Posted on 08/27/2013 6:47:52 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Forty years ago, the battle of the sexes took a more literal turn in the world of sports, and captured the imagination of the country — and the world. By then a fading star in men’s tennis, Bobby Riggs challenged rising women’s tennis star Billie Jean King to a three-set match to settle whether women could compete against men on an even field. But how even was the field? ESPN and ABC report that Riggs may have thrown the match in cahoots with the Mafia:
The “Battle of the Sexes,” a 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and a former Grand Slam champion, was rigged by the mob, according to a new report.
The tennis match between King and the late Bobby Riggs, a former Wimbledon and U.S. Open champ, was a spectacle watched by millions around the world Sept. 20, 1973. More than 30,000 people packed the Houston Astrodome to see whether King, 29 at the time, could defeat a man.
King beat Riggs, who was 55 at the time of the match, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. The win gave women’s tennis a huge boost in terms of respect and gender equality, but an ESPN “Outside the Lines” report says the whole match was fixed because Riggs owed mobsters more than $100,000 and threw the match to erase the debt.
If you weren’t around for this, it may be difficult to relate just what a big deal this match was. From schoolyards to business offices, people chose sides and argued vehemently about the possible outcomes and the relative skills of the two professional athletes. Those who cheered for Riggs became known (mostly by choice) as “Rigg’s Pigs,” a reference to the insult “male chauvinist pigs” thrown at those opposed to the feminist movement at the time. Riggs, who certainly knew how to promote the match, cut a deal with Sugar Daddy candies, if I recall correctly, and surrounded himself with a bevy of beautiful women to stoke interest. The match itself drew 90 million viewers worldwide, making it one of the most-watched sporting events ever, and easily the most-watched tennis match in the US at least to that time.
This report is based on one overheard conversation from months earlier, one that didn’t even involve Riggs. That makes it a little thin, and for her part, King vehemently denies that Riggs threw the match:
“I was on the court with Bobby and I know he was not tanking the match. I could see in his eyes and body language he wanted to win,” she said.
“It was 40 years ago and I won the match and I am 100 percent sure Bobby wanted to win as badly as I did. Those who bet against me lost money but the result is the same today as it was 40 years ago.”
Riggs’ son Larry admits that his father knew mobsters at the time, and allows that it might be “possible” that they talked to Riggs about the game. However, I’m pretty skeptical about this, and not just because the intense media spotlight on the game would have made it more difficult to pull off. Riggs was almost twice the age of King at the time of this match, 55 years old to her 29, and both were world-class athletes. Even today, when 55 is a lot younger than it used to be, a 29-year-old woman on a tennis court will have fresher legs and more stamina than a 55-year-old man, especially one who threw himself more into promotion than practice in the weeks leading up to the match. In retrospect, Riggs seems fortunate to have made it as competitive as he did, losing in three straight sets and two service breaks down in each of the final two sets.
For those who weren’t around at the time, Bob Costa had a good recap in his book And the Crowd Goes Wild:
It was a FRAUD even if Bobby Riggs didn’t “let the girl win”.
He was a out of his prime tennis player vs a oppenort that was just reaching hers.....
“Rigged” from the start....
You mean that the Mafia was behind the homosexual agenda (Stonewall was a mob run speakeasy), the feminist movment (Billy Jean King victory), and organizized labor goons????
Why, that would mean that the Democrats' core constituents are all crooks!
No, not thrown, and I watched it.
Hal Shaw, friend of Bobby Riggs, told ESPN that it was all a setup.
According to Shaw, who was an assistant golf pro 40 years ago at the Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club in Tampa, Fla., where Riggs also was working, he was toiling late one night fixing golf clubs when he saw mob lawyer Frank Ragano, Florida mob boss Santo Trafficante Jr. and New Orleans crime boss Carlos Marcello enter the clubhouse.
Ragano told the men Riggs was going to “set up two matches . . . against the two best women players,” Shaw told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines.”
For those who don’t know, Billy Jean King was ranked number 2 in the world then. Margaret Court of Australia was ranked number 1.
Months before losing to King, the 55 year old, long retired, Riggs crushed then-No. 1 women’s player Margaret Court.
Riggs was one of his era’s greats, winning Wimbledon and the US Open in 1939. He won the US Open at Forest Hills again in 1941 at age 23.
Hal Shaw, friend of Bobby Riggs, told ESPN that it was all a setup.
According to Shaw, who was an assistant golf pro 40 years ago at the Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club in Tampa, Fla., where Riggs also was working, he was toiling late one night fixing golf clubs when he saw mob lawyer Frank Ragano, Florida mob boss Santo Trafficante Jr. and New Orleans crime boss Carlos Marcello enter the clubhouse.
Ragano told the men Riggs was going to “set up two matches . . . against the two best women players,” Shaw told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines.”
For those who don’t know, Billy Jean King was ranked number 2 in the world then. Margaret Court of Australia was ranked number 1.
Months before losing to King, the 55 year old, long retired, Riggs crushed then-No. 1 women’s player Margaret Court.
Riggs was one of his era’s greats, winning Wimbledon and the US Open in 1939. He won the US Open at Forest Hills again in 1941 at age 23.
I watched it. She kicked his butt. Of course a young player is going to beat a 55 year old. But still it was a hoot.
What difference, at this point, does it make?
The first match was between Riggs and the number one woman player in the world. Riggs beat her very easily just basically toying with her.
Then surprise surprise. Billy Jean King challenges him to another match. Since Riggs had made a monkey out of Court all the betting money was on Riggs, especially since Court was ranked higher than King.
I thought to myself: Why is Billy Jean King, a big feminist setting herself up to get beat even worse than Court? The answer: She knew she was going to win.
I read a book by Rod Laver and he just comes right out and say it. “Riggs put big money on King using pawns and threw the match” Riggs didn’t suddenly go from easily beating top ranked Margaret Court to easily losing to King.
I thought it was always well known that he tanked that match.
I saw both the Court-Smith match and the King match. Riggs didn’t play anything against King like he played against Court-Smith. He basically hit lollipops to King. A male pro tennis player, even at 55, can hit the ball very hard. Riggs looked like he wasn’t even trying against King.
Was there a grassy knoll nearby? Just sayin.
Yup. That’s what happened. Riggs was good enough to make it look flawless.
The guy was a known con-man.
Sure he threw it.
It’s over and King won? Dang, I was gonna watch that.
Serena Williams ranked number 1 female player in the world
Fastest serve = 116mph
Average 1st Serve = 99mph
Average 2nd Serve = 82mph
VS.
Novak Djokovic ranked number 1 male player in the world
Fastest serve = 128mph
Average 1st Serve = 111mph
Average 2nd Serve = 92mph
Put in on PPV. I wouldn't buy it personally but then I know what would happen.
Riggs was a hustler and did not play tennis like a man to begin with. He was what you call a touch player, he wasn’t known for any power game.
I have been playing tennis for many decades myself and I am aware of the styles, people involved and men versus women.
Then most college guys could wipe the floor with all the women except the top two or three. Male pros would destroy their female versions. That is why the William sisters IMO never took John McEnroe up on his challenge. He would wipe the floor even with these great women players.
I was a 6.0 and did play a few off the women pros to help prepare them for other women at times and I could beat them 6-0 at will.
They can’t move like men, they don’t have the power and are slow compared with males.
Riggs made a ton of money just by saying SUGAR DADDY on TV. He got $5000 every time he said that on that national TV.
He lived on vitamins and moved like an 80 year old.
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