10 Things You Notice Rewatching Beyond The Mat

7. Chyna Was Such A Bright Presence

Chyna may have only appeared for a few minutes in Beyond the Mat, but it's impossible not to be instantly won over by the presence of Joanie Laurer.

As we see her laughing and joking - even parodying a TV shopping channel - you get a glimpse into what a positive, happy soul Joanie was at this point in time. And it's always fun to see clips of the Ninth Wonder of the World cracking skulls in the squared circle back then.

Following the tragic death of Joanie in 2016 at the age of just 46, we heard plentiful stories from so many wrestling stars and personalities about what a bright and shining star Joanie Laurer was for so much of her life. Watching Beyond the Mat, you get to fully appreciate that - even if only for a matter of minutes.

Having at one point been in serious consideration to beat 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin for the WWF Championship, Chyna would end up leaving WWF in 2001. Her last match was a successful title defense at that May's Judgment Day PPV and she would soon depart the company. Joanie would never be afforded the chance to return to WWE, although she would posthumously be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019 as part of D-Generation X.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.