Chyna Hall of Fame induction announcement divides fans
By Tom GerkenBBC UGC & Social News
Getty ImagesChyna got her start in WWE as Triple H's enforcer and took part in various intergender matchesPro wrestling fans are divided after WWE announced that former wrestler Chyna would be inducted into their Hall of Fame this year as part of wrestling team D-Generation X.
Fans are overwhelmingly supportive of her induction, though many have argued that she should be added on her own rather than as part of a larger group.
But some have been critical of her inclusion at all due to her involvement in the adult film industry after she retired from the ring.
Joanie "Chyna" Laurer died aged 45 in 2016. Three years later, WWE have announced her induction as part of D-Generation X into the Hall of Fame.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read and before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.Accept and continue
Chyna's induction has been called for ever since she left WWE in 2002, though the call for her inclusion has grown dramatically since her death in 2016.
She was a bona fide wrestling legend - a WWE Women's Champion, the first ever woman to enter a Royal Rumble match, and she remains the only woman to have ever held the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
Because of her accomplishments in the ring, Chyna has regularly been cited as an inspiration by many women's wrestlers, including 2017 Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read and before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.Accept and continue
You may also like:
The induction announcement means that five other wrestlers will also be inducted as part of D-Generation X: Triple H, Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, Billy Gunn and Road Dogg.
But these inclusions seemingly went unnoticed as almost every single reply to WWE's Twitter announcement focussed on Chyna.
The decision to include her as part of a team which included active wrestlers was largely criticised, with one fan calling it "a cheap way to get Chyna in".
Some called for her "to get inducted on her own first", with one person even calling her "the only one that matters".
And this has seemingly spread outside of the fans, with WWE wrestlers including British star Nikki Cross focusing on her when tweeting about the announcement.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read and before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.Accept and continue
The decision to induct Chyna, even as part of D-Generation X, signals a stark change in attitude from WWE.
Triple H, the company's executive vice president of talent, said in 2015 that he was unsure how Chyna could be inducted, citing concerns about children discovering her adult film career.
Some people have reiterated this issue in criticising her inclusion, with others suggesting that she "ruined her image".
But others have said that this is evidence of WWE's changing attitude towards the women's division, as one of the most influential female wrestlers is now being acknowledged.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read and before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.Accept and continue
BBC in other languagesInnovationncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o67CZ5qopV%2Bjsri%2FjpujqJ%2BjYsGzsc2doKefXWmEc4WRb2pw