The Day Billie Jean King Beat Bobby Riggs

On September 20, 1973, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in what became known as the Battle of the Sexes tennis match.

Riggs was a misogynist who claimed that women were inferior and that he could beat any female player at any time. Billie Jean King stepped forward to take up the challenge.

There were 30,000 people in attendance at the Astrodome in Houston and 50 million people watched it on television.

History: “Howard Cosell defeated King Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in the match. King’s performance not only helped legitimize professional tennis for women and women athletes, but was also seen as a victory for women’s rights in general.”

Riggs was the one who was inferior.

Investigative journalist Don Van Natta Jr. published an article in 2013 titled The Match Maker Bobby Riggs, The Mafia and The Battle of the Sexes, in which he stoked the conspiracy that Riggs fixed the match because of his ties to mobsters.

Billie Jean King responded to the ESPN report. “Bobby Riggs wanted to win that game. I saw it in his eyes. I saw it when we switched sides. And there’s no doubt about it.”

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