As former Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, Jim Ross has dealt with some of the most popular as well as some of the most volatile names in professional wrestling. During a recent episode of his podcast, he opened up about the circumstances leading to Chyna’s WWE departure.
Chyna debuted in WWE in February of 1997, appearing in the crowd during a feud between Triple H and Goldust and attacking Marlena, who was Goldust’s valet at the time. She went on to be instrumental in the formation of D-Generation X, and her popularity as the Ninth Wonder of the World even saw her enter the men’s Royal Rumble match in 1999.
However, as her real-life relationship with Triple H deteriorated and she was moved into the women’s division, the star’s personal life took a toll on her career. She was reportedly unhappy about working in the women’s division, and after months of being absent from television, she was released from the company in late 2001.
Jim Ross Explained Why Chyna Was Not Offered A New WWE Contract
Speaking on a recent episode of Grilling JR, Jim Ross opened up about navigating the political waters backstage when it came to the romantic relationship between Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, and finding out the news from Vince McMahon himself. He knew that news of the relationship would be devastating to Chyna, who was dealing with a number of personal issues at the time.
“Vince, ’cause he knew I needed to prepare for some level of backlash, and it helped me get a little in front of the issue, and not be chasing it. Because we all knew who was going to be the biggest name, was Chyna, was going to be distraught. We didn’t know how bad, but it was pretty damn bad.
“And I think her conduct and her mood and attitude eliminated… we quickly eliminated her from consideration for another contract. Her instability, or seemingly instability, just was too big a risk to chance, so Vince gave me a heads up.”
Chris Jericho was also critical of Chyna in a recent interview, calling her “terrible” to work with. The star never returned to WWE after her departure, and she sadly passed away in 2016. Chyna was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of D-Generation X in 2019.
If you use any quotes from this transcription, please credit Grilling JR and link back to this article with a h/t to Inside the Ropes.