it was from a random champagne bottle attack in a liquor store. Potylo also said these videos led to he and her manager working on a plan to get her help, even contacting WWE for rehab assistance, but she passed away while everything was being worked on.
Posted May 16th, 2016 in News, WWE. Tagged: Chyna.
TMZ reported last week that Chyna was found unconscious outside of her Redondo Beach apartment back in November 2015 and arrested by police for public intoxication. She was carrying almost $20,000 cash on her, which she told police came from an autograph signing the previous night.
Police said they received a call at 7am and found Chyna reeking of alcohol with bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. She admitted to drinking some wine the night before, adding that she decided to sleep outside after having trouble getting into her apartment.
Chyna was found dead on April 20th. Her death was being investigated as an accidental overdose.
– Zeb Colter, who was released by WWE on Friday, has been announced to appear at an event co-promoted by WrestlePro and Global Force Wrestling on Saturday, June 11 in Keyport, New Jersey.
– This week’s edition of WWE Superstars is now available to watch on the WWE Network and it features Damien Sandow’s final singles match in WWE. He faced Darren Young in a match taped Monday night before Raw. It was not, however, his last match inside a WWE ring as he competed in a Battle Royal on Raw to decide the No. 1 contender for Kalisto’s United States Championship.
– A Chyna bio has been added to WWE.com. You can check it out here.
TMZ caught up with Stephanie McMahon in New York City this week and asked about whether or not we’ll see Chyna in the WWE Hall of Fame one day. Stephanie is very confident Chyna will be inducted at some point and emphasized the contributions Chyna made to WWE.
“I’m sure that we will see Chyna in the Hall of Fame at some point in the future. I’m not sure exactly what year that will be, but there’s no denying her contributions to WWE.”
It’s also worth noting that WWE.com has added a bio page for Chyna.
– TMZ reports that Chyna’s official cause of death will not be known known for several more months, when the results of her toxicology report are released. Chyna’s manager stated last week that she died from a mix of a lethal mix of Ambien and Valium. However, detectives working the case are unable to confirm that claim, since pill bottles found at her bedside each contained at least 4 different types of pills. As a result, they’re unsure exactly what was in her system at the time of death.
– Jim Ross noted in his latest blog at JRsBBQ.com that WWE Hall of Famer “Cowboy” Bill Watts recently underwent spinal surgery. Ross wrote:
“Cowboy Bill Watts recently had spinal surgery as a result of his years in wrestling and is home recovering nicely. My mentor is in great spirits and is as ornery as ever.”
– Congratulations to New Day member Kofi Kingston and his wife Kori Campfield on the birth of their baby boy. This is their second child together. According to WWE.com, the baby’s name is Orion Kingsley Sarkodie-Mensah.
The WWE Network is paying tribute to the late Joan “Chyna” Laurer. The streaming service added a collection of Chyna’s greatest moments and matches with WWE on Friday. Chyna passed away on April 20th from what her manager says was an accidental overdose of prescribed medication. Here’s what you’ll find in the WWE Network’s “Chyna Collection” so far:
– In Your House: Final Four – Chyna’s Debut
– WrestleMania 13 – Triple H vs. Goldust
– Raw 08/10/1998 – The DX Split
– Raw 11/30/1998 – An Evening with Sexual Chocolate
– Raw 01/11/1999 – Corporation Battle Royal – Chyna becomes entry #30 in the Royal Rumble
– Royal Rumble 1999 – Chyna paves the way for women by becoming the first female to compete in the Royal Rumble Match.
– Heat 06/06/1999 – Chyna vs. Val Venis (Qualifying match for the 1999 King of the Ring)
– Raw 08/09/1999 – Chyna becomes the #1 Contender for the WWE Title in a Triple Threat.
– No Mercy 1999 – Chyna vs. Jeff Jarrett (Intercontinental Championship match)
– Survivor Series 1999 – Chyna vs. Chris Jericho (Intercontinental Championship match)
– Raw 04/24/2000 – Mamacita For Prom Queen
– Raw 09/04/2000 – Feeling The Burn of Latino Heat
– SmackDown 09/21/2000 – A Proposal For The Cover Girl
– Raw 09/25/2000 – The Right To Dream
– Raw 12/11/2000 – Dismantling The Ninth Wonder
– WrestleMania X-Seven – Chyna vs. Ivory (Women’s Championship match)
The World’s Strongest Man Mark Henry was a guest on this week’s Cheap Heat podcast and spoke about the tragic passing of Joanie Laurer (Chyna). It’s another great episode that is definitely worth checking out. Henry’s segment starts 2 minutes into the show.
The first time he met Chyna was at the gym. She had her back turned and he didn’t know who she was. Triple H walked over and said, “I want you to meet Joanie.” He didn’t realize the person with her back to him was Joanie. He said she was the largest woman he’d ever met.
Henry remembers Chyna having a great sense of humor. They got along great from the beginning because they both loved lifting weights. He would try all the time to get her to break character and laugh during WWE TV segments. The only time he remembers her cracking up was the time she mooned the crowd with DX.
Chyna had incredible presence and was stronger than a lot of the men. Some male wrestlers didn’t want to work with her and would say mean things about her appearance, which he said Chyna was hurt by.
Henry always expected Chyna to come back to WWE, but everybody has their demons. When asked his prediction of whether or not Chyna will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame one day, Henry said:
“That’s a hard question. My opinion is my opinion. Does she deserve it? Yes. That will be my answer.
Over the past couple weeks, hosts Peter Rosenberg and Stat Guy Greg have been joined by Jonathan Coachman and Renee Young. Cheap Heat has been one of the best podcasts around for a long while now and it is highly recommended that you check it & and subscribe below:
Former WWE performer Joanie Laurer (Chyna)’s death was the result of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, according to her longtime manager Anthony Anzaldo.
He told the New York Daily News that Chyna had been inappropriately mixing Ambien and Valium, medications she had been legally prescribed.
“She was inappropriately taking her legally prescribed medication over the course of two to three weeks,” Anzaldo said. “On Sunday night, her body had enough.”
Chyna had been taking Ambien and Valium for years, but had steadily upped her intake to dangerous levels. A toxicology report is not expected back for several months.
As noted last week, Chyna’s brain will be studied by Dr. Bennet Omalu to examine for any signs of chronic traumatic enephalopathy (CTE).
For those that witnessed Monday Night Raw last night, the WWE opened the show with a graphic of Chyna under complete silence. Then, nearly two-thirds into the show, the WWE finally aired a tribute video to Chyna, which was very-well done.
The response from the WWE Universe was welcomed, especially after the flack the company got for not making Chyna’s recovery a priority in the darker days of her life.
After complaints about how the WWE wouldn’t even mention Chyna, the new conversations is beginning Chyna not getting into the WWE Hall of Fame. While that’s still several months away, it’s only a hot topic right now because she passed away.
While being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame is a huge honor, it doesn’t define the wrestler. That’s what Mick Foley said on his Facebook page when asked if Chyna should be inducted next year.
“Joanie”, I said. “Being inducted into the Hall of Fame was one of the greatest nights of my life – but it doesn’t define me. Don’t let it define you. You’re a legend in our business, no one can ever take away from you the things you’ve done. Don’t let anyone have the power to tell you whether or not your career was worthy of the Hall of Fame. It was! There will never be another Chyna”
So next year, when the announcements are made, if Chyna is not an inductee, don’t be sad. The real Hall of Fame is inside all of us. It’s a Hall of Fame based on the way superstars made us feel, the smiles they produced, the memories they created for us, the legacies they forged that will stand the test of time. By that standard, Joanie Laurer – Chyna; the 9th Wonder of the World was inducted into the Hall that really matters – our hall of memories – a long, long time ago.
Is the Hardcore Legend right? As an inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame, he has every right to comment on this situation.
Whether Chyna gets inducted or not, that doesn’t take away from the impact she had on the WWE, as well as women in pro wrestling.
Bret Hart just did a speaking tour in the United Kingdom, and Total Wrestling Magazine has published an article about the the Cardiff, Wales date with some of the key quotes. Hart has been increasingly outspoken lately, and this was no exception, especially when it comes to current events. The Cardiff date was the night after news of Chyna’s death broke, and when Hart was asked about her, he said that “It was sad, I think she should be in the Hall of Fame but I don’t think WWE will ever put her in there. Because of her relationship with Triple H.”
The Hitman also made some news during the show when he discussed his upcoming appearance at WWE Payback in the corner of his niece, Natalya. “I do it to honour Nattie,” he said. “I [have] no desire to be there[,] no desire to be on TV. I’m happy to be there for Nattie but I’ve just had wrist surgery so it’s not a great time. It’ll be great to put Flair in the sharpshooter though.” Hart and Flair have had a rocky relationship over the years, though it seemed as if it had improved as of late. They had previously cornered Natalya and Charlotte against each other for the NXT Women’s Championship tournament final at the first NXT TakeOver card.
Make sure to check out the full article for Bret Hart’s thoughts on the evolution of the WWE women’s division.
– “The Edge and Christian Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness” premieres on the WWE Network immediately after WWE Fastlane next Sunday night. The synopsis for the first episode reads, “Edge and Christian take a look back at some very memorable ‘FIRSTS!’ in WWE History.”
– Chyna is making a surprise appearance at Maryland Championship Wrestling’s anniversary show this weekend after no-showing an MCW event several months back. She’ll be doing a meet & greet before the show.
– WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Von Erich revealed that he’s headed to WrestleMania weekend.
It’s rumored that Michael Hayes and The Fabulous Freebirds will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, Kevin Von Eric could be in attendance to induct his former rivals.
– Sheamus was in the studio on Friday doing voiceover work for his role as Rocksteady in the upcoming Ninja Turtles movie.
– Gabi Castrovinci, who competed on Tough Enough over the summer and recently debuted on Impact Wrestling in a character role, wrestled her first match on Saturday.
Challenging Santana Garrett for the Wonder of Stardom Championship at an I Believe in Wrestling event in Orlando, Florida, she lost in a little over two minutes. Castrovinci was a last minute replacement for Barbi Hayden, who did not make the show.
– Former WWE Diva Dawn Marie doesn’t think today’s Divas are “stars.”
Over the weekend, Chyna tweeted a highlight video of herself in WWE. Dawn Marie wrote in response, “Thats the difference between a STAR and the Girls Today.”
Former WWE Women’s Champion Chyna was scheduled to appear at Maryland Championship Wrestling’s Season’s Beatings event in Joppatowne, Maryland tonight, but canceled at the last minute with her agent claiming flu-like symptoms.
Unfortunately we regret to inform you that Chyna will not be appearing at tonight’s Seasons Beatings event in Joppa, MD at the MCW Arena.
We were never informed that there were any issues and for the last couple of weeks Chyna has been tweeting on twitter and Posting on Facebook promoting the appearance and telling her fans how excited she was to be coming in to meet them.
Doing our due diligence as we always do to follow up when we have performers coming in to a show last night we checked her itinerary leading up to when she was supposed to board her flight in LA. The airline noted that the itinerary was cancelled by the passengers (one for her and one for her agent Anthony from Good Guy Entertainment).
Obviously we immediately started reaching out to her agent because no one informed us of the itinerary cancellation. We then received this text from Anthony:
“I know it’s late there. I was going to wait a bit longer before I reached out. I’m just arriving at the hospital with Chyna. It might be appendicitis. We got to the airport and she bellied over in pain. I had no choice. Once I know more I’ll let you know”
We were curious as to how he knew that “It might be appendicitis” because he is not a doctor and he never gave us clarity on that but obviously we were concerned for her health first we asked Anthony to keep us in the loop and let us know what was going on. While concerned for her health we also still had to think about our show and our fans. We pulled up other flights that would be able to still get her here and started looking at back up options.
We received no other responses to texts at all for just about 11 hours. We sent several texts to Anthony to check on her status and her condition because we saw that she was retweeting people on Twitter so we were to assume that would not be a priority of someone that was doubled over in pain in an emergency room at a hospital. Anthony did not respond to any of our texts throughout the night and into the morning.
Finally 11 hours later at about 10:30 this morning EST, time we received the following text from Anthony:
“Cannot tell you how sorry we are. But Chyna can’t make it. I know this is horrible news. Just got her home. She has a virus that they still can’t determine. Tests on Monday with her doctor but she is sick, like it’s a bad flu. Vomit, sharp abdominal pain. If you send me the 100 pieces, I’ll have her sign for free to make up for air fare you lost. She will tweet her disappointment that she couldn’t be there. I will try to grab a video message from her later today expressing her disappointment to show the fans. So sorry, our first cancellation”
That being said our focus had to immediately shift to doing whatever we could not to disappoint the fans that are coming out to the final show of 2015, Seasons Beatings tonight at the MCW Arena in Joppa, MD.
Former WWE Star Billy Gunn literally dropped everything at 11:30 this morning, cancelled plans tonight with his family, got on the phone with us and found an airline ticket that can get him from Orlando Florida to BWI in time for the show tonight, got off the phone with us, grabbed his things and headed to the airport and is now enroute to Baltimore. What a class act and we appreciate him doing this for our fans.
Also cancelling family plans for this evening and dropping everything they are doing is Former WWE Diva and MCW Women’s Champion Mickie James and her fiancé Former TNA World Champion Magnus who are also on their way to Seasons Beatings to take part in the pre-show meet and greet.
Chyna is celebrating her birthday on Sunday as she turns 45-years-old.
Former WWE performers Chyna and Billy Gunn reunited this week. The two have been friends since their days as DX members and Chyna has credited Gunn for being a great friend to her during her breakup with Triple H and eventual departure from WWE back in the early 2000’s.
– It’s interesting to note that WWE.com is running a feature looking at ‘Divas who won men’s championships’ and former Intercontinental champion Chyna is not mentioned.
– Triple H noted via social media today that he has lost 15 pounds after completing day 15 of his ongoing 21-day cleansing diet. HHH tweeted the following:
The Courier has a new article up about former WWE performer Joanie “Chyna” Laurer’s trip to Scotland with the Scottish Wrestling Entertainment promotion back in August. Unfortunately, Chyna’s agent is claiming that she was not paid for her trip and as a result, the two are now threatening legal action.
Several hundred fans reportedly showed up and waited in line to get autographs and pictures with Laurer, and then the former WWE star appeared in front of a crowd of about 1,300 fans at a SWE live event at Caird Hall in Dundee.
According to SWE boss David Low, Chyna received payment through the autograph session she did.
Chyna’s agent, Low, issued the following to The Courier, directed at Mr. Low:
“Chyna did a show in Scotland at the end of August. We have not been paid yet. Unless, I hear from David Low as to when he is going to pay, we will need to file a lawsuit.”
Low ended up responding with the following statement:
“I’ve just opened the email and I just don’t understand. When we book wrestlers they either ask for a few or work towards that fee with autograph sessions. It’s how it works every year. Chyna was hugely popular and she smashed her fee at the sessions.”
Former WWE, WCW and TNA writerVince Russo has posted a new blog entry explaining why WWE has put themselves in a really bad position with the Hall of Fame, in light of the various issues surrounding the likes of Chyna, Sunny, Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Snuka. Here’s an excerpt of what he wrote:
It was some time ago when I swooped in to protect the good name of my friend, Chyna, after Triple H made some unnecessary comments defaming her character on the WWE Network. Knowing that Joanie was living in Japan at the time, I wanted to give her the forum to be heard, because I felt she deserved that much. To my surprise, it was during that interview, that Chyna made the comment that Triple H hit her on one occasion during their relationship. That news blew up the internet as her valiantly protecting her name–turned to a horse of a whole different color.
That interview literally burned my bridge with the WWE. It was “suggested” by an employee of theirs that in the words of Bob Ryder, I received “nuclear” heat just by extending the forum to Joanie in order to get her voice heard. Hindsight being 20/20—I wouldn’t change my decision for the world and everything in it. I just felt it wasn’t right for Hunter—who I also thought was a friend on mind—to bully Chyna, knowing that she didn’t have a voice.
Which brings me to how all that drama started—the fictitious WWE Hall of Fame that only exists in the mind of Vince McMahon. Whether you are in, or out, solely depends on whether, or not, you have heat with him—and, him only. I can go through the laundry list of those that aren’t in the Hall, but what difference does it make any way? For the inductees, the celebration really is, “Vince likes me . . . he really likes me!” Oh, brother.
When Hunter made that statement about a kid typing Chyna in Google and finding out about her past, I knew then that those same words that he spoke out his backside, where going to come back and do much more damage than good? Why? Because there are a far amount of inductees in the Hall, that let’s just say, aren’t your model citizens. No, I’m not going to name names, because that’s not the point, the point is that by using the WWE Network to bury Chyna, Triple H has now buried the company that he so loves—to an even greater degree.
What I’m talking about are the three most current instances involving WWE Hall of Famers; Tammy Sytch, Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Snuka. Depending on how you want to rate their “Dirty Deeds”, I wonder in Hunter’s view, if the actions of his ex—because she needed to make a living—were more severe than the actions of, more notably, Hulk and Super Fly. I take Sunny out of that equation, because like Chyna, Sunny is currently making a living by using her “assets” in a way that is profitable. And, I LOUDLY applaud Sunny for standing up to the WWE juggernaut–when word on the street was that they weren’t happy with the Hall of Famers choice of work–and stating that since the WWE was in no way, shape, or form, currently financially assisting her—she was doing what she had to do to earn an income, and really didn’t care what they thought. Good for her.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official Q&A section with his thoughts and opinions on a number of questions sent in by wrestling fans. Below are some of the highlights:
On possibly doing more announcing for New Japan Pro Wrestling: “I don’t know what NJPW has planned but I’d love to do some more projects with them. Their wrestlers are from top to bottom arguably the best in the world right now.”
On how Undertaker stays this athletic at his age: “Taker is a great natural athlete who is over his surgeries, by and large, is eating clean thanks to his amazingly fit wife and training MMA style which suits his body. In other words he’s working his ass off and living right.”
On who makes the cool video packages in WWE: “Adam Pennucci produced those and they fired me up as well. He also produced my HOF video. Brilliant young man who’s still there working away.”
On main eventing RAW with Steve Austin against Triple H and Chyna: “I was out of place all a cow on ice but I did my job as instructed. Teaming w/ Steve was fun but taking the pedigree from Chyna wasn’t.”
On the late Umaga: “His untapped upside, athleticism and his uncanny in ring abilities for a 350 pounder. Great feet, agility, and quickness.”
Check out more Jim Ross Q&A updates online at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
Chyna has responded to Sean Waltman’s accusations that she “bum rushed” Triple H at Rowdy Roddy Piper’s Funeral and was almost taken down by security.
Chyna said she had no idea Hunter was going to be at Piper’s funeral, but they did come face to face outside after paying their respects.
She calmly embraced Triple H with a hug and whispered into his ear that she is sorry about everything she’s said about him this year. She added that she has been under a great deal of emotional distress and felt the need to make peace with him.
Chyna says there was no ‘altercation’ and no security – “It was a tender moment between two people who once cared about each other.”
Earlier this week, a private funeral was held in Portland, Oregon for WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Notable names in attendance included Triple H, Bret Hart, Chael Sonnen, Chyna, Michael Hayes, Brian Knobbs and Ric Flair, who gave a eulogy. Vince McMahon was not in attendance because he had to be in Orlando on Tuesday for WWE Tough Enough.
According to Chyna’s ex-boyfriend Sean Waltman, the former WWE Diva “bum rushed” Triple H, apologized for ‘everything’ and almost got taken down by security.
“That’s great, but don’t punch girls, and you don’t treat them like that, and ruin their entire career and life, and never speak another word to them.”
When asked to elaborate on that claim that Triple H was abusive to her, Chyna elaborated:
“I think Hunter’s plan was to get me to leave the relationship first. That way he could start dating Stephanie and everything would be cool. We got into a heated argument. We were not getting along. I told him ‘I know something’s going on; don’t tell me something’s not going on.’ He swiped my hand, I swiped his hand, and then he hit me. And that’s a deal-breaker for me. The relationship is now over. After that I know that he was crying, and I know that he felt bad that he hit me. I was just in shock; it felt like a Jerry Springer moment, it was very surreal. I just couldn’t believe that he hit me.”
Chyna would go on to repeat the claims in multiple interviews, most recently in June during an appearance on OpieRadio on Sirius XM. Triple H offered the following response to Laurer’s accusations:
“The false statements and reckless allegations Joan Laurer (aka Chyna) continues to make about a physical dispute are a complete fabrication. As I’ve said in the past, while Joan has had significant struggles in life, this does not justify making such claims.”
Over the weekend, Mick Foley posted an update on Facebook about meeting with Chyna and how someone called him a corporate sell-out on Twitter with regards to the WWE recently.
Mick spoke about the documentary film that Chyna is part of and how he hopes that will help her move on from everything that’s gone on in the past.
CHYNA
I had to laugh when I was accused on social media a few days ago of becoming a corporate sell-out for WWE – I guess because I compliment them and their product quite a bit. But, as I mentioned to my wife, corporate sell-outs don’t tend to invite Chyna over to hang out with their family and watch WWE PPV’s. But seeing Chyna recently brought back a flood of great memories – of not only how good a friend she was to me, but how incredibly kind she was to my daughter so many years ago – taking her by the hand, doing her make-up, treating her to that dorky, nerdy humor, and that amazing laugh. Most of you reading this probably have either forgotten that amazing laugh…or never knew it existed in the first place.
Now she’s part of a documentary film, “The Reconstruction of Chyna”, which I hope will help her find peace, and closure – and maybe even her rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame. To learn more about her documentary, and how you can contribute to her kickstarter campaign, just go to http://therealchyna.com
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some corporate selling-out to get back to.
Chyna has been pushing to get inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame. As noted a few days ago, she showed up at WWE headquarters last week but WWE sources noted that it was not something they were aware of in advance. In addition, Triple H and Vince McMahon were not in Stamford since Raw was taking place that night in Cleveland.
Chyna issued the following statement regarding WWE and Paul “Triple H” Levesque and is asking to meet with them so they can bury the hatchet.
