Chyna And Triple H in front of the WWF Smackdown sign in 1999. (Getty Images)
Once billed as “The Ninth Wonder of the World” in World Wrestling Entertainment, pro wrestler Chyna died on Wednesday. She was 45.
Chyna, whose real name is Joanie Laurer, was , her manager told the Los Angeles Times. The cause of death is still under investigation.
“We lost a true icon, a real life superhero,” read an official statement on her Twitter account.
all of us on team Chyna love you and will love you forever babe.
Felix
— Chyna (@ChynaJoanLaurer)
Born in Rochester, N.Y., Laurer rose to prominence in the WWE during the late 1990s as a founding member of the stable Degeneration X during the company’s Attitude Era. A pioneer among female pro wrestlers, she is the first and only woman to hold the intercontinental championship and was the first woman to participate in the annual Royal Rumble, .
She also had roles in mainstream movies, reality television and adult films.
Members of the world of pro wrestling took to social media to react to her passing:
I just heard the tragic news that has passed. She was truly a pioneer in our industry, and she will be missed.
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon)
THE CHYNA LOVE THE LEGEND. SHE TAKE WHAT THE MOOLAH DID AND MAKE IT BEST FOR THE LADY IN THE WRESTLING
— The Iron Sheik (@the_ironsheik)
RIP Chyna. You were the first woman I saw wrestle men and inspired me to get in the ring with men and women. Thank you.
— JadeTNA (@JadeTNA)
