Early in her WWE career, Chyna was a novelty act, a woman built out of granite who could toss male Superstars around the squared circle on behalf of charge Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Dubbed an "amazon" by Jim Ross, she was unlike anything fans had seen before. That she had a better physique than most of the men on the roster only enhanced the awe the audience greeted her with. Over time, she found herself involved in the in-ring action more and more, to the point that she finally stepped foot inside the squared circle in 1999. She became the first woman to enter the Royal Rumble, teamed with Kane to defeat Triple H and X-Pac at St. Valentine's Day Massacre and again made history as the only woman to compete in the King of the Ring tournament. But it was her feud with Jeff Jarrett over the intercontinental title, and her eventual winning of the championship, that earned Chyna the status of one of the greatest Superstars of the Attitude Era, regardless of gender. Jarrett, Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, Perry Saturn and the Right to Censor are just a few of the male competitors to fall in defeat at the hands of the Ninth Wonder of the World, who not only competed against men regularly but did so while establishing herself as the baddest woman in the long and illustrious history of World Wrestling Entertainment.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
