Wendi Richter

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Wendi Richter
Statistics
Ring name(s)	Wendi Richter Wendy Richter
Billed height	5 ft, 8 in. (1.73 m)
Billed weight	140 lb (64 kg)
Born	September 6, 1961 (1961-09-06) (age 46) Dallas, Texas
Trained by	The Fabulous Moolah
Debut	1980

Wendi Richter (born on September 6, 1961 in Dallas, Texas) is a former professional wrestler best known for her stint in the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-1980s.

1 Career
2 In wrestling
3 Championships and accomplishments
4 External links

[edit] Career

Wendi Richter was trained at the The Fabulous Moolah's school and made her pro debut in 1980. The rough and rugged Richter was a heel in most of her early matches. Wendi was paired with Joyce Grable to form the tag team, the Texas Cowgirls. The Cowgirls were quite successful, winning the NWA Women's Tag Team Titles and notably feuding with the team of Velvet McIntyre and Princess Victoria. Grable and Richter also went to Japan and faced some of the toughest talent, playing the roles of big American heels.

[edit] WWF

Wendi returned stateside signing with the WWF in late 1983. After an unremarkable start, Wendi found superstardom that few other female wrestlers have ever experienced. WWF owner Vince McMahon saw the attention a small promotion in Memphis got when Andy Kaufman got involved in wrestling and he wanted that type of exposure. He brought in rock superstar Cyndi Lauper for a feud with Lou Albano (who had appeared in Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" video). They settled their differences by having their female competitors face off in a match. Albano seconded Women's Champion Fabulous Moolah, while Lauper was in the corner of Wendi. Wendi defeated Moolah at MTV's The Brawl to Settle it All for the WWF Women's Championship. At age 23, she became the youngest WWF Women's Champion in history and at the same time ended what was billed as the longest championship reign in professional wrestling history (The Fabulous Moolah's 28-year reign).

The ratings were remarkable and the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection" was born. Richter became one of the WWF's main attractions, often main eventing house shows, unheard of for women wrestlers. At one point, Wendi was second in popularity to only Hulk Hogan, whose Hulkamania was in full bloom. Wendi faced Moolah in several rematches around the country. She also faced challengers such as Judy Martin, Penny Mitchell, Black Venus, and Moolah protégé, Leilani Kai. Kai defeated Richter for the title in early 1985. She regained the title at the first WrestleMania one month later. Wendi was also animated for a CBS Saturday morning cartoon during this lucrative run, titled Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling.

[edit] The Original Screwjob

In 1985, after losing and then regaining the title from rival Leilani Kai at the inaugural WrestleMania, Richter was scheduled to defend her women's title at Madison Square Garden against a mysterious masked opponent known only as The Spider Lady. The Spider had been an alternating group of women under a mask (including Penny Mitchell). Richter said she was never told who was under the mask or how the match was supposed to end. Moments into the match, her opponent attempted to pin Richter's shoulders to the mat and the referee delivered a swift three count. After ignoring the count and continuing to attack the Spider Lady, Wendi unmasked the new champion to find out that she was The Fabulous Moolah, the woman she defeated a year and a half earlier. In years following the incident, it was described as a contract dispute between Richter and Vince McMahon regarding her new contract and monetary compensation and royalties for the cartoon series. Nearly 12 years later, a similar scenario happened in Montreal at Survivor Series 1997 when Bret Hart lost his belt to Shawn Michaels, known to many as the "Montreal Screwjob." Wendi never returned to the WWF and went to wrestle in Puerto Rico, Japan, and throughout the U.S. in independent promotions.

[edit] AWA

Richter surfaced in the American Wrestling Association in 1988 to challenge champion Madusa Miceli for the AWA title. After a few unsuccessful attempts, Wendi captured the title on November 28. She defended the title against former champion Candi Devine, Magnificent Mimi, The Dazzler, and Judy Martin. Wendi participated in the infamous Team Challenge Series joining Sgt. Slaughter's Snipers. She left the AWA (and the wrestling business) before the series concluded. Candi Devine won the belt on December 6, 1989 when she defeated Judy Martin to determine the new Women's Champion after Richter vacated the belt.

[edit] Semi-retirement and the LPWA

After leaving the business, Wendi has gone on to get a degree in physical therapy and got married to current WWE Spanish broadcaster Hugo Savinovich (they have since divorced).

Wendi popped up in the now-defunct Ladies Professional Wrestling Association. She teamed with another former WWF women's champion, Rockin' Robin, to challenge tag team champions The Glamour Girls for the belts. Wendi only stayed with the company a few months, leaving before their only pay-per-view, Superladies Showdown and subsequent closing. She left the business for good after this, returning to Texas to practice physical therapy.

On January 29, 2005, Richter appeared at Wrestle Reunion in an 8-woman tag team match (teaming with Bambi, Malia Hosaka, and Jenny Taylor wrestling against Sherri Martel, Peggy Lee Leather, Krissy Vaine, and Amber O'Neal.

On August 27, 2005 Richter would once again appear at Wrestle Reunion II in a 6-person tag team match (teaming with The Patriot and George South Jr.) wrestling against Amy Love, DC Drake, and "Gorgeous" Gary Royal.