Wendi Richter vs Moolah, "The Original Screwjob"

[Kforcer]

Anyone have any opinions on this or memories of Wendi Richter during the height of her push?

An interesting thing to me is that, after the small-package and the fast count pin, it seems like Richter begins to shoot on Moolah but at the same time it also sort of appears as if she's still "working." I kind of think that she was perhaps just that much stronger than Moolah that she was able to lift her up and basically do a backbreaker to her, regardless of whether or not Moolah was compliant. I kind of think it went in and out of a shoot, a grey area where people were just reacting with no plan of how to proceed, especially with Wendi.

Also, as someone who was a young child in the 80's, I can't help but think about what would have happened had Wendi been able to come to terms with WWF. She really was big--featured in Rock n' Wrestling quite prominently, featured in a Cracked magazine satire of the WWF--but she was gone just as soon as she blew up, it seemed like. If she stuck around, would her push have persisted? Would women's wrestling have been different? I have similar questions in regards to the Jumping Bomb Angels; they too, seemed to be making a pretty big impact, especially on hardcore wrestling fans and they too, were gone before anyone really knew what happened.

 

[Frank23]

 

[Pliny Pete]

This isn't the original screwjob, there were several major screwjobs in pro wrestling long before Moolah vs Richter

This is the earliest known video of a world title screwjob, Gorgeous George vs Don Eagle in Chicago on May 23, 1950

 

[tec87]

The Vice doc episode for Darkside of the Ring on Moolah talked about this and interviewed Richter. I only watched it once so can’t remember exactly what she said. But I think She basically said she felt that it was Moolah throwing her weight around in the back to try and hold other women down but also alluded a little to her maybe getting a bit of a big head during the 80’s wrestling boom (I believe in the doc she compared herself to Hogan levels of stardom <Lmaoo>) but that this may have been done to bring her back down to earth a little as well. This was also a time when there were very few reasonably talented female wrestlers, so it wasn’t a big priority after the boom started and Hogan took off. So they probably chose to throw it back to Moolah as they were probably going to be scaling back the women’s title picture.

 

[HereticBD]

I find it hard to believe Richter didn't know it was Moolah, and they continued to work afterwards. There was no shoot going on there.

Richter might've been pissed at Moolah's power trip, but I call shenanigans on her not knowing what was going on during the match.

 

[ThunderL1ps]

What may have set Richter off thinking she was as valuable as Hogan was this magazine cover. Pre-Internet the magazines were their own sub-culture of the hardcore fans AND the wrestlers.



I remember watching it when they showed the title switch on the weekly broadcast and thinking something didn't look right. The pin fall gave it away. I don't know why Moolah didn't just cradle her neck and leg so Richter couldn't kick out. Fan reaction would likely have been different if a shoot pin fall had taken place. Fans were more sympathetic to Richter for losing in this manner.

As far as Wendi Richter's popularity, the reality is, nobody was paying any money to watch her in a match at house shows. She may have been the most famous women's wrestler in the world, but it didn't mean anything. She was never going to headline; she was filler. Yes, she was featured prominently in the Rock and Wrestling connection, but that was more about Cyndi Lauper than Richter. The Cyndi Lauper/Lou Albano relationship is what got all the eye balls on the WWF; it really separated the WWF from the NWA and other territories by getting on MTV with the "War to Settle The Score."

If for some reason the WWF kept Richter around back then, I don't know how long it would have lasted as her popularity was closely tied to Lauper, plus it was Moolah that made the match presentable as her foil, which wasn't going to last. There was a lot of turnover with the WWF roster in the 1980's. I remember a magazine I had back in the day, by I think it was Inside Wrestling with the title "Lost in the Shuffe." It was basically about how supposedly under utilized many of the former main event/semi main event talents were in the WWF. Richter likely would have been "lost in the shuffle" herself once the novelty of women's wrestling and Lauper faded or would have been fired eventually.

Vince McMahon knew what Richter was worth and got the most out of her. Wrestlemania 1 was the zenith of her career. The other promoters didn't use Richter for very long, no matter where she went. Maybe promoters thought Richter out-priced herself, didn't value her or if McMahon couldn't use her, they probably couldn't either.

Looking back, the Crockett's could have used Richter in some sort of story line with Magnum T.A./Tully Blanchard as an equalizer against Baby Doll. In Mid-South/UWF, Richter could have been used against Missy Hyatt in some capacity. Nothing happened though either because of price point or that female valets didn't cross into the realm of female wrestlers and vice versa outside of the occasional cat fight.

Before WWE "Diva's," women's wrestling was viewed as a fad like the midgets, serving the industry best by being sprinkled here and there, appearing in various territories. In a lot of ways women's wrestling was more nomadic than their male counter-parts because of the short shelf-life it had in any U.S. based promotion.

BTW, that referee in that match died the other day. RIP Jack Lutz.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/11434085/wwe-death-referee-jack-lutz/

 

[deezy]

Wendi screwed Wendi

 

[Kforcer]

This isn't the original screwjob, there were several major screwjobs in pro wrestling long before Moolah vs Richter

This is the earliest known video of a world title screwjob, Gorgeous George vs Don Eagle in Chicago on May 23, 1950

Well, obviously. But, in the context of modern day WWF, you might say. Even though that probably also isn't true. So a bit of hyperbole by me. Screwjobs and double-crosses are part of wrestling history, I suppose.

One of the most "screwed" wrestlers was probably Joe Stetcher--just a straight-up, highly skilled catch-as-catch-can guy who was totally out of his depth against Ed "The Strangler" Lewis's shenanigans. One of Lewis's tactics was basically to just leave the ring if he was losing to Stetcher or do whatever he could to basically make the match a "no-contest" and then have a write up in the papers that favored Lewis and made it seem as if somehow, through nobody's fault, a legitimate winner just wasn't determined. The guy who wrote that book on the history of the NWA dryly commented that no amount of defeats capable of shaking Lewis's claim to the title, basically meaning he could spin anything into the narrative he wanted.

Then there was that one dude that was being pushed, the ex-football player, that Lewis was supposed to do 2/3 falls with and put over, where Lewis went with the script up until they were 1-1 and then just shot on him with everything he had. I heard about a few funny ones with Lewis, another one where he was tricked by going 1-1 in a 2 of 3 falls match, only to be DQ'd in the third decisive fall, essentially getting a taste of his own medicine.

BTW--fascinating video. Thanks for sharing it. I actually wasn't familiar with it.

 

[Kforcer]

What may have set Richter off thinking she was as valuable as Hogan was this magazine cover. Pre-Internet the magazines were their own sub-culture of the hardcore fans AND the wrestlers.

View attachment 762625

I remember watching it when they showed the title switch on the weekly broadcast and thinking something didn't look right. The pin fall gave it away. I don't know why Moolah didn't just cradle her neck and leg so Richter couldn't kick out. Fan reaction would likely have been different if a shoot pin fall had taken place. Fans were more sympathetic to Richter for losing in this manner.

As far as Wendi Richter's popularity, the reality is, nobody was paying any money to watch her in a match at house shows. She may have been the most famous women's wrestler in the world, but it didn't mean anything. She was never going to headline; she was filler. Yes, she was featured prominently in the Rock and Wrestling connection, but that was more about Cyndi Lauper than Richter. The Cyndi Lauper/Lou Albano relationship is what got all the eye balls on the WWF; it really separated the WWF from the NWA and other territories by getting on MTV with the "War to Settle The Score."

If for some reason the WWF kept Richter around back then, I don't know how long it would have lasted as her popularity was closely tied to Lauper, plus it was Moolah that made the match presentable as her foil, which wasn't going to last. There was a lot of turnover with the WWF roster in the 1980's. I remember a magazine I had back in the day, by I think it was Inside Wrestling with the title "Lost in the Shuffe." It was basically about how supposedly under utilized many of the former main event/semi main event talents were in the WWF. Richter likely would have been "lost in the shuffle" herself once the novelty of women's wrestling and Lauper faded or would have been fired eventually.

Vince McMahon knew what Richter was worth and got the most out of her. Wrestlemania 1 was the zenith of her career. The other promoters didn't use Richter for very long, no matter where she went. Maybe promoters thought Richter out-priced herself, didn't value her or if McMahon couldn't use her, they probably couldn't either.

Looking back, the Crockett's could have used Richter in some sort of story line with Magnum T.A./Tully Blanchard as an equalizer against Baby Doll. In Mid-South/UWF, Richter could have been used against Missy Hyatt in some capacity. Nothing happened though either because of price point or that female valets didn't cross into the realm of female wrestlers and vice versa outside of the occasional cat fight.

Before WWE "Diva's," women's wrestling was viewed as a fad like the midgets, serving the industry best by being sprinkled here and there, appearing in various territories. In a lot of ways women's wrestling was more nomadic than their male counter-parts because of the short shelf-life it had in any U.S. based promotion.

BTW, that referee in that match died the other day. RIP Jack Lutz.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/11434085/wwe-death-referee-jack-lutz/

When I say Rock N' Wrestling, what I mean was, Hulk Hogan's Rock N' Wrestling, where she was a major character. I think her presence in that and those sorts of popular culture features gave her a strong presence for kids like myself. Obviously most especially the cartoon. I think also the general association with Hulk Hogan and the notion that she was the Hulk Hogan of the women's division. Its funny because actually, at the time, and of course I was very, very young, but at the time I wasn't aware of Lauper really, but I was certainly aware of the cartoon and that had a huge effect of sort of equating her with women's professional wrestling. I would think that would have to have some sort of significance when it comes to sales and merchandising, but then again, its also true that children aren't buying merchandise or tickets. The power of Saturday Morning Cartoons is hard to overstate on the mind of a kid though, and I'm sure that informs much of my perception of Wendi Richter. The funny thing is I couldn't stand the cartoon or Hulkamania, even as a child, but having a cartoon like that still gave Hogan and Richter this sense of gravitas and importance.

 

[Kforcer]

This isn't the original screwjob, there were several major screwjobs in pro wrestling long before Moolah vs Richter

Interesting how Moolah and George were both heels and actually, Shawn Michaels himself was a heel. Can you think of any time where babyfaces were involved in this sort of thing? I suppose in the case of a heel, being involved with something like this could only add to their heat and so would ultimately be a plus.

 

[My Spot]

This was a work (just like Montreal).

 

[ThunderL1ps]

When I say Rock N' Wrestling, what I mean was, Hulk Hogan's Rock N' Wrestling, where she was a major character. I think her presence in that and those sorts of popular culture features gave her a strong presence for kids like myself. Obviously most especially the cartoon. I think also the general association with Hulk Hogan and the notion that she was the Hulk Hogan of the women's division. Its funny because actually, at the time, and of course I was very, very young, but at the time I wasn't aware of Lauper really, but I was certainly aware of the cartoon and that had a huge effect of sort of equating her with women's professional wrestling. I would think that would have to have some sort of significance when it comes to sales and merchandising, but then again, its also true that children aren't buying merchandise or tickets. The power of Saturday Morning Cartoons is hard to overstate on the mind of a kid though, and I'm sure that informs much of my perception of Wendi Richter. The funny thing is I couldn't stand the cartoon or Hulkamania, even as a child, but having a cartoon like that still gave Hogan and Richter this sense of gravitas and importance.

I see what you're saying now.

I don't recall Wendi Richter merchandise at any of the closed circuit WWF events I went to (first one being Hogan/Savage at Maple Leaf Gardens in the fall of 1985) where they had t-shirts and posters on sale....but I may have had blinders on and it simply didn't register for me. There might have been some t-shirts there or in the WWF magazine at the time, but WWF merch was at its infancy then. .

The company may have missed the boat on capitalizing on Wendi Richter in some capacity with toys in relation to the cartoon as she wasn't even an LJN figure in her time in the WWF. Getting additional income like that may have been enough to keep quiet about being paid like Hogan and not being a mark for herself.

 

[HereticBD]

Also, the notion that Moolah held back women's wrestling for decades is ridiculous. It's not like Richter was the only real serious women's wrestler until Charlotte Flair came along. Disinterest held the women's wrestling back. Not Moolah.