She's So Unusual

"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"

By Kevin Hunsperger

Happy 58th birthday to Cyndi Lauper.  If you didn't start watching wrestling until the Attitude Era you probably have no idea why I'm wishing the Grammy award winner a happy birthday.

Back in the mid-1980's Lauper played an important role of wrestlings boom.  She was (as far as I know) the first big celebrity to be involved in a wrestling angle.  Capt. Lou Albano played her father in the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun video.  That lead to a crossover appearance by Lauper on an episode of Piper's Pit.  I'm going on memory here, but I think Albano turned his back on Cyndi, saying he made her a star and was responsible for her success.  The segment ended with Lauper whacking both Piper and the Captain with her purse and leaving in tears.

Courtesy: WWE

Albano got behind the Fabulous Moolah, while Lauper started "managing" Wendi Richter.  The two would meet on MTV's "Brawl to End it All."  That was in July 1984.  Months later, Lauper would make amends with Captain Lou and feud with Piper. The Rowdy One had smashed a framed record over Albano's head, body slammed Lauper's boyfriend David Wolfe, and kicked Cyndi in the middle of the ring.

After that, Richter dropped the women's title to Leilani Kai, when Richter was distracted by Moolah who was choking Lauper outside the ring.  This all happened on MTV's "War to Settle the Score."  These shows on MTV were all a big buildup to the first ever Wrestlemania, where Lauper and Richter would join forces again.  Richter won the women's title back, and she and Cyndi danced around the ring in celebration.

Because the rock n wrestling connection was proving successful, more wrestlers were added to Lauper's "Goonies R Good Enough" video.  Piper was in it, as well as Richter.  They were joined by Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, "Classy" Freddie Blassie, and Moolah.  I'm pretty sure it was shortly after that, Lauper kinda disappeared from the wrestling scene.  Richter dropped the title again to Moolah who was wrestling as Spider Lady.

Courtesy: WWE

Now that the WWE has a Celebrity Wing of the Hall of Fame, I definitely think Lauper deserves a spot in it.  She was certainly a big player in the whole rock n wrestling connection and helped the WWF gain all kinds of main stream media coverage at a time many just reduced wrestling as a side show attraction.

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Thanks!