In the Summer of 1999, the then-WWF were highly interested in pushing Joanie 'Chyna' Laurer as much as possible. Various surgeries had made the woman appear more feminine than before, but she was still a huge physical presence. It cannot be denied that Chyna was also one of the most popular stars on the roster, which is probably why Vince McMahon wanted to make her Intercontinental Champion. At No Mercy in October, Chyna was set to face reigning champion Jeff Jarrett for the gold. The build to the bout had revolved around Jarrett's belief that women didn't belong in the wrestling ring. Therefore, the collision was dubbed as a 'Good Housekeeping' encounter, featuring all manner of weapons such as ironing boards and brooms. Right before the Pay-Per-View, Jeff Jarrett's contract was up for renewal. In order to see him through the event, the WWF had to sign an extension to that agreement, and Jarrett apparently held McMahon to ransom. Securing himself a bumper pay day before departing for WCW, Jarrett later rubbished reports that he had held out for more money. However, the likes of Jim Ross has said things to the contrary, and it seems the wrestler did ransom the match with Chyna before agreeing to show up.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
