Wendi Richter

 

Wendi Richter (born September 6, 1961) is a retired American professional wrestler. She began her professional wrestling career in companies such as the National Wrestling Alliance, where she teamed with Joyce Grable, with whom she held the NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship twice. In the 1980s, she joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). She held the WWF Women's Championship twice and feuded with The Fabulous Moolah over the title.

Wendi Richter had a strong connection with Cyndi Lauper – indeed, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” was her entrance theme, and Cyndi served as her manager for a time.

Richter was a key figure in WWE’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling era in the mid-'80s. When pop star Cyndi Lauper feuded with legendary WWE manager CaptainLou Albano, it culminated with Richter (representing Lauper) defeating Fabulous Moolah (representing Albano) for the WWE Women’s Title —thus ending Moolah’s supposed 28-year title reign —in a match billed as “The Brawl to End It All” that was televised live on MTV in 1984.

Richter became a two-time champion when she regained the title from Leilani Kai at the first WrestleMania in 1985. Richter’s second and final reign came to an unceremonious end later that year when she was legitimately double-crossed and pinned by Moolah in a match that has come to be known as “The Original Screwjob.” Richter left WWE shortly thereafter and did not return until 2010 when she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.