WWE Wrestler Chyna passes away at 46

It’s a mourning day for wrestling fans all over the world. WWE wrestler Joan Laurer, popularly known as Chyna, died at the age of 46 , her manager confirmed, as reported by ABC7.

Chyna was found dead in her bedroom at her Redondo Beach home  in California on Wednesday by her friends. Investigators said the Los Angeles County Coroner's Department would determine the exact cause of death, but it indicated that possible overdose of prescription medicine could be the cause of her demise. Chyna's manager said that she was on prescription medication for sleep deprivation and was suffering from severe anxiety.

A message on Laurer's official Facebook page paid homage to the veteran wrestler after news of her passing was made public.

Chyna, former professional wrestler, found dead

Chyna made her WWE debut in 1997 and went on to become a popular wrestling icon in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) till 2001. Known as a tough customer in a field dominated by men, here are a few things we dug up on this entertainer:

• Chyna began lifting in her hometown of Rochester, New York, at the age of 15, and at one time could reportedly bench press 325 pounds.
• Chyna is famous as a part of D-Generation X — a stable of wrestlers including Triple H, Shawn Michaels and X-Pac (Sean Waltman) that headlined many of the biggest matches in WWE at the time.
• Chyna earned many firsts titles during her WWE career - the first woman to enter the Royal Rumble match, the first woman to enter the King of the Ring tournament, and the first woman to win the Intercontinental title.
• She has held the coveted Intercontinental Title thrice
• She was once the no 1 contender for the WWE title.
• Chyna also helped to revolutionize women's wrestling during her stint in the WWE while bringing a physically imposing presence that was unmatched during her era in professional wrestling.
• She left WWE in 2007 before making sporadic appearances in both New Japan Pro Wrestling as well as TNA in 2011.
• Chyna was an alcoholic but never hid this fact of her life. Later on, she even document her struggle with drugs.
• Her autobiography titled "If They Only Knew" made it to the New York Times bestseller list in 2001
• In 2007, Chyna’s fans accepted her appearance on the reality TV show "The Surreal Life." She also appeared on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" the following year.