WWE Superstar Tamina Snuka has praised the work of Chyna, claiming the Hall of Famer helped pave the way for women’s wrestling.
Debuting in the WWF in 1997, Chyna broke the mold of the typical woman on programming at the time and remains the only female Intercontinental Champion.
Speaking to PW Mania, Snuka spoke about how much the Ninth Wonder of the World means to her. She said,
“She was different. She paved the way for women. She didn’t give a damn in the ring and knew she could go toe-to-toe with anyone. You have to have that kind of confidence in yourself to be successful, and that was her to a tee.
“She was Chyna. She knew she could go out there and wrestle with men because that’s how strong she was. This is exactly my attitude today. She was awesome. A lot of times I look back and see that this can be a long, and lonely, road. Chyna did this at a time when it could have been hard.
“I give her a ton of respect. I loved her body, her muscles, and I loved everything about her. She was a huge part of wrestling and anyone who doesn’t see that can come and talk to me. We need to give props to a lot of women who came before us.
“It is okay to be strong. Maybe if you would have asked me this question six or seven years ago, I would have given a different answer, but because I’ve been here for as long as I have, sometimes you get told you have to act a certain way.
“Having people like Chyna to show you an example, without even having to say a word, she just would go out there and do it. She didn’t have to say anything. Her action did all the work. She had it, and she got it. All I ever hear is about how sweet of a person she was. Keep loving what you do, and being who you are.
“I’ve met a lot of women who came before us, and I’ve seen a lot of women come and go. I’ve had relationships with a lot of them and learned from different ones. I wish I could have learned more from Chyna for sure. She would have had a lot to teach us.”
Chyna left the WWF in 2001 while holding the Women’s Championship, and would never return before her passing in 2016.
In 2019, Chyna was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of D-Generation X though there have been calls for her to receive a solo induction.