Outside the Lines this morning addressed the issue of Bobby Riggs fixing his match against Billy Jean King to payoff a gambling debt to the mob. I found it very interesting especially when they showed footage of the match where it looked as though he tanked...missed very easy volleys and double faulted at key moments of the match. Anyone else watch..thoughts?? Sorry if this issue has been addressed years ago and beat like a dead horse but the episode just aired today with new witness interviews.
OTL Bobby Riggs vs Billy Jean King
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muddlehead
Professional
Always a good topic. No question Riggs threw the match. Not an issue. He was 55 at the time of the event. A world class top ranked 55 year old at that. In supreme health and condition. He had beaten Margaret Court soundly months before. Even though Court was unprepared for the ambush, he reportedly played and moved well. Against King, as you saw in the clips, he played like he was 80 years old. Generous to say his shots lacked pop or power. It was a joke to watch. He would say Court didn't train for him, which is why he rolled her so easily. On the other hand, when King saw what he did to Court, he would say, she went all in for match preparation. Blah blah. BS. When I was reading as much as I could about the Riggs / King thing years ago, conclusion consensus was he threw the match to set up a more profitable for him rematch. In the second match he could really bet some size on himself after establishing some doubt in the first go round. Unfortunately for Riggs, King was too sharp too bite on that. Some thought he bet on King. But, no evidence could be found. Not that bookies of that ilk talk a lot. I've come to accept the rematch angle. But, what OTL is saying about the mob is interesting. Sonny Liston went down that road. Riggs? Maybe. Look forward to seeing it.
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Lol..yeah I laughed when Billy Jean said he played his best I could tell by looking at him.
It was probably tears of joy...he no longer had to worry about his car blowing up when he started it.
I had always thought Billie Jean won fair and square. There was a Tennis Channel documentary on the match that made heroes of both Billie and Bobby. There's another documentary coming out soon that also doesn't the mention the 40 years of rumors that he tanked. Read the full fascinating article here:
http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/9589625/the-match-maker
http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/9589625/the-match-maker
muddlehead
Professional
Rumors? Here's what Gardnar Mulloy said in his book."The next morning I went up to Riggs' hotel room. Gar, I guess I blew it. But, suddenly with a sparkle in his eyes he said, I have a return match clause in our contract and we'll have a bigger and better show next time... Don Budge swears he had proof Riggs bet on King to win."
Jack Kramer in his book The Game says "Riggs lost fair and square because he failed to prepare properly for King after destroying Court. Took her lightly."
To which I say why would he not train to beat King in front of the most tennis viewers in history to that point. How in the world could he take her lightly? Only makes sense for me in the tanking scenario.
Jack Kramer in his book The Game says "Riggs lost fair and square because he failed to prepare properly for King after destroying Court. Took her lightly."
To which I say why would he not train to beat King in front of the most tennis viewers in history to that point. How in the world could he take her lightly? Only makes sense for me in the tanking scenario.
PSNELKE
Legend
King, however, dismissed the fixing claims. "A lot of people, men, particularly, don't like it if a woman wins," she told ESPN. They don't like it. They make up stories. They start just thinking about it more and more. It's hard on them. It's very hard on their egos."
Best part is, King REALLY thinks she "beat" Riggs. ROFLMAO :lol:
Best part is, King REALLY thinks she "beat" Riggs. ROFLMAO :lol:
This is noteworthy, I think, from the wikipedia article:
"In his final days, Riggs maintained friendly contact with Billie Jean King, and King phoned him often. She called him shortly before his death, offering to visit him, but he did not want her to see him in his condition. She phoned him one last time, the night before his death and, according to Billie Jean herself in an HBO documentary about her, the last thing she told Riggs was "I love you." (Interview with Billie Jean King, USA US Open telecast, August 28, 2006)"
Almost suggest King was in on it too.
"In his final days, Riggs maintained friendly contact with Billie Jean King, and King phoned him often. She called him shortly before his death, offering to visit him, but he did not want her to see him in his condition. She phoned him one last time, the night before his death and, according to Billie Jean herself in an HBO documentary about her, the last thing she told Riggs was "I love you." (Interview with Billie Jean King, USA US Open telecast, August 28, 2006)"
Almost suggest King was in on it too.
pug
Semi-Pro
King, however, dismissed the fixing claims. "A lot of people, men, particularly, don't like it if a woman wins," she told ESPN. They don't like it. They make up stories. They start just thinking about it more and more. It's hard on them. It's very hard on their egos."
Best part is, King REALLY thinks she "beat" Riggs. ROFLMAO :lol:
Funny King mentions egos because she has a very large ego that can't admit that Riggs threw the match.
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