The 1980s were a time of massive expansion in the professional wrestling industry, with the WWF (known today as WWE) under full control of Vince K. McMahon. After purchasing the promotion from his father in 1982, McMahon began a period of rapid expansion, muscling or buying out many of the territories that operated around the country as he pursued ways to get his product in front of more eyeballs.
Along the way, McMahon and his promotion benefitted from an important connection involving pop star Cyndi Lauper and onscreen manager "Captain" Lou Albano. McMahon booked Lauper and Albano into an onscreen feud, with each one choosing a wrestler to represent them in the ring. The Fabulous Moolah stepped in on Albano's behalf, while Lauper went with Wendy Richter as her proxy fighter.
Richter had entered the wrestling industry in the early 1970s, and was one of many women who came up training underneath Moolah. In the years since horror stories have emerged about what the women were subjected to during their time at Moolah's school. By the time Richter reached WWE and was set to feud with Moolah, the two weren't on good terms, but that didn't stop the storyline from going forward.
The company built to a match that took place on a live 1984 MTV special called "The Brawl To End It All," with Richter successfully capturing the WWF Women's Championship. The victory was historic for several reasons, and the match helped take the women's division, and the industry as a whole, to the next level.
Lauper's debut album as a solo artist was released in late 1983, and though it would wind up becoming a massive hit, the tepid reaction to its first single, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun," had music executives in a panic. Dave Wolff, Lauper's manager and boyfriend, was a wrestling fan and came up with the idea to partner Lauper with the promotion to push her single.
At the same time, McMahon had a notion of pushing women's wrestling more seriously, and he saw an opportunity in front of him. Though the details of her reign are a little shaky, The Fabulous Moolah was said to have held the WWF Women's Championship for decades at the time, and McMahon came up with the idea to push Richter and have her defeat Moolah for the title, with Lauper and Albano involved as managers.
Following a build that also featured "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Richter successfully ended Moolah's reign at "The Brawl To End It All." Wolff's promotional idea worked, as "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" began growing in popularity. Lauper then followed that up with another hit song, "Time After Time," which solidified her status as a pop star.
The relationship had benefits for McMahon's company, as well. Through Lauper, the WWF developed a relationship with MTV, leading to the aforementioned TV special and additional broadcasts, bolstered by the break-out stardom of Hulk Hogan. The WWF rode the wave of success, and McMahon launched WrestleMania the following year, with Lauper's continued involvement. As for Richter's future, McMahon eventually soured on her, leading to an infamous "screwjob" that saw Moolah forcibly take the title back.
