Was the "Battle of the Sexes" a Racket? (Billie Jean King, Bobby Riggs)

ESPN ^ | 3/26/20 | Don Van Natta Jr.

[Libloather]

The "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs is one of the most iconic moments in American sports history. Set against the backdrop of the women's liberation movement, King's 1973 victory over Riggs transcended sports. But a news tip from an unexpected source, 40 years later, sent ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. down a path that led him to investigate whether the match was rigged. Van Natta details his reporting on the lead-up to The Battle of the Sexes, and how Riggs' own agenda may have impacted the historic outcome. Play.

[Libloather]

Riggs may have owed the mob $100k. Feminism hardest hit. Podcast @ the link.

[dfwgator]

I thought this has been common knowledge for years.

[ClearCase_guy]

Yeah, this isn’t new.

[Georgia Girl 2]

That match was one of the most enjoyable sports events I ever watched. It was total entertainment.

[Jess Kitting]

So Riggs rigged it?

[marktwain]

Never heard of it before.

[null and void]

A racket.

[Obadiah]

Riggs took a dive.

[dfwgator]

Why was Billie Jean allowed to use the doubles area, and Riggs wasn’t?

[John Milner]

“The “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs is one of the most iconic moments in American sports history.”

No. No it is not.

[ClearCase_guy]

It’s discussed on the Wikipedia page for Bobby Riggs. Footnote points to an article from 2013.

[TalBlack]

Yes, I’d read aboUT this year’s ago. Also, “iconic” is really stretching it. What I remember is that not a word came out of Riggs mouth that didn’t seem tongue in cheek. He was TRYING to really piss off the fem set. That’s “box office” as Muhammad Ali put it.

[Fireone]

It’s called show business.
also, see Vince McMahon.

[bwest]

Actually, it was the battle of the genders, not the sexes. Either player could have identified as any gender.
I’m grateful for our new enlightenment.

[Obadiah]

It was a great propaganda win for the feminazis of the day and Riggs was their willing stooge.

[Texas Eagle]

I don’t know why it was called The Battle of the Sexes when both players were dudes.

[Savage Beast]

Oh no, Bobby Riggs was just ahead of his time.

[teeman8r]

yeah, a washed up old guy defending doubles territory against a prime female athlete... both in skirts...

but not on equal terms.

sure she was better.

[Dan in Wichita]

The Riggs-King match illustrates the intellectual depravity of the Left. At that time, Billie Jean King was the #1 rated female tennis player in the world, pitted against a has been male player who even in his prime, was not a top rated professional. Of course she was going to defeat him. Had she been pitted against a similarly ranked male tennis player, such as Jimmy Connors or Bjorn Borg, she would have been crushed.

But the Left used this match to advance feminism. In their view, the King victory proved that not only were women as good as men, they were actually the superior gender, as this match "proved" it.

[wastedyears]

One of the Williams sisters was in a mixed doubles match, and she couldn’t do anything.