8 Wrestlers Who Broke All The Rules
7. Chyna - The Female Muscle
Joanie Laurer was an undoubted trailblazer of the professional wrestling business.
As Chyna, Laurer broke down so many barriers, did things never before seen in a mainstream wrestling promotion, and most certainly smashed through plenty of the established rules of the business that were once in place.
By the time of Chyna's arrival in the then-WWF in 1997, a women's division was non-existent in the company - with the WWF Women's Championship deactivated after Alundra Blayze had famously thrown said title in the trash on the 18 December 1995 episode of WCW Nitro.
Even if that title was still in circulation in '97, it seems doubtful that Chyna would've been in contention for it. Instead, WWF utilised Joanie Laurer in a way never before seen for a female performer. Going against the established fundamentals of the industry, Chyna debuted as the ass-kicking bodyguard of one Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
Continuing to throw the rules of the business up in the air, Chyna would go on to compete in the men's Royal Rumble match, competed on a semi-regular basis against male grapplers, won the Intercontinental Championship, and was even at one point seriously talked about as beating 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin to become the WWF Champion in 1999.