WWE Diva Rewind: The Story of the Original Screwjob

A Black History Month Perspective: The Ten Greatest Wrestlers Of All-Time

Last week on "Hit The Ropes Radio" Shane, Daris, and I discussed the role of African-Americans in the world of wrestling. We touched on many topics including who's the most decorated champion, who could be next in line to be World Champion and what it takes for an African-American to get to the top.

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Shawn Michaels: The Greatest American Wrestler of All Time?

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Ring of Honor on HDNet – February 8th, 2010

Jim Cornette is now shown in the ring. He calls Tyler Black to the ring for an interview regarding this weekend's re-match for the ROH World Title between Black and Austin Aries.

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WWE Diva Rewind: The Story of the Original Screwjob

(1 vote, average 5.00 out of 5)

Written by Jen Preston

Friday, 06 November 2009 16:49

The 1997 Survivor Series is one of the most infamous events in sports entertainment history. Set to leave the WWE for WCW, Bret Hart was to defend the belt against Shawn Michaels. Fearing he would leave the company with the belt, Vince McMahon and Michaels set a plan in motion to screw “The Hitman” out of the title.

But it wasn't the first time McMahon had done such a thing...

Wendi Richter trained, as so many others did, at Fabulous Moolah's wrestling school, making her in ring debut in 1979. She found early success in her career in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and American Wrestling Association (AWA) as a tag team champion with partner Joyce Gable.

She signed with the WWE in 1983, working in the women's tag team division with Peggy Lee. That is until the following year, when the “Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection” began. Pop star Cyndi Lauper began a feud with manager Captain Lou Albano, and each picked a wrestler to battle at MTV's “The Brawl To End It All.”

Albano picked Moolah, who at time was billed at having a 28 year hold on the WWE Women's Championship. Lauper, though, chose Moolah's young trainee Richter, and managed her to her first title victory.

Richter kept the title—and her feud with Moolah—ongoing. Moolah became the manager of another one of her protégées, Leilani Kai. With Lauper in Richter's corner, she and Kai began a nearly year and half battle over the Women's Championship. In 1985, Kai, with assistance from Moolah, was able to defeat Richter for the title.

The following month was the inaugural WrestleMania. Again with Lauper as her manager, Richter beat Kai to begin her second championship reign.

Backstage, though, Richter was finding little success. Her relationship continued to diminish as the two fought over compensation, along with renewing Richter's contract with the WWE.

The two had made no progress by the time her November 25, 1985 title defense at Madison Square Garden came around. She and McMahon continued to negotiate Richter's contract, which saw Richter being paid as little as $25 an appearance. The champion was set to defend the belt against The Spider Lady, who up to that point that been portrayed under her mask by Glenn Dean.

“I'm not making enough to justify being on the road likes this,” Richter told McMahon, as she stated in her interview with Mark Nulty. Richter also stated that Moolah was strangely backstage before the event, which was unusual for the then 62 year old who normally didn't come to shows she wasn't set to wrestle at.

“I knew it was Moolah,” she said. “Because I saw her there (backstage). And in the way she works... low blows, cheap shots. It was maybe five or seven minutes in, and she did a small package that you easily kick out of.

“And I did, and I had my shoulder up. The referee counted one, and I got my shoulder up, and then (a quick) two, three. And that was that; that was the end of the match.”

That was the last time Richter would ever compete in a WWE ring. She left the arena, hailed a cab, and left the WWE forever, never speaking to Moolah or McMahon again.

“I don't hate (Moolah). I don't hate her guts. I don't like her, and I don't trust her. But I don't hate her.”

Unlike Hart, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006, Richter will likely never be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Thanks A&E, Lethal Wow, ProWrestling.About.com, and HighSpots for the information and quotes used in this article.

If you'd like to watch Richter's interview with Mark Nulty, ">click here for part one.