Chyna. Joanie Lauler. The “9th Wonder of the World.” Whatever name you want to call her, there’s no denying that she left a lasting impact on the WWE during the Attitude Era. Chyna was one of the true female greats of the industry. Now, she joins the WWE 2K20 roster as part of the Deluxe and Collector’s Editions. 2K has recently released a glimpse at her entrance. Unfortunately, her character model looks almost nothing like her.
WWE 2K20: Chyna has returned
During the late 90s, the wrestling world was shaken up by the Attitude Era. A contrast to kids-oriented programming with cartoony characters, fans were treated to non-stop bloodbaths, cuss-out moments, and edgy pulp.
Chyna was at the forefront of these events. At a time when most female wrestlers were used as eye candy in bra-and-panties matches, Chyna was in the thick of the fray. She was a dominant female whose intimidating presence was something you felt from the moment she was introduced as Shawn Michaels’ bodyguard and as the undeniable “muscle” of Triple H and D-Generation X.
As the WWE continued to roll, Chyna stepped out on her own. After becoming the first woman to compete in the Royal Rumble and King of the Ring, she also became a female contender for various male-only titles, including the WWF World Championship. Chyna’s accomplishments include becoming the first and only female holder of the Intercontinental Title. She has also defeated numerous male wrestlers from the aforementioned Triple H to greats like Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho. Oh, and she had a memorable stint as the partner of none other than Latino Heat, Eddie Guerrero, as his “Mamacita.”
Chyna in WWE games
Unfortunately, the bright lights suddenly dimmed. After a breakup with Triple H, Chyna found herself in even more turbulent relationships as her addiction to substances grew. She would later star in some adult films parodying the WWE. At a time when the company was transitioning from the edgy Attitude and Ruthless Aggression eras to the modern, PG-rated shows we know today, Chyna’s personal problems and choices led her to become a persona non grata in the company.
Her death via a drug overdose in April 2016 triggered a wave of support from fans lobbying to see her get inducted in her rightful place as part of the WWE’s Hall of Fame. That came to fruition this past WrestleMania, where she was inducted posthumously as part of D-Generation X.
To date, Chyna has never been in any WWE 2K game. Her last appearance as an official member of the roster was back in WWF Smackdown 2: Know Your Role. WWE 2K20 marks her first return to the WWE gaming franchise after almost two decades.
The only downside is that her character model and facial expressions in WWE 2K20 look almost nothing like her. Apart from the attire (which is accurate), her face hardly resembles the Chyna of the Attitude Era. Even her unique entrance, where she uses a bazooka to blast pyro while she’s onstage, just pops a bit of smoke. You can find some more reactions on the pro wrestling subreddit r/SquaredCircle.
It’s a little underwhelming, but, hey, maybe it’s the thought that counts. Here’s to hoping that WWE 2K20 has a special mechanic that allows her to face off against other male superstars, similar to what made the “9th Wonder of the World” truly groundbreaking in the wrestling industry of yore.
WWE 2K20 releases on October 22. You can find the game via its Steam store page. Do remember that Chyna is only included as part of WWE 2K20‘s Deluxe and Collector’s Editions. It’s yet unknown whether special content can be purchased separately for Standard Edition owners, although that had been the case for previous iterations of the game.
