Wendi Richter
Encyclopedia
Wendi Richter 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. She was also involved in a storyline with singer Cyndi Lauper
called the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection." Richter, however, left the WWF after losing the championship in controversial fashion. She then worked in the World Wrestling Council
and American Wrestling Association
, where she held both companies' women's titles.
's Lillian Ellison School of Professional Wrestling and made her professional debut in 1979. In early 1982, Richter tag team
ed with Moolah against Velvet McIntyre and Princess Victoria
for three matches for the World Wide Wrestling Federation
. Richter was later paired with Joyce Grable
, with whom she also trained for six weeks, to form a tag team called The Texas Cowgirls. In late 1982, they wrestled in a series of matches in Canada's Stampede Wrestling
against Velvet McIntyre and Judy Martin
. She continued her feud with McIntyre in Bill Watts
' Mid-South Wrestling Association, where she was defeated twice. Richter and Grable continued their rivalry with McIntyre and Martin into April 1983 in Verne Gagne
's American Wrestling Association
. In May, the team reformed in Stampede Wrestling in matches against McIntyre and Penny Mitchell. The team also won the NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship
twice.
(WWF) in late 1983. In April 1984, Richter teamed with Peggy Lee
for a series of matches with old rivals Velvet McIntyre and Princess Victoria. WWF owner Vince McMahon
brought in Cyndi Lauper
for a feud with Lou Albano
(who had appeared in one of Lauper's videos). As a result, in a match, Albano seconded WWF Women's Champion
Fabulous Moolah, while Lauper was in the corner of Wendi Richter. Richter defeated Moolah at MTV
's The Brawl to End it All
for the Women's Championship on July 23, 1984. With the win, she ended what was billed as the longest championship reign in professional wrestling history (Moolah's 28-year reign as recognized by the WWF; in reality she had lost the title several times between 1956 and 1978, and Richter's win had in reality only ended a nearly seven-year reign by Moolah as champion). The broadcast of the women's match earned MTV its largest ratings in history up to that point. This match was also the beginning of the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection", an era that combined both music and professional wrestling. Richter faced Moolah's protégé, Leilani Kai
, who defeated Richter for the title, in early 1985 at The War to Settle the Score
. She regained the title at the first WrestleMania
one month later. While wrestling for the WWF, Richter referred to herself as "150 pounds of twisted steel and sex appeal". Richter was also animated for a CBS
Saturday morning cartoon
, Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling. In addition, she appeared in Lauper's music video for "She Bop
".
on November 25 of that same year against a mysterious masked opponent known only as The Spider Lady. During the match, The Spider Lady broke from the pre-scripted events and pinned Richter's shoulders to the mat. The referee—who was in on the plan—delivered a swift three count, despite Richter kicking out after a count of one. Richter ignored the bell and continued to attack the Spider, unmasking the new champion to reveal that it was The Fabulous Moolah
in disguise.
It was reported that the plan to rid Richter of the title was concocted by WWF Chairman Vince McMahon
, who brought in Moolah after Richter refused to sign a new contract with the WWF. Richter, however, claims she was still under her original five year contract, but that she regularly had disagreements with McMahon about her compensation. She also claims that when she arrived at the arena that day, she was surprised to find Moolah backstage, as she never showed up to events at which she was not scheduled to wrestle. After the match, an infuriated Richter left the arena in her wrestling gear, took a cab to the airport, and booked herself on a flight out of New York. Afterward, she never spoke to either McMahon or Moolah again.
. In Puerto Rico's World Wrestling Council
, she traded the WWC Women's Championship
with Monster Ripper, holding the belt twice: once in May 1987 and once in July 1987.
Richter surfaced in the American Wrestling Association
(AWA) in 1987 to challenge champion Madusa Miceli
for the AWA Women's Championship, winning the title in December 1988. On December 13, 1988, she participated in a mixed tag team match at SuperClash III with partners The Top Guns (Ricky Rice
and Derrick Dukes
) against Badd Company
(Paul Diamond and Pat Tanaka
) and Madusa Miceli. Richter's team won the match when she pinned Miceli.
On January 29, 2005, Richter appeared at WrestleReunion
in an eight-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
. In August of that same year, Richter appeared at the second WrestleReunion event, WrestleReunion 2, in a six-person tag team match.
to determine "Miss WrestleMania" at WrestleMania XXV
, but Richter declined the offer. Despite that, Richter was offered induction in the WWE Hall of Fame
Class of 2010, which she accepted. She was inducted by Roddy Piper
. In contrast of her shoot interviews, her speech spoke fondly of her wrestling career and how the WWE Divas thanked her for her influence. Richter's speech ended joyfully, exclaiming "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!"
Richter appeared as part of WWE Axxess during the weekend of Wrestlemania 27, where she signed autographs at the WWE Legends booth.
competitions. She attended Bossier High School, where she participated in volleyball, track, and cross-country. She later majored in computer programming at Dallas's Draughon's Business College. In the 1980s, she moved to Crystal River, Florida
.
After leaving the business, Richter worked as a real estate agent. She also returned to school for thirteen years, earning a degree in physical therapy
and a Master's degree
in occupational therapy
. Aside from therapy, Richter competes in dog show
s, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
. She was once married to Hugo Savinovich
, an announcer for the WWF.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
. She began her professional wrestling career in companies such as the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
, where she teamed
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
with Joyce Grable
Joyce Grable
Betty Wade-Murphy is a American former professional wrestler better known by her ring name Joyce Grable. She was the long-term tag team partner of Wendi Richter...
, with whom she held the NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship
NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship
The NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship was a women's professional wrestling tag team title sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance from the early 1950s through 1983...
twice. In the 1980s, she joined the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF). She held the WWF Women's Championship
WWE Women's Championship
The WWE Women's Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment promotion. Created in 1956, it was the oldest active professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment history until its retirement in 2010 as a result from a unification...
twice and feuded with The Fabulous Moolah
The Fabulous Moolah
Mary Lillian Ellison , better known by her ring name The Fabulous Moolah, was an American female professional wrestler. She began her career working with promoter Billy Wolfe and his wife, wrestler and trainer Mildred Burke, as well as working alongside professional wrestler "Nature Boy" Buddy...
over the title. She was also involved in a storyline with singer Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
called the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection." Richter, however, left the WWF after losing the championship in controversial fashion. She then worked in the World Wrestling Council
World Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
and American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
, where she held both companies' women's titles.
Training
Wendi Richter was trained at The Fabulous MoolahThe Fabulous Moolah
Mary Lillian Ellison , better known by her ring name The Fabulous Moolah, was an American female professional wrestler. She began her career working with promoter Billy Wolfe and his wife, wrestler and trainer Mildred Burke, as well as working alongside professional wrestler "Nature Boy" Buddy...
's Lillian Ellison School of Professional Wrestling and made her professional debut in 1979. In early 1982, Richter tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
ed with Moolah against Velvet McIntyre and Princess Victoria
Vickie Otis
Vicki Otis, better known by her ring name Princess Victoria, is a retired professional wrestler.-Career:Otis was trained in Portland, Oregon by Sandy Barr. She feuded with another of Barr's trainees, Velvet McIntyre...
for three matches for the World Wide Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
. Richter was later paired with Joyce Grable
Joyce Grable
Betty Wade-Murphy is a American former professional wrestler better known by her ring name Joyce Grable. She was the long-term tag team partner of Wendi Richter...
, with whom she also trained for six weeks, to form a tag team called The Texas Cowgirls. In late 1982, they wrestled in a series of matches in Canada's Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
against Velvet McIntyre and Judy Martin
Judy Martin (wrestler)
Judy Hardee is a former female professional wrestler known as Judy Martin. Martin is a former WWF Women's Tag Team Champion. She held the title with partner Leilani Kai as The Glamour Girls...
. She continued her feud with McIntyre in Bill Watts
Bill Watts
William F. "Bill" Watts is a former American professional wrestler and promoter. Watts was famous under his "Cowboy" gimmick in his wrestling career, and then as a tough, no-nonsense promoter in the Mid-South area of the United States, which grew to become the UWF.In 1992, he was the Executive...
' Mid-South Wrestling Association, where she was defeated twice. Richter and Grable continued their rivalry with McIntyre and Martin into April 1983 in Verne Gagne
Verne Gagne
Laverne Clarence "Verne" Gagne , is a retired American professional wrestler, football player, and professional wrestling trainer and promoter. He was the former owner/promoter of the American Wrestling Association , based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was the predominant promotion throughout...
's American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
. In May, the team reformed in Stampede Wrestling in matches against McIntyre and Penny Mitchell. The team also won the NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship
NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship
The NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship was a women's professional wrestling tag team title sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance from the early 1950s through 1983...
twice.
Rock 'n' Wrestling
Richter returned stateside signing with the World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF) in late 1983. In April 1984, Richter teamed with Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee Leather
Peggy Lee , also known by her stage names Peggy Lee Leather, Lady X, and Thug, is an American professional wrestler.-World Wrestling Federation:Peggy Lee competed in the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-1980s...
for a series of matches with old rivals Velvet McIntyre and Princess Victoria. WWF owner Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
brought in Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
for a feud with Lou Albano
Lou Albano
Louis Vincent "Captain Lou" Albano was an Italian-American professional wrestler, manager and actor. He was active as a professional wrestler from 1953 until 1969, then he became a manager, until 1995....
(who had appeared in one of Lauper's videos). As a result, in a match, Albano seconded WWF Women's Champion
WWE Women's Championship
The WWE Women's Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment promotion. Created in 1956, it was the oldest active professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment history until its retirement in 2010 as a result from a unification...
Fabulous Moolah, while Lauper was in the corner of Wendi Richter. Richter defeated Moolah at MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's The Brawl to End it All
The Brawl to End it All
The Brawl to End It All was a professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation and broadcast live on MTV. It took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York on July 23, 1984. The show was a major event in the Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection in the mid-1980s WWF...
for the Women's Championship on July 23, 1984. With the win, she ended what was billed as the longest championship reign in professional wrestling history (Moolah's 28-year reign as recognized by the WWF; in reality she had lost the title several times between 1956 and 1978, and Richter's win had in reality only ended a nearly seven-year reign by Moolah as champion). The broadcast of the women's match earned MTV its largest ratings in history up to that point. This match was also the beginning of the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection", an era that combined both music and professional wrestling. Richter faced Moolah's protégé, Leilani Kai
Leilani Kai
Patricia Schroeder , better known by her stage name Leilani Kai, is a semi-retired professional wrestler. She began training with The Fabulous Moolah right after finishing high school...
, who defeated Richter for the title, in early 1985 at The War to Settle the Score
The War to Settle the Score
The War to Settle the Score was a professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation and broadcast live on MTV. It took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York on February 18, 1985. The main event featured Hulk Hogan defending the WWF Championship against Roddy...
. She regained the title at the first WrestleMania
WrestleMania (1985)
WrestleMania was the first annual WrestleMania professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on March 31, 1985, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The attendance for the event was 19,121 fans...
one month later. While wrestling for the WWF, Richter referred to herself as "150 pounds of twisted steel and sex appeal". Richter was also animated for a CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Saturday morning cartoon
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
, Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling. In addition, she appeared in Lauper's music video for "She Bop
She Bop
"She Bop" is a song by American singer Cyndi Lauper, released as the third single from her album She's So Unusual. It reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1984. Worldwide, the song is her most commercially successful single after "Time After Time", and reached number...
".
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 GardenMadison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
on November 25 of that same year against a mysterious masked opponent known only as The Spider Lady. During the match, The Spider Lady broke from the pre-scripted events and pinned Richter's shoulders to the mat. The referee—who was in on the plan—delivered a swift three count, despite Richter kicking out after a count of one. Richter ignored the bell and continued to attack the Spider, unmasking the new champion to reveal that it was The Fabulous Moolah
The Fabulous Moolah
Mary Lillian Ellison , better known by her ring name The Fabulous Moolah, was an American female professional wrestler. She began her career working with promoter Billy Wolfe and his wife, wrestler and trainer Mildred Burke, as well as working alongside professional wrestler "Nature Boy" Buddy...
in disguise.
It was reported that the plan to rid Richter of the title was concocted by WWF Chairman Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
, who brought in Moolah after Richter refused to sign a new contract with the WWF. Richter, however, claims she was still under her original five year contract, but that she regularly had disagreements with McMahon about her compensation. She also claims that when she arrived at the arena that day, she was surprised to find Moolah backstage, as she never showed up to events at which she was not scheduled to wrestle. After the match, an infuriated Richter left the arena in her wrestling gear, took a cab to the airport, and booked herself on a flight out of New York. Afterward, she never spoke to either McMahon or Moolah again.
Independent circuit
Upon leaving the WWF, Richter wrestled in Puerto Rico, Japan, and throughout the United States in independent promotionsIndependent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
. In Puerto Rico's World Wrestling Council
World Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
, she traded the WWC Women's Championship
WWC Women's Championship
The WWC Women's Championship was the top title contested for women in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council. The championship was established in 1987. Though the championship was abandoned in 1999, it was revived in early 2006.-Title history:-External links:**...
with Monster Ripper, holding the belt twice: once in May 1987 and once in July 1987.
Richter surfaced in the American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
(AWA) in 1987 to challenge champion Madusa Miceli
Debra Miceli
Debrah Ann Miceli is a Monster truck driver and former professional wrestler. She is best known under her ring names Madusa or Alundra Blayze. Her early career was spent in the American Wrestling Association, where she held the AWA World Women's Championship one time...
for the AWA Women's Championship, winning the title in December 1988. On December 13, 1988, she participated in a mixed tag team match at SuperClash III with partners The Top Guns (Ricky Rice
Ricky Rice
Ricky Rice is an American professional wrestler who competed in Midwest regional promotions during the late 1980s, most notably with tag team partners Derrick Dukes and Jon Paul DeMans as The Top Guns in Eddie Sharkey's Minneapolis-based Pro Wrestling America and the American Wrestling...
and Derrick Dukes
Derrick Dukes
Derrick Dukes is an American professional wrestler best known for his stint in the American Wrestling Association in the late 1980s as one half of the tag team The Top Guns with Ricky Rice. The team was originally made up off Rice and Jon Paul DeMans...
) against Badd Company
Badd Company
Badd Company was a professional wrestling tag team in the American Wrestling Association in the late 1980s, which later went by the name the Orient Express. It is rumored that the team name was derived from the rock band Bad Company...
(Paul Diamond and Pat Tanaka
Pat Tanaka
Patrick "Pat" Tanaka is a semi-retired American professional wrestler best known for his work in the American Wrestling Association as one half of Badd Company and the World Wrestling Federation as one half of The Orient Express...
) and Madusa Miceli. Richter's team won the match when she pinned Miceli.
On January 29, 2005, Richter appeared at WrestleReunion
WrestleReunion
WrestleReunion is the premier professional wrestling and fan convention, founded by Sal Corrente in 2005.-WrestleReunion 1:...
in an eight-woman tag team match (teaming with Bambi
Selina Majors
Selina Majors , better known by her stage name Bambi, is an American professional wrestler.-Early career:Majors debuted as a professional wrestler in 1986 working for David McLane. She competed in his nationally televised professional women's wrestling league, Powerful Women of Wrestling as Bambi...
, Malia Hosaka
Malia Hosaka
Malia Hosaka is an American professional wrestler. She is a former NWA World Women's Champion.-Career:Malia Hosaka was trained by Killer Kowalski at the wrestling training camp run by Misty Blue Simmes...
, and Jenny Taylor wrestling against Sherri Martel
Sherri Martel
Sherri Schrull was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by her ring names, Sherri Martel and Sensational Sherri....
, Peggy Lee Leather
Peggy Lee Leather
Peggy Lee , also known by her stage names Peggy Lee Leather, Lady X, and Thug, is an American professional wrestler.-World Wrestling Federation:Peggy Lee competed in the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-1980s...
, Krissy Vaine, and Amber O'Neal
Amber O'Neal
Kimberly Dawn Davis is an American professional wrestler, better known by her ring name, Amber O'Neal.-Early career :...
. In August of that same year, Richter appeared at the second WrestleReunion event, WrestleReunion 2, in a six-person tag team match.
Life after wrestling and WWE Hall of Fame
In the years after her retirement, Richter was uninvolved with wrestling. In a 2005 shoot interview, she expressed disgust towards the portrayal of women in the WWE product, and was still hurt over her WWF exit. On February 2009, WWE contacted Richter to participate in a Divas battle royalWWE Diva
Diva is a term used by World Wrestling Entertainment , an American professional wrestling promotion, to refer to its female talent. The term is applied to women who appear as wrestlers, managers or valets, backstage interviewers, or ring announcers....
to determine "Miss WrestleMania" at WrestleMania XXV
WrestleMania XXV
WrestleMania XXV was the twenty-fifth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 5, 2009 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas...
, but Richter declined the offer. Despite that, Richter was offered induction in the WWE Hall of Fame
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
Class of 2010, which she accepted. She was inducted by Roddy Piper
Roddy Piper
Roderick George Toombs , better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler and film actor who is currently signed to WWE. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his work with WWE...
. In contrast of her shoot interviews, her speech spoke fondly of her wrestling career and how the WWE Divas thanked her for her influence. Richter's speech ended joyfully, exclaiming "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!"
Richter appeared as part of WWE Axxess during the weekend of Wrestlemania 27, where she signed autographs at the WWE Legends booth.
Personal life
Wendi Richter grew up in Dallas, Texas, and before she entered the world of professional wrestling, she worked on her family's ranch and took part in rodeoRodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
competitions. She attended Bossier High School, where she participated in volleyball, track, and cross-country. She later majored in computer programming at Dallas's Draughon's Business College. In the 1980s, she moved to Crystal River, Florida
Crystal River, Florida
Crystal River is a city in Citrus County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,485 at the 2000 census. . According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 3,539. The city was incorporated in 1903 and is the self professed "Home of the Manatee"....
.
After leaving the business, Richter worked as a real estate agent. She also returned to school for thirteen years, earning a degree in physical therapy
Physical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
and a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in occupational therapy
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy is a discipline that aims to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities. Occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, and/or emotionally disabling condition by utilizing treatments...
. Aside from therapy, Richter competes in dog show
Conformation show
Conformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, are a kind of dog show in which a judge familiar with a specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.A...
s, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a two-day, all-breed benched conformation show that takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City every year. The first Westminster show was held in 1877....
. She was once married to Hugo Savinovich
Hugo Savinovich
Hugo Savinovich is a former Ecuadorian professional wrestler, formerly employed with WWE, where he was one half of the Spanish announce team for the company's TV shows and pay-per-view events. He was a color commentator and partner of Carlos Cabrera and occasionally Marcelo Rodríguez. When he...
, an announcer for the WWF.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Sitout DDT powerbomb
- Signature moves
- PowerbombPowerbombA powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position...
- Swinging arm wrench facebusterFacebusterA facebuster, also known as a faceplant, is generally a takedown move in professional wrestling in which an attacking wrestler forces his/her opponent down to the mat face-first without involving a headlock or facelock...
- Powerbomb
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Cyndi LauperCyndi LauperCynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
- Cyndi Lauper
- Entrance musicMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Girls Just Want to Have FunGirls Just Want to Have FunGirls Just Want to Have Fun may refer to:In music:* "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", the first major single released by singer Cyndi Lauper on She's So UnusualIn film:...
" by Cyndi Lauper
- "Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Championships and accomplishments
- American Wrestling AssociationAmerican Wrestling AssociationThe American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
- AWA Women's Championship (1 time)
- Cauliflower Alley ClubCauliflower Alley ClubThe Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America....
- Other honoree (1993)
- National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA Women's World Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Women's World Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship was a women's professional wrestling tag team title sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance from the early 1950s through 1983...
(2 times) - with Joyce GrableJoyce GrableBetty Wade-Murphy is a American former professional wrestler better known by her ring name Joyce Grable. She was the long-term tag team partner of Wendi Richter...
- National Wrestling FederationNational Wrestling FederationThe original National Wrestling Federation was a wrestling promotion based in Buffalo, New York and owned by promoter Pedro Martínez. It ran from 1970-1974. The promotion was then revived in 1986 by Robert Raskin...
- NWF Women's Championship (1 time)
- World Wrestling CouncilWorld Wrestling CouncilThe World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
- WWC Women's ChampionshipWWC Women's ChampionshipThe WWC Women's Championship was the top title contested for women in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council. The championship was established in 1987. Though the championship was abandoned in 1999, it was revived in early 2006.-Title history:-External links:**...
(2 times)
- World Wrestling Federation/EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWF Women's ChampionshipWWE Women's ChampionshipThe WWE Women's Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment promotion. Created in 1956, it was the oldest active professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment history until its retirement in 2010 as a result from a unification...
(2 times) - WWE Hall of FameWWE Hall of FameThe WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
(Class of 2010) - WWE.com placed Wendi #11 on their list of top 25 most impactful women
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Worst Match of the Year (1984) vs. The Fabulous MoolahThe Fabulous MoolahMary Lillian Ellison , better known by her ring name The Fabulous Moolah, was an American female professional wrestler. She began her career working with promoter Billy Wolfe and his wife, wrestler and trainer Mildred Burke, as well as working alongside professional wrestler "Nature Boy" Buddy...
on July 23
- Worst Match of the Year (1984) vs. The Fabulous Moolah