Upamanyu Biswas
The professional wrestling scene has always been stacked with stars who become household names owing to their charisma and impressive athletic ability. However, the same amount of attention has not necessarily been given to WWE Divas over the years. As documented by Netflix’s ‘Mr. McMahon,’ female professional wrestlers often had to face challenges within the industry that were not of their making. Still, one star who made herself known through her physical prowess in the ring was Wendi Richter, who held the WWF Women’s Championship during her pomp before she lost in a controversial fashion that would go down in wrestling history.
Wendi Richter Lost Her WWE Championship Title in a Dubious Manner
Wendi Richter was at the height of her wrestling career during the mid-1980s. She was involved in a famous WWE (then known as WWF) storyline that paired her up with the famous singer and songwriter Cyndi Lauper in a grudge against Captain Lou Albano and The Fabulous Moolah. It created a massive surge in interest in the WWE product at the time. She also held the WWF Women’s Championship title. However, according to reports, Richter had disagreements about her pay with the company and allegedly refused to sign a contract with WWE. As a consequence, she became the victim of the first screw job in WWE history.
During her championship defense match against The Spider on November 25, 1985, Richter found herself pinned against the mat by her unknown assailant. The referee swiftly counted to three, even though Richter kicked out before it was completed. Subsequently, the bell was rung, but Richter continued to fight The Spider. The identity of her masked fighter was revealed to be none other than The Fabulous Moolah herself. The plan was claimed to have been conceived by Vince McMahon himself.
Wendi Was Inducted Into the WWE Hall of Fame After Her Retirement
After severing her ties with the WWE, Wendi Richter continued to wrestle in other countries like Puerto Rico and Japan. She also wrestled in the States under independent promotions. In 1987, she emerged as a challenger in the AWA but became a less frequent fighter in the 1990s. Following an appearance in an eight-woman tag team match at WrestleReunion in January 2005, Richter retired from professional wrestling after decades in the business. She was critical of the WWE product after her exit and was still hurt over how she was controversially played in the Championship final.
In 2010, she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Roddy Piper and reflected glowingly on her wrestling career in the WWE Hall. She also expressed gratitude to the WWE Divas, who showed their appreciation for her influence on their careers and aspirations. She also made an appearance in the ‘Raw’ episode that aired on June 16, 2012, alongside Cindy Lauper, Roddy Piper, and Layla. She still purports to love wrestling despite harboring feelings that she was treated inadequately by the WWE. She said in a 2021 interview, “I wrestled for 25 years and I made more money as an independent wrestler. That was my problem with the WWF. They weren’t paying me what I should have been making.”
Wendi Lives a Quiet Life as an Occupational Therapist Today
In the aftermath of her wrestling career, Wendi Richter made a brief foray into the real estate business as an agent. After her stint with the WWE, she also revealed that she went back to college. She explained, “I started going to college then and I got an associate of science in physical therapy, and I went on to get my bachelor’s in occupational therapy, and then my master’s in occupational therapy. And I really enjoy it. People say once wrestling is in your blood, it never goes out. Well, I don’t think that’s necessarily true. Everyone’s different. I still love wrestling but I absolutely love what I’m doing right now.”
Outside of her interest in therapy, Richter spends her time as a show dog breeder these days. She even competed in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. In 2023, the AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm issued a challenge to Richter that she was willing to take the Hall of Famer on. A few months later, in 2024, Richter responded to the challenge during an event with Highspots by saying, “Well, you know, money does talk. If they could cough up enough money, I’d take her on! I’d even give her the first swing. Bring it, Toni. You think you can beat me? I’d like to see it. I’m not afraid.” Today, the 63-year-old continues her work as an occupational therapist while maintaining a relatively low profile.
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