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Wendi Richter: The Legacy Of The Forgotten Women's Wrestling Icon, Explained

Posted: Sep 7th 2023 By: Lizzy Flanagan - TheSportster.com

Women's wrestling would have never had an evolution without the contributions of former WWE Women's Champion Wendi Richter.

It is an unfortunate fact of life that women, in any industry they pursue, will have to fight an uphill battle much steeper than their male peers. The pro wrestling business is no exception to this. Female pro wrestlers, even the most talented in the world, have to fight for television time, wages worth their talent, and respect from a crowd that is usually rampant with misogyny.

Wendi Richter is a pioneer in women’s wrestling who has long been overlooked. When most people think about progress in women’s wrestling, their mind inevitably goes to Evolution 2018, and WWE wrestlers like the Bella Twins, Mickie James, and Becky Lynch. However, the road they paved was cleared for them decades earlier, by the iconic Wendi Richter.

Wendi Richter's Rise To Wrestling Stardom

Wendi trained at the Lillian Ellison School of Professional Wrestling, a school owned by a woman we’ll hear much about in this story, The Fabulous Moolah. After making her debut in 1979, Wendi wrestled across the US and Canada. She made appearances in Stampede Wrestling, the Mid-South Wrestling Association, and Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association.

In 1983, Wendi signed with WWE and quickly went on her way to becoming a household name. Soon after she joined WWE, owner Vince McMahon brought in rock singer Cyndi Lauper for a feud with Lou Albano. Lauper and Albano knew each other previously because Albano played Lauper’s father in her “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” music video.

Cyndi Lauper found an ally in Wendi Richter. At MTV’s Brawl to End It All, Lauper was in Wendi’s corner as she took on Fabulous Moolah, who was seconded by Lou Albano, for the WWE Women’s Championship. Wendi won the bout, putting an end to what was (at least according to kayfabe) the longest championship reign in professional wrestling history.

It was at this time, an era referred to as the “Rock n’ Wrestling Connection,” when pro wrestling experienced a major boom in popularity. Wendi’s star power was especially elevated during this time, too; she appeared as a character in the CBS cartoon, Hulk Hogan’s Rock n’ Wrestling, and starred in Cyndi Lauper’s music video for “She Bop.”

Unfortunately, not everyone was on Wendi’s side. Her rise to fame would soon be sabotaged by the very same woman who’d trained her and the chairman of the company himself.

Wendi Richter Vs The Fabulous Moolah Was The Original Screwjob

On November 25, 1985, Wendi defended her title at Madison Square Garden. Her opponent was a mysterious masked wrestler known as The Spider. During the bout, The Spider strayed from the plan and pinned Wendi’s shoulders down. Wendi kicked out at one, yet the referee (who was in on the screwjob) counted to three anyway. Wendi unmasked her opponent and revealed that it was none other than the Fabulous Moolah. Wendi was furious at this robbery, and immediately left the stadium without even changing out of her gear.

While Vince McMahon claims that he concocted the plan because Wendi hadn’t signed a new contract with the company, Wendi says that she was still under contract. She had regular disputes with McMahon about her pay, which could point to why McMahon wanted to screw her over.

Wendi Richter's Life After Wrestling

Wendi left the WWE soon after and spent the last 18 years of her career wrestling across the US as well as in Puerto Rico and Japan. She retired in 2005 and separated herself from the wrestling world thereafter. Consequent interviews with Wendi would reveal lingering, justified resentment toward the WWE. Not only was she still hurt by McMahon and Moolah’s betrayal, but she also expressed disdain toward the WWE’s portrayal of women in general.

Nevertheless, WWE offered Wendi a spot in the Hall of Fame Class of 2010. Wendi accepted and was inducted by fellow Golden Era star, Roddy Piper.

What Can We Learn From Wendi Richter?

Professional wrestling has seen a lot of unsung heroes throughout its history. Some are just underappreciated by fans, while others find themselves buried by the selfish actions of management. For women and wrestlers of color, mistreatment by promoters is all the more common, and even harder to fight back against.

Wendi Richter is a pioneer who was far ahead of her time during her WWE career. Her name deserves to be brought up when fans talk about the progress made in women’s wrestling, as she helped pave the way toward the Women’s Revolution of the 2010s. Hopefully, the wrestling world comes around and realizes just how incredible Wendi Richter is.