Chyna Dead: WWE's 'Ninth Wonder of the World'

Joanie Laurer, who broke professional wrestling barriers as the hulking Chyna, a woman who could outmuscle most men in the most testosterone-fueled of businesses, has died.

She was 45.

A statement was posted to Laurer's Twitter account early Thursday morning confirming her death.

"It is with deep sadness to inform you today that we lost a true icon, a real life superhero," the statement reads. "Joanie Laurer aka Chyna, the 9th wonder of the world has passed away. She will live forever in the memories of her millions of fans and all of us that loved her."

Laurer was found in her Redondo Beach home by a friend, police said. Foul play was not suspected.

While most of the women in WWE's robust 'Attitude Era' from the late-1990s to the early-2000s were over-sexualized valets or bumbling models in the ring, Laurer and her chiseled physique changed the game - and not just for the ladies. Laurer, billed as the "Ninth Wonder of the World", is the only woman to have held the WWE's Intercontinental Championship, which she did twice.

Capitalizing on her cross-over popularity, Laurer became a big name in reality television and the adult film industry after leaving the WWE in 2001. She even appeared in Playboy twice.

"A physically striking and talented performer, Chyna was a true sports-entertainment pioneer," WWE said in a statement released early Thursday morning.

Fans and former colleagues took to social media to mourn the news of her passing.

Photo courtesy of ae! via Flickr