In what was scheduled to be a regular title defense by the Women's champ at the time, Wendi Richter against The Spider Lady at MSG turned out to be the very first (recorded at least) "Screwjob" in WWF history. As the story goes, Wendi Richter was unhappy about her pay at the time in the company and Vince McMahon, being the true villain he is I guess, decided he would just screw Richter out of her title that she had just won back from Leilani Kai at the first Wrestlemania in March of that year. You know, because that's easier than just paying a female the same as the boys.
The screwing was done by dressing the former champion of 28 years, Fabulous Moolah up as The masked Spider Lady (usually played by Glenn Dean according to Richter in her shoot interview in 2005) and having her win after a fast count by the referee that was "not in the script". Despite the blatant kick out, the bell is rung and The Spider is announced the winner.
Wendi Richter was so genially upset by the decision of the match that she continued to wrestle with The Spider Lady, removing her mask to reveal Fabulous Moolah and then proceeded to hit Moolah with the belt until she (Richter) walked out of the arena "wrestling gear and all". Richter would never return to the WWF or speak to Vince McMahon until she was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010. I don't think she ever spoke to or reconciled with Fabulous Moolah again as Moolah passed on in November of 2007.
To cover up this incident, Fabulous Moolah told Mean Gene Okerlund in an interview on WWF TV that Wendi Richter was dodging her out of a title shot so she disguised herself as The Spider to get back what was rightfully hers.
Similar incidents where superstars have come back under masks to wrestle for one reason or another like Moolah include: The Miz as The Calgary Kid to defeat the returning Eugene in a contract on a pole match after he was fire for some reason due to John Cena on Raw one time... another incident would be when Edge & Christian brought back Los Conquistadores in their feud with The Hardy Boyz where Edge & Christian lost a championship match to The Hardyz and could no longer wrestle for titles again as long as The Hardyz were champs. So, E&C dressed up as Los Conquistadores and defeated The Hardyz at No Mercy for the titles. One of the doubles that played Los Conquistadores during scenes with E&C was played by Christopher Daniels who also dressed under a mask to return to action after being fired in TNA as Curryman.
The list just goes on and on - but the real story behind this match is definitely the undeserving screwjob that Wendi Richter received during her time in the WWF.
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