10 Things You Didn't Know About Chyna

The wrestling world woke to sad news this morning with the passing of Joanie Laurer, or as she was better known in WWE, Chyna.

Being a wrestling fan can be a fairly depressing thing, as the heroes of our youth are chewed up and spat out by this rabid dog-like industry. Some manage to claw their way back to the top table, eventually getting the help they need and being afforded the chance to rebuild their legacy.

The majority don't get this however, and once they are no longer of any use to WWE are left to deal with the world outside of it. Many sad stories come out of this, and you will be hard pushed to find one that is as complex and inherently depressing as the story of Joanie Laurer.

Laurer was found dead at her apartment in Redondo Beach, California this morning. As of writing the cause of death is unknown, and quite frankly is the business of approximately nobody until the proper investigations have been explored. 

One of the most important figures in modern professional wrestling has died, and the time for respectful retrospectives is now. Joanie Laurer had as storied a life in wrestling as any of her peers. It was a story of a meteoric rise followed by betrayal and a dramatic fall. Laurer was beginning to rebuild her reputation, and this morning's news comes with added sadness because of that.

Here are 10 things you may not have known about the '9th Wonder of the World', Joanie 'Chyna' Laurer. 

Long before she was ever considered the '9th Wonder of the World', Joan Marie Laurer was the youngest child of Joe and Janet Laurer. She had two older sisters, and her formative years were spent in Rochester (New York). Things took a turn for the difficult fairly early on however, as her parents divorced when she was four years old.

Joan would have three different stepfathers and one stepmother, and each turn came with its own problems. By her own admission her first stepfather attempted suicide, and her biological father struggled with alcoholism. The family moved on a number of occasions.

This lack of stability was exacerbated throughout school. Too often we forget that life is hard, and growing up is one of the hardest parts of life. Laurer had spoken in the past of the abuse she suffered and her struggles with purging, which led to her mother trying to get her to attend a drug rehab facility. Joan went to live with her father as a result.

Joan was able to flourish despite these issues, and she eventually graduated from the University of Tampa in 1992 with a degree in Spanish Literature.