The wrestling world has been offering up their condolences after the death of Joanie Laurer, a.k.a. former WWE wrestler Chyna. Stone Cold Steve Austin, a fellow Attitude Era alum, devoted a portion of his latest podcast to remembering his friend. Like most after hearing the news, he expressed his disappointment that she’s not already a fellow member of the WWE Hall of Fame:
I don’t think it’ll ever be right because she didn’t go into the Hall of Fame while she was alive, living and breathing with us, and I thought she earned the right to be in the Hall of Fame. And to put her in there posthumously, man, it’s just not good enough.
While Austin would go on to make a great case for her inclusion, he spoke of Chyna, first and foremost, as a friend. He described hearing the news “like someone hit me in the head with a baseball bat.”
…she was a super sweetheart lady, she had her issues, hey man, we all do. She weathered a lot of storms, she had a tough life, but on the big stage she got out there and performed. She gave her heart and soul to everything she did and she loved the business and she was a pleasure to be around and she was a breath of fresh air, and I was sorry to hear on April 20th, when I got that phone call, that she had passed away and it was indeed true.
Joanie, man, I’ll miss you. …I will remember all them good times and I remember you and wish you were still here.”
Despite previously expressing his reticence to see her inducted into the Hall of Fame, Triple H spoke out after Chyna’s death, saying “when the time is right, hopefully, that could happen.”
Transcription via Reddit
