Can We Just Induct Chyna Into The WWE Hall Of Fame Already? What Is Taking So Long?

Growing up, few wrestlers captured my attention more than Chyna. Called “The Ninth Wonder of the World,” the transformative and consequential wrestler broke new ground for women’s wrestling, and wrestling as a whole, in her short yet impactful career. Nearly 25 years after she left the company, and nearly a decade since her death in 2016, I’m still wondering one question: Why isn’t Chyna in the WWE Hall of Fame?

Seriously, wrestlers who achieved less are in the Hall of Fame. Hell, inductees with worse records (both in and out of the ring) call the hall home. I just don’t get it, and I’m tired of asking why. Why can’t the WWE do what’s right and finally pay the proper respect to a trailblazer who laid the groundwork for some of the biggest female wrestlers of today? I have to talk this out…

It Looks Like Another WWE Hall of Fame Class, Another Year Of Chyna Not Being Inducted

When Triple H was announced as the first inductee in the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame, I had two different conflicting thoughts. On one hand, I thought that this could mean that Chyna, his D-Generation X running mate and former partner, would be honored in the same ceremony. But on the other, and probably more realistic, hand was that there was no way Chyna would be inducted due to their shared history. And, it looks like the latter is becoming more and more likely each day.

WWE typically only inducts one female wrestler a year (something that needs to change, but that’s for another day), and since Michelle McCool is going in this year, it looks like Chyna won't be. Don’t get me wrong, McCool is a legend and more than deserving of a spot in the hall, it’s just that I’m bummed I’ll have to wait at least another year to honor Chyna.

She's Technically Already In The HOF As A Member of D-Generation X, But That's Not Good Enough

I know, I know, Chyna was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of D-Generation X back in 2019, which is, in itself, a great honor. And yeah, the surviving members of DX paid tribute to their fallen stablemate during their wild induction speech, but “The Ninth Wonder of the World” shouldn’t be in the HOF as a technicality; she should be in there for her own accomplishments, her own career, her own legacy.

I will admit that being a part of D-Generation X during the group’s inception did help Chyna become one of the most visible and well-known faces in WWE at the start of the Attitude Era, but I honestly think the group was made better with her in their ranks. Plus, it wasn’t like she didn’t have success outside of her partnership with DX, as Chyna had some great feats after leaving the group. Plus, those later versions of D-Generation X were shells of their former selves.

Chyna Not Only Changed Women's Wrestling, She Helped Change The Industry As A Whole

There have been a lot of changes in WWE in the past decade or so, and one of the most significant of those improvements has been the renaissance of women’s wrestling. But, years before the likes of Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Asuka, or Becky Lynch took the art to the next level, Chyna was there laying the groundwork and putting in the miles on the road while standing toe-to-toe with the biggest stars of the Attitude Era.

I’m not saying she was the only great female wrestler of that era, as Trish Stratus, Jacqueline, and Alundra Blayze before them (all members of the WWE Hall of Fame, I should add) were all incredibly talented in the squared circle. Chyna went a step further than her contemporaries, however, as she became the first (and as of March 2025) and only female wrestler to win the Intercontinental Championship. She didn’t just elevate women’s wrestling, she elevated the industry as a whole. Through her actions, Chyna told fans it’s okay to be different, it’s okay to take a different path, it’s okay to be yourself.

WWE Is Probably Afraid Of Drawing Attention To Her Later Years, But Chyna's Legacy Is Less Sullied Than Other HOFers

The powers that be at WWE get to decide who goes in the Hall of Fame each year, and so I can see why the company has held off on enshrining Chyna in the hall of legends. She didn’t leave WWE on the best of terms back in 2001 and her post-wrestling career included a strange appearance on The Surreal Life reality show on VH1 and time in the adult film industry. However, don’t take this as me shaming her for any decisions she made with her life and career. In fact, I think Chyna did less to harm her career than some of the people who are currently in the WWE Hall of Fame.

I’m not going to go and run anyone’s name through the mud, but if you look at all the members of the WWE Hall of Fame, you are bound to find figures who were part of major controversies and scandals, as well as being connected to vicious crimes.

I Just Don't Get Why It's Taking So Long (Chyna Should Have Been Inducted Before Her Passing)

I just don’t know why it is taking so long for Chyna, arguably one of the biggest stars of wrestling’s biggest boom period (The Attitude Era), to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on her own. She had those “intangibles” you look for in a star wrestler, she was a trailblazer, she had one of the best entrance songs, and she put eyes on the product. She is simply one of the best and should be treated as such. Yeah, she pulled off some terrible stuff as a heel, but that was her character.

I’ll never get over the fact that she wasn’t inducted before her tragic death in 2016, which I know WWE couldn’t have predicted, but they can make things right by finally honoring the life and legacy of this badass wrestler.

Hopefully, one day, this rant will be nothing more than an outdated article in the deep, dark shadows of the internet. And when that day comes, I’ll be very, very excited.