"The first Screwjob" - Vince McMahon told WWE referee to go off-script in a top female star's title match (Exclusive)
Former WWE Spanish announcer Hugo Savinovich spoke about "The Original Screwjob" featuring Wendi Richter and The Fabulous Moolah during this week's episode of UnSKripted.
Wendi Richter, Hugo Savinovich's then wife, was in the midst of a contract dispute when she walked into a Madison Square Garden show on November 25, 1985, as the WWE/F Women's Champion.
The backstage issues reached a crescendo, and WWE boss Vince McMahon and his team eventually hatched a plan to take the title off Richter. The referee administered the three-count despite the champion kicking out of a roll-up.
Savinovich recalled that Vince McMahon told WWE referee Jack Lutz that the objective was to screw Wendi over and get the championship back on The Fabulous Moolah, who competed under the "The Spider Lady" moniker.
"The real Screwjob did not happen in Montreal; it happened in New York, Jack Lutz was the referee, and it was my wife against Moolah dressed like the Spiderwoman. And the referee, a good friend of mine, was told by Vince McMahon to screw Wendi, and Wendi almost wanted to break; she ran out the garden, by the way. That was the first Screwjob," stated Hugo Savinovich.
Hugo Savinovich has revealed his choices for the Sportskeeda Wrestling Awards. You can make your choice too! Use your voice, make a choice.
Wendi Richter left WWE after the "Screwjob" and didn't have the best relations with company officials until she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010.
Despite all the controversies surrounding The Fabulous Moolah, Hugo Savinovich named her the greatest female wrestler of all time.
Hugo Savinovich says the WWE Hall of Famer opened the doors for other female wrestlers
Hugo Savinovich said that Fabulous Moolah was a true master of her craft and inspired several female wrestlers to enter the business.
Savinovich also enjoyed the work of Asuka, Faby Apache, and Mildred Burke but felt that The Fabulous Moolah was indisputably the best female star to step foot inside the squared circle.
"Wow. Oh my god, I know I'm going to get a lot of heat, but Moolah was a master, even though Moolah was screwed. So, I still go with, I like Fabulous Moolah. Mildred Burke, I'm a good fan of Faby Apache. Asuka, I like, but you go for like a long, long time, and I don't know, I know I'm going to get a lot of heat for saying this, but I think that you can't just take the bad, you've got to go with the good and bad, but she was the door that opened up a lot of places for a lot of the girls," added Savinovich.
#OnThisDay in 1984: in New York City at @TheGarden, the Fabulous Moolah, disguised as The Spider Lady, defeated Wendi Richter to win the WWF Womens Title in the original WWF Screwjob. [thread] https://t.co/pfLjUfyl8X
Hugo Savinovich believes that The Fabulous Moolah knew how to be a draw and was rightfully on top of the women's division for decades. He also spoke about Richter's training at Moolah's school, as you can view below:
"My wife, at the time, Wendi, would have never been managed by Cyndi Lauper if she wasn't trained right," Savinovich continued, "And be on the road, and do all of that, and yeah, be upset with Moolah sometimes. But I still have to go with the Fabulous Moolah because she knew how to sell herself and was able to talk to the biggest, toughest promoters in the world, and she ruled her division for over 50 years."
In case you missed it, Hugo Savinovich also gave an inside look at the gruesome murder of Bruiser Brody during Sportskeeda Wrestling's weekly Q&A session, UnSKripted. You can check out that story right here.
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