Home TV News Chyna: Wrestling with Demons Documentary Coming to Reelz

Exploring the life and tragic death of Joanie Laurer, Chyna: Wrestling with Demons is set to premiere on Sunday.

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Reelz has announced that the new documentary Chyna: Wrestling with Demons is set for its TV premiere this weekend. The documentary will debut on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT). It will focus on the life of Joanie “Chyna” Laurer, both in and out of the ring, before her untimely death in 2016.

Produced by AMS Pictures, the documentary will feature some of Chyna’s friends and colleagues sharing personal stories about the groundbreaking pro wrestling legend. This includes interviews with Tammy “Sunny” Sytch, Jade Cargill, Dr. Drew Pinsky, and Diamond Dallas Page.

Chyna: Wrestling with Demons will be delving into the highs and lows of Chyna’s life. The “Ninth Wonder of the World” controversially left WWE in 2001 after her then-boyfriend Paul “Triple H” Levesque broke up with her to pursue a relationship with Stephanie McMahon, daughter of company boss Vince McMahon. The manner in which she left, coupled with her personal struggles, had kept her from ever returning. The synopsis won’t be shying away from the troubled years that followed Chyna’s exit from WWE, as noted by the official synopsis:
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Chyna became more famous for her mental struggles, substance abuse and her untimely death than for the four, short years she performed on wrestling’s biggest stage. From the moment she exploded onto the wrestling scene in 1997, Chyna was a pioneer. No one had ever seen a 5’ 10”, muscular, woman pummel the most seasoned, male wrestlers in the ring, And Chyna relished the accouterments that came with the limelight – fur coats, fancy cars, Playboy centerfolds and the legions of wrestling fans who showered her with accolades. For the first time in her life, the mammoth, physical specimen felt accepted, beautiful and loved. But almost immediately after leaving the WWE, Chyna’s life began a 14-year spiral peppered with arrests, porn films, reality shows, suicide attempts and videos on TMZ.

Related: Chyna, Former WWE Wrestler, Passes Away at 45

Chyna Greatly Struggled After Leaving WWE

While Chyna was certainly one of a kind, she never quite adapted well to a life outside of pro wrestling. In the final years of her life, Chyna had been attempting to repair her relationship with WWE, hopeful to be inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame. In part due to her work in adult films, however, Chyna was very seldomly acknowledged on WWE programming and was never brought back for an official appearance. After her death, she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the group D-Generation X.

As the film description for Chyna: Wrestling with Demons goes on to add:

It seems that mainstream celebrity ultimately didn’t know what to do with Chyna; a larger-than-life woman who was the queen of one world, but adrift in Hollywood where large women were not revered. Chyna desperately missed the adoration that came with wrestling. In part, because she never really had it. Wrestling fan or not, this riveting special will appeal to everyone. This is a tale of a woman with an insatiable hunger to stay relevant; who wanted to be loved – even by strangers. We’ll peel back the layers of Chyna’s tough exterior and reveal why she’s really a survivor. Those who Joanie Lauer best, say she was a loving, sweet, gentle soul – who just couldn’t overcome her demons.

Chyna: Wrestling with Demons will premiere on Sunday, Feb. 5 on Reelz.