The Last Match: WWF Women's World Champions of the 1980's.

In this post we take a look at the last matches of the WWF Women's World Champions from the 1980's

The Fabulous Moolah

September 21, 2004 WWE Phoenix, Arizona

teaming with "The Great" Mae Young defeated Dawn Marie & Torrie Wilson

WWE SmackDown

Born July 22, 1923 the life long South Carolina native began wrestling in 1949, winning the NWA World Women's Championship on September 18, 1956 claiming to have held it until July 23, 1984 when she was defeated by Wendi Richter.  However there several unrecognized titles changes during that 28 year run. 

Opened a training school in South Carolina where she trained many lady wrestlers over the years.  Several have made accusations against her, while several others have defended Moolah.

I was present at her final independent match on March 16, 2003 for MaineEvent Wrestling at the Portland Expo in Portland, Maine.  Teaming with Mae Young they defeated Don Montoya and "Towel Boy" Paul Adams.  Moolah only wrestled 2 other matches after this event.  

She passed away on November 2, 2007 at the age of 84.

 

Wendi Richter

August 27, 2005  King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

WrestleReunion 2

with The Patriot & George South Jr. defeated Amy Love, DC Drake, & Gary Royal

Trained by the Fabulous Moolah she debuted in 1979 as a heel wrestling around the territories including Mid South Wrestling Association, Stampede Wrestling, and the AWA.  In 1983 she returned to the then WWF now a babyface and was an integral part of the Rock N' Wrestling era with Cyndi Lauper as her manager.  In July 1984 on MTV she ended Moolah's "28 year" reign as World Women's Champion.

She left the WWF in controversial fashion the victim of the less publicized screw job at Madison Square Garden.  She would go on to win the AWA, NWF, and WWC Women's World Championships before leaving wrestling full time in 1989.  She had a few matches in the 1990's before having her final two matches in 2005.  She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010. 

Leilani Kai

December 11, 2015 Shine 31 Ybor City, Florida 

Shine 31

defeated by Lea Von Dutch

Trained by the Fabulous Moolah she debuted in 1975 and wrestled across the North America.  In 1984 she defeated Wendi Richter to win the WWF Women's World Championship losing it back to Richter at the inaugural WrestleMania.  She would then team with Judy Martin as The Glamour Girls managed by Jimmy Hart winning the WWF Women's Tag Team Championships having a memorable feud with The Jumping Bomb Angels.

In 1986 she held the All Japan Women's Wrestling All Pacific Championship for 215 days.  She would wrestled around the world for various promotions returning to the WWF to challenge then Women's Champion Alundra Blayze at WrestleMania X.  She would have matches in WCW, TNA, and the independents, also holding the NWA Women's Championship for 465 days.  

Velvet McIntyre

July 25, 1998 ICW Cloverdale, British Columbia

defeated by The Combat Girl losing the ICW Women's Championship

ICW: International Championship Wrestling

McIntyre was trained by Sandy Barr and debuted in 1980.  Through out her career she wrestled in several countries around the world and won several championships including holding both the NWA & WWF Women's Tag Team Championships.  She is probably best known during the mid 1980's WWF run where she wrestled Fabulous Moolah at WrestleMania 2.  

In July 1986 during a tour of Australia she defeated The Fabulous Moolah to capture the WWF Women's World Championship.  She lost it back to Moolah after a few days on the same tour.  She competed at the 1987 Survivor Series. 

Growing up I knew her to be one of the few wrestlers that compete barefoot, but she did wear boots for the first few years of her career.

   

"Sensational" Sherri Martel

January 29, 2005 WrestleReunion Tampa, Florida

with Amber O'Neal, Krissy Vaine, & Peggy Lee Leather was defeated by Wendi Richter, Bambi, Jenny Taylor, & Malia Hosaka

Sherri debuted in 1980 after training with The Fabulous Moolah.  Sherri is both a well known wrestler and manager having wrestled and managed in the AWA, WWF, and WCW.  Her best known managerial role was that of Queen Sherri with "Macho King" Randy Savage.

In 1985 Sherri won her first of three AWA Women's World Championship.  In 1987 she entered the WWF as Sensational Sherri and would defeated Moolah for the WWF Women's World Championship holding the title for 415 days.  Her full time in ring career ended in 1990, however she would have several matches through the 1990's including in ECW and a feud in 1997 with Debbie Combs in IWA Mid-South.

Sherri was inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.  Sadly Sherri died on September 11, 2007 from an overdose at only 49 years old.   

Rockin' Robin

February 23, 1992 LPWA Rochester, Minnesota

defeated by Black Venus

Super Ladies Showdown PPV

Robin was trained by Nelson Royal and debuted in 1986.  She comes from a wrestling family including her father Grizzly Smith and brothers Sam Houston & Jake "The Snake" Roberts.  She joined the WWF in 1987 competing at the first Survivor Series.  On October 7, 1988 she defeated Sensational Sherri for the WWF World Women's Championship in Paris, France.  She defended the title against Judy Martin at the first Royal Rumble broadcast on PPV January 15, 1989.  

In June 1989 the WWF quietly phased out the women's division and Robin just disappeared.  In 1989 & 1991 she defended the WWF Women's Championship in Ohio at Great Lakes Wrestling Association.  She won the UWF Women's Championship at their Beach Brawl PPV in June 1991 the promotions final show.  

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AWA SuperClash II

I recently was looking through the vault section of WWE Network in the AWA and found four of their supershows, including the only AWA PPV just listed in the TV section.  The shows are this one here, Super Sunday, WrestleRock 86 and Superclash III.

SuperClash II

May 2, 1987

San Francisco, California

The Cow Palace

Commentator: Rod Trongard

Duration: 2 hours 28 minutes

"Rock N' Roll" Buck Zumhofe vs. Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie 
This match was horribly long!  First all the walk and talk of Al-Kaissie at the beginning of the match, then the super slow cadence of it made it practically unbearable.  Al-Kaissie got the pin with his feet on the ropes similar to how Billy Graham pinned Bruno.

Super Ninja w/ Mr. Go vs. DJ Peterson
Super Ninja's arm gauntlets cover the back of his hands and I'm pretty sure they are supposed to be chinese stars, but they are swastika's.

This match was not as terrible as the first, but pretty darn close.  15 minute time limit draw.

Women's Champion: "Sensational" Sherri Martel vs. Madusa Micelli  
1 Fall 1 hour time limit
Doug Somers accompanied Martel to ringside. Great match!  Very hard hitting, I mean these girls really put it to each other.  Madusa busted out a picture perfect airplane spin!  Martel got the win with a roll up pulling the tights.

World Heavyweight Champion: Nick Bockwinkel vs Curt Hennig 
1 Fall 1 hour time limit
Fantastic match that went 23 minutes.  Bockwinkel worked the left arm for the majority of the contest out wrestling Hennig frustrating him.  As the match built towards a finish Curt attempted several pin falls but couldn't put the champion away further frustrating him.  Then it appears Larry Zybyszko who was sitting at ringside handed Hennig a roll of quarters clocking the champion and getting the three count.

After the match Hennig gave Zybyszko the roll back, but Ray Stevens at ringside exposed the foreign object.  A meeting in the ring with the referee, Stanley Blackburn, and Stevens leading to Blackburn declaring the title to be held up until the championship committee can review the tape.
Hennig was the babyface in the match, and the fans were excited that he won the championship.
Much like at Super Sunday the crowd chanting bullshit after the reverse decision.  Eventually though the decision was upheld and Hennig was declared champion.

Six Man Tag 
The Midnight Rockers: Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty, and Ray "The Crippler" Stevens vs. "Playboy" Doug Somers, Kevin Kelly, & Buddy Wolfe, w/ Sherri Martel
Jannetty took a beating for a long, long time, playing what I dub the Ricky Morton roll of the tag match.  He would fire up and the crowd with rise up with him, until the heal would bring him back down.  When he finally made the hot tag, after at least 15 minutes of punishment, the crowd figuratively exploded!  It was the hottest of hot tags!
The finish came when a minute after Jannetty finally tagged out, the match broke down and Stevens rolled up Somers in a small package for the pin.  Stevens was not the legal man in the ring.

Jerry Blackwell w/ Buck Zumhofe vs. Boris Zhukov w/ Adnan Al-Kaissie
This was nothing more than a steaming pile of garbage.  Blackwell won.

Russ Francis in green jacket

Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka & Russ Francis vs. The Terrorist & The Mercenary 
Russ Francis played in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers and he spent a lot of time on the outside of the ring in this match.  Once Snuka finally made the tag Francis showed us he could handle himself in the ring getting the win with a splash off the top rope on the Terrorist.  The crowd was jacked and could see many of them literally jumping up and down.

After the show was over they had a series of interviews in the empty arena with the majority of the wrestlers that were on the show.

Notes:

Ray Stevens joined Trongard on commentary for the The Women's and World Heavyweight championship matches.

This would be the fourth and final reign for Bockwinkel as champion who held the AWA World Championship an impressive 2,990 days in total.

Kevin Kelly would go onto the WWE to be Nailz.

The Terrorist is Brian Knobbs and The Mercenary Ron Fuller

Russ Francis is the son of wrestling promoter Ed Francis.  He competed in the WrestleMania 2 battle royal and was one of the final four competitors.  He wrestled in the late 70's while playing in the NFL.

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The Last Match: WWE Women's Champions

Women's wrestling has never been as popular as it is right now for the casual and mainstream fans.  Both on the independents and on the big stage of the WWE they have finally moved past the gimmicky bra & panties, mud bowl, evening gown, and lingerie matches for highly competitive matches that have been main eventing and at times stealing the show.

Over the years there have been some very talented women wrestlers that have given us their all in the ring.  This list is going to highlight some of the best women wrestlers that have had their last match.

Wendi Richter
August 27, 2005 Wrestle Reunion 2, King of Prussia, PA
teaming with George South Jr. & The Patriot defeated DC Drake, Gary Royal, & Amy Love

Trained by The Fabulous Moolahm, Richter debuted in 1979 eventually forming a tag team with Joyce Grable capturing the NWA Women's Tag Team Championship.  She is best known for ushering in the Rock n' Wrestling connection with Cyndi Lauper as her manager defeating the Fabulous Moolah for the WWE Women's Championship.  After leaving the WWE she would go on to win the AWA & WWC Women's Championships before quietly retiring from wrestling in mid 90's.  Richter made two appearances for Wrestle Reunion in 2005.  She was inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010.

Sherri Martel
January 29, 2005 Wrestle Reunion Tampa, FL
teaming with Amber O'Neal, Krissy Vaine,  & Peggy Lee Leather was defeated by Bambi, Jenny Taylor, Malia Hosaka & Wendi Richter

Sherri Martel has an illustrious in and out of the ring as a manager and wrestler.  Sherri began her training the with Fabulous Moolah in 1980 touring around the southern territories and Japan.  In 1985 she joined the AWA winning the Women's World Championship and managing "Playboy" Buddy Rose & "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers.  She arrived in the WWE in 1987 and defeated the Fabulous Moolah for the Women's Championship in her debut match holding the title for 15 months.  After the women's division was phased out Sherri managed Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, and Ted Dibiase.  She has a brief run in ECW in 1993 - 1994 before going to WCW where she managed Ric Flair before becoming Sister Sherri managing the Harlem Heat.  She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.  Sherri Martel passed away June 15, 2007.

Madusa aka Alundra Blayze
September 17, 2000 WCW Fall Brawl 2000 Buffalo, NY
teaming with Billy Kidman lost to "Franchise" Shane Douglas & Torrie Wilson in a Pittsburgh Plunge Scaffold Match.

Madusa debuted in 1984 after being trained by Eddie Sharkey.  She started with the AWA in 1986 as a manager and wrestler winning the AWA Women's Championship December 27, 1987.  In 1989 she became the first gaijin to sign a contract with All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling.  Madusa signed with WCW in 1991 in a managerial role however did have a match with Paul E. Dangerously at Clash of the Champions XXI.  Changing her name to Alundra Blayze she spent two years in the WWE becoming the face of the Women's division winning the Championship three times.  Of course everyone knows about her throwing the belt in the trash can when she returned to Nitro in December of 1995.  At this time it appeared as though WCW was going to build a women's division around her much like WWE did, however they never did.  They established a Women's Championship with Akira Hokuto winning the belt in the tournament final at Starrcade 1996 by June of 1997 the title was vacated and then later the division was dissolved.  Madusa would eventually win a title in WCW the Cruiserweight Championship from Evan Karagias at Starrcade 1999 losing it to Oklahoma 28 days later at Souled Out.  Madusa retired from wrestling in 2001.  She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015.  In September 2015 she was made the comissioner of World Wonder Ring Stardom in Japan.  Since 1999 she has driven the monster truck Madusa on the USHRA circuit.

Rockin' Robin
February 23, 1992 LPWA Super Ladies Showdown Rochester, MN
lost to Black Venus

Rockin' Robin is a second generation wrestler, the daughter of Grizzly Smith and the sister of Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Sam Houston.  She was trained by Nelson Royal debuting in 1987 in the WWE she was a member of the Fabulous Moolah's team at the first Survivor Series.  On October 7, 1988 in Paris, France Robin defeated Sherri Martel for the Women's Championship.  She held the title until February 21, 1990 when it was deactivated.  The only major defense of record was at the 1989 Royal Rumble against Judy Martin. After leaving the WWE she worked the independent scene and toured All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling.  She won the UWF Women's Championship at Beach Brawl from Candi Devine on June 9, 1991.

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