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I remember it. Seems like Riggs used a broom instead of a racket in one match and got his azz handed to him. Yeah, it was pretty much just for show, like that guy from Taxi on SNL wrestling a woman.
I vaguely remember hearing about it in the 80s, but it seemed like some sort of circus or publicity stunt really.
Will probably watch the movie though regardless.
The match between Riggs and King was a circus up to the very start, but I believe it was straight competitiveness once it started. As mentioned, Riggs was nearly twice as old as King.
The whole thing started with Riggs constantly putting down women's tennis and claiming he could, even at his age, destroy the very best women's player. At the time, King was the #1 women's player.
Riggs used to like to play challengers that weren't top flight professionals for a bet. He actually played a match with chairs placed on his side of the court as a handicap. In another match, he played someone while tied to a domesticated African lion that he had to drag around the court.
After the Riggs/King match they both made money doing commercials together with him playing up his chauvinistic pig persona.
The match between Riggs and King was a circus up to the very start, but I believe it was straight competitiveness once it started. As mentioned, Riggs was nearly twice as old as King.
The whole thing started with Riggs constantly putting down women's tennis and claiming he could, even at his age, destroy the very best women's player. At the time, King was the #1 women's player.
Riggs used to like to play challengers that weren't top flight professionals for a bet. He actually played a match with chairs placed on his side of the court as a handicap. In another match, he played someone while tied to a domesticated African lion that he had to drag around the court.
After the Riggs/King match they both made money doing commercials together with him playing up his chauvinistic pig persona.
That is how I remember it but a decade before the WWF promos made it big it reminded me of a boxing match promotions with Riggs playing the showman pumping the gate and King being deadly serious.
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Correct me if I'm wrong , but my understanding is that the whole thing was a gimmick, and not a real tennis match.
