Flashback Friday: Chyna Reveals When She Found Out She'd Win The IC Title, If There Was Heat On Her
Chyna has had her share of ups and downs during her 20 years since debuting for the WWE. However, she'll forever hold the distinction of being the first female to hold the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
During Wrestling Inc's 2015 interview with Chyna, Raj Giri asked her about the accomplishment, and how much it meant to her personally.
"It's amazing, looking back on it. Every day after the fact, I think I realize more what that actually meant. To be able to do that on pay-per-view, have the fans accept it, to be in that position in the first place. To carry that position is what it's all about. That part of it is all very real. The time period for all of that to happen, as the business was exploding and a public company and a billion dollar business, and I was a part of that. All of that was an incredible thing," Chyna said.
Females in the WWE struggled for a long period of time after the Chyna win, with intermittent periods of where they were given prestigious spots. Even in the day of 'bra and panties' matches, Chyna saw the move coming for her title run.
"We had been moving in that direction, so that was the first step," Chyna said. "I knew probably six months (before) that they were going there with me. As a matter of fact, I think we were using that as a step towards going for the World title, but then Playboy became a part of the mix. I think that's when the perception started to change a little bit, because Vince didn't want a Playboy model holding the title. I was fighting for my femininity and fighting for my own style, so there were a lot of changes happening at the same time."
Despite the political and ego-filled world of pro wrestling, Chyna, who would later compete exclusively in the women's division, said that she didn't experience any heat from her male counterparts backstage.
"Not that I'm aware of. I had all the support in the world from the guys. People would ask if I was a feminist, and women would say that I would show that women can be strong, and I did all that stuff. The reality is, all those guys behind the scenes ? I had earned their respect and they held me up and made me shine and maintain that position. It was pretty cool," she said.
Make sure to check out the full interview with Chyna at this link. Subscribe to Wrestling Inc on Youtube to get the latest videos, trailers, podcasts and interviews.