After receiving her $100,000 check from boxer George Foreman, one of the many celebrities on hand at the Astrodome, King landed a string of endorsements for such products as Adidas sneakers, Wilson tennis rackets, Colgate toothpaste and Sunbeam hair curlers. “That was not really in Bobby’s interest in any way to lose that match,” King told ESPN.Įither way, the “ Battle of the Sexes” turned King into arguably the first superstar female athlete in the United States.
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GIRL KENNEDY LOSE YOUR MARBLES PRO
Moreover, a mafia lawyer accused by the former assistant golf pro of arranging the fix didn’t mention it in his tell-all book, even as he took credit for, among other things, playing an indirect role in President John F. Riggs himself never admitted to this, nor did the executor of his estate. Over the years, rumors surfaced that Riggs threw the match for money. When he hit a high backhand volley into the net on match point, King flung her racket into the air in celebration. Visibly tiring, he then lost the third set 6-3 as well. Though Riggs broke King’s serve in the first game of the second set, he would go on to lose it 6-3. She won the first set 6-4, striking a number of winners and securing the final point on a Riggs double fault. Normally a serve-and-volley player, King made a conscious effort to wear Riggs down with baseline rallies. In keeping with the carnival-like atmosphere of the contest, King wore blue suede sneakers, and Riggs played the first three games wearing a yellow jacket with the “Sugar Daddy” logo on the back.
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Riggs, meanwhile, came in on a rickshaw surrounded by scantily clad women known as “Bobby’s bosom buddies.” King then presented Riggs with a squealing baby pig and in return received a large “Sugar Daddy” lollipop. King entered the court a la Cleopatra, riding in a gold litter held aloft by toga-wearing members of the Rice University men’s track team.
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On September 20, 30,492 fans squeezed into the Houston Astrodome to witness the so-called “Battle of the Sexes,” while an estimated 90 million people worldwide watched on television.