THE QUEENS OF WRESTLING

 

Background into Cyndi Lauper getting involved in pro wrestling and managing Wendi Richter

Photo: Professional wrestler Pamela Paulschock

 

Cyndi Lauper was a club singer from New York who had recently made it big with a hit record in the charts. It's not clear who came up with the idea (perhaps Lauper's manager Dave Wolf), but one evening out of the blue she turned-up on a WWF television show where an altercation broke out between her and long-time wrestler/personality, Lou Albano. After several weeks of  this routine and a lot of hype on MTV, they decided to settle their differences in the ring. Of course Lauper had no intentions of wrestling Albano, so she needed a stand-in. This angle gave birth to the so-called "Rock & Wrestling" connection. Richter would represent Cyndi Lauper against Albano's stand-in, "The Fabulous Moolah", for the world title in Madison Square Garden. The WWF had promoted women wrestlers on numerous occasions but never as headliners. Nevertheless, for the first time in memory, a girl wrestler was being billed as a main attraction by a major promotion. This stroke put women's pro wrestling back on the map, and culminated in Richter being crowned WWF world champion after defeating Moolah. Richter's popularity and marketability mushroomed and the WWF took advantage by promoting her heavily. However, as in the past, things would change. The introduction of cable television would change the landscape of pro wrestling and create the super promotions that basically control wrestling to this day. As far as women's pro wrestling is concerned, it's been an on-again, off-again affair.

 Richter, a major star, went on to defend her lady's title for another two years but the WWF, as it had in the past, began to phase the girls out of the picture. In a dispute with WWF about the direction of its women's division, Richter decided to leave and jobbed the title to Moolah, masquerading as a wrestler called the Spider. Ironically, this ridiculous story-line also signaled the end of Moolah's storied career as a wrestler. Richter left the WWF and moved on to various promotions, eventually winding up with the AWA, Verne Gagne's ailing promotion out of Minnesota.

 

Cyndi Lauper Interview

An Interview with Cyndi Lauper By Michael Lano and Evan Ginzburg

 

Photos: Left: Medusa, several times, world champion, Below: Professional wrestler Sunny, successful businesswoman presiding over her own multi million Dollar corporation: The World of Sunny!

At the top of the today's charts is Cyndi Lauper, who helped give Hogan and McMahon credibility and attention by participating in the Rock and Wrestling Connection. She originally sang for the  group Blue Angel. Although she was one of the top celebrities at the “We Are The World” taping. after going multiplatinum with her debut album, She's So Unusual , U.S. sales skidded for one of the best singers in the business. She's recently made an amazing comeback. Mike Lano and Evan Ginzburg interviewed her after she cut the opening day ribbon at Virgin Records' S.F. store on 8/17/95.

 

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