Word leaked out again last weekend about a possible physical WWE Hall of Fame going up by the time of next year’s show of shows in New York.
While the WWE Hall of Fame has always been a source of controversy with several legends like Bob Backlund, Bruno Samartino, Macho Man and The Ultimate Warrior only recently being inducted, and still legends such as Owen Hart, Vader, Demolition and others still not being welcomed in as people like KoKo BeWare, Stan Hansen and Abdullah The Butcher were inducted without a lot of questions as to why.
Perhaps one of the biggest snubs is Joanie “Chyna” Laurer. She was easily one of the WWE’s greatest female athletes of all time. She was the first female to compete on a regular basis with men. She was a former multi time IC champion, as well as the first female to compete in the Royal Rumble and King of the Ring. Not to mention, a founding member of DX.
The WWE’s main reason for the snub is her shaky history after leaving pro wrestling. She has had multiple drug issues along the way but the WWE has seen that with many of their former and current stars. What is holding her back is her role in the adult film industry.
Laurer made her porn debut with the 2004 video 1 Night in China with former boyfriend and pro wrestler Sean Waltman. Laurer appeared in her second pornographic video, entitled Another Night in China in 2009. In 2011, Laurer starred in her first professional pornographic film for Vivid Video entitled Backdoor to Chyna. She also starred for Vivid as She-Hulk in their parody of The Avengers, released in May 2012. A spinoff feature centered around the She-Hulk character and titled She-Hulk XXX was released to video in April 2013
It is hypocritical considering the WWE had no problems allowing multi time drug user and adult star Tammy “Sunny” Sytch into their Hall of Fame in 2011 during Wrestlemania 27 weekend.
She posed nude for Missy Hyatt’s adult website Wrestling Vixxxens. On January 21, 2016, it was reported that Sytch had signed a deal with Vivid Entertainment for an adult film called Sunny Side Up: In Through the Backdoor.
Adult films hasn’t been her only black mark since leaving the WWE as she also has had multiple issues with the law. In 2012, Sytch was arrested five times in a four-week span, for disorderly conduct, third degree burglary, and three counts of violating a protective order. She was arrested a sixth time in January 2013, also for violating a protective order.
Sytch served 114 days in jail and was released in May 2013. In January 2016, Sytch pleaded guilty to driving while under suspension-DUI related charges stemming from three separate arrests in May and June 2015.
It seems like a double standard when you consider the fact that Sytch never set foot in a WWE ring as an actual competitor and was never anything more than eye candy. If the WWE wants to improve their overall PR and Hall of Fame legitimacy then it needs to remove people lie Drew Carey and “The Arnold”, and start placing in those who actually deserve it and blazed those trails they are always talking about. Speaking of “blazing”, they just inducted The Godfather, a “pimp”. That about says it all.
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