Here's the complete special intersexual matchup between creator Bobby Riggs and competitor Billie Jean King. John Newcombe, Dennis Ralston, Rafer Johnson, Cliff Robertson, and more provide some pre-match thoughts.
I read that BJK had planned to play strictly serve and volley (her natural game) but changed her mind during the warm up when she decided she was going to stay back and make him run. The pressure on her that night was incredible.
There's always room for wonder when it comes to major money sporting events back then, courtesy of the mob having their hand in so many people's pockets consistently 🙄. We'll never know, as Riggs never said so one way or the other. But one thing is clear from the outset...BJK was intent on doing the opposite of what Margaret did, and she did it from the outset. Margaret was a powerful player, but mechanical in style. Billie was intent on taking risks early on and making Bobby scoot around the court constantly so he didn't have the opportunity to stand in place and junk and dunk her around the court with his off speed shots. She had him on the defensive.
King pretty much played her net game. This was confirmed in the telecast when they noted the high number of points she won at the net. It was the winning strategy. Staying back wouldn't have worked since that's what Margaret Court did. And we all know what happened there.
Am listening to her autobiography All In. She reports that she wanted to wear him out. She changed things up depending on what was happening during the match, but mainly to make him run and wear him out which she reports was evident in the first set.
@@cmkirn Of course. It helped that she saw beforehand what had happened to Court-who had the opposite style of BJK. Court was a strong player, but mechanical in style, predictable. Bobby used junk on her to run her around. BJK figured if she could get Bobby on the move, it'd be a different result....he wouldn't be able to set up his junk off speed shots to get her out of position. She was right, and it certainly was evident by the end of the first set.
So grateful for you posting this entire match. I’ve heard about it but have never watched it. Even though it was hard to see the tennis ball, I watched the entire match. I was born in 1973 and have always taken for granted being able to play sports. I really appreciate Billie Jean King and all she’s done for women’s sports!
You're welcome to believe in lies. But I deal in facts. Most people don't know that the sports betting industry in the 1970s was 100% CONTROLLED BY THE MOB. All the Vegas Casinos and the Sports Books were run by the Mob and all of the illegal bookmaking operations throughout the nation were controlled by the Mob as well. The Riggs-King match was one of the most anticipated and heavily bet sports matches in history at the time. Even people who didn't normally bet on sports events bet on this one. And the Mob posted Riggs as the heavy favorite, taking advantage of the fact that Riggs easily beat Margaret Court in an earlier match. Even as a heavy favorite, the money poured in on Riggs as a "can't miss" game. But from the Mob perspective, it was easy money if Riggs lost. And Riggs was always in debt to the Mob from his Casino gambling. So, I'll ask you. What would you do if you were Bobby Riggs? Would you defeat Billie Jean King and cause the Mob to lose tens of millions of dollars? Or would you throw the match, make the Mob very happy and also get yourself 100% out of debt and earn a nice payday to boot? I rest my case.
its great that women get paid the same at slams for being on court a fifth of the time men are, and only one fifth of the viewing audience watch the womens final at wimbledon, and throughout the year and the standard is around a 5 per cent the mens game, very fair , well done billie... other way around would be anarchy, i bet she cant believe it, now the woke squad support all of this,
the sparring commentating between Rosie and the men was hiliarious. More entertaining than the match itself. You don't realize how much things have changed until you watch old video like this. So many cringe worthy comments...hahaha
ooh, you wouldn't believe the amount of sexist comments everywhere on youtube - especially sports videos. seems the little boys are feeling threatened by the idea that women have the same intellectual ability as them...
@@mariyastoyanova31 really ? bobby was drunk , plus he had some debts to settle hence he lost . My little brother could trash top female players in a set
@@souijaboi3198 no doubt the best men would destroy the best women in a match. But the idea that you - or your little brother - could win a game against Serena Williams is laughable. 🤣🤣
@@dianenorman3209 when I was walking thru shopko one day doing some shopping my ass got grabbed I turned around and there was my buddy's kid sister with a huge grin on her face and my buddy hiding behind a shelf laughing I didnt think much of it at the time seemed like a harmless joke but fast forward 20 years later and I realize now that i had been raped and have been having nightmares about the incident currently seeking therapy and will probably have to go on disability benefits for ptsd depression anxiety and shy bladder women think men cant be raped but they can
I remember watching this when I was 10 in our big 70s living room with the green shag carpet and console TV 30 feet from the sofa lol. Simpler times. Good times.
YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!! I've wanted to see this BATTLE OF THE SEXES in its entirety for SOOOOOO LONG!!!!! Thanks in MANY LOTS and BUSHELS for posting it!!!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! :) :) :) :) (BTW. I was ten days shy of my SIXTH b-day when this historic match took place. Hence, I'm currently almost 53.)
@@lesliejones9705 Little bit jealous here😕I wasn't born until 77, but my Mother pushed me into tennis, and as a national juniors, I was a netrusher also...the people I studied constantly were Roscoe Tanner and.....BJK😏This is an absolute gem of a historical video💯
Came here after reading BJK's autobiography. I don't believe Bobby Riggs actually believed women were inferior, he was just spouting the most sexist crap he could think of to hype this event. Both Riggs and BJK both got what they wanted out of this. He got money and endorsements and she got attention, promotion and publicity for women's sports. Tennis became enormously popular in America after this match. Riggs and King never really hated each other and they remained friends. She even told him she loved him before he died.
He was a hustler and his hustle was failing. His wife had left him and he was losing money. This was a way to rebuild the hustle more than him actualy caring about the sexes thing. It succeeded, made him a ton of money even losing, and his wife returned to him and they lived the rest of their lives together, despite that he never gave up gambling and hustling as she wanted. She learnt to live with it. The real sexist was Jack Kramer, which the second movie actualy highlights, which is something a lot of people don't even realize.
@@Mcgregor22 keep dreaming honey 🤭he wanted to win and he was sure he would win and .. it didn't happen that way LOL you've clearly never seen the old tennis
"I don't think Bobby's a good athlete. I wouldn't consider someone who walks like a duck a good athlete." "I think we oughta get that man removed." ROSIE!! 😂
I still laugh when the fan yells out "Come on Bobby Baby!" because you know that guy had a lot of money on with his bookie. I wonder exactly how much that slob lost. 🤣
Everyone saying thats not fair because he was in his 50s etc. When it was literally this clown's claim to "easily beat any woman at 50". Like that was literally the point he was trying to prove, and he didnt.
Wow, I had no idea Howard Cosell was a commentator on this! I was so used to him doing football games but this was the first time hearing him comment on a tennis match. Cool! Considering it's not his usual arena, he did a pretty good job!
Love the product placement! I never saw this match tho I was a teen - it's great to see it now! You could do a drinking name with the nonPC comments - hey, by the second commercial, you'd be looped! Thanks for posting - love the time travel! I am currently listening to All In, BJK's autobiography,. Recommend it - what an interesting life and an admirable strong and ethical woman.
@@pattijacobs100 that's awesome.. I always wanted to live through ww2 or the 20s and 30s.. times just seemed better then, before technology.. everyone would shake hands speak to one another, and now if you try speaking to a person in public it's weird, there were only 2 genders, and people weren't so fixated on material things
When the game was over and Riggs was jumping over the net I thought he was angry but I then saw that he was going there to shake the opponent's head. (I wasn't watching the game when it first aired nor was I alive back then.)
I imagine that most folks will forget that this match was the catalyst to the last great tennis golden age. Park tennis peaked and so did the real public fascination with non-tennis participants. Between this match and John Mcenroe.
@@romaintagliaferro3189 I am not sure really. I think this might have been the latest golden age . I look at Bill Tilden, Pancho Gonzalez area, the time of McEnroe Borg and Conners as maybe being more competitive. There is a great conversation on you tube between Becker, McEnroe, Lendl and Mats Wilander on this subject!
@@rc-darkangel774 In terms of, mainly, technique but also speed, the game has ENORMOUSLY evolved between the era of those guys that you are referring to and the 00s decade. Truly, there is no comparison between the big 3 era and the McEnroe etc era. Game nowadays is 10 times faster, far more pleasing to the eye (mainly because of the evolution of technique) hence interesting. Even though I truly understand that you might be nostalgic about the fact that you probably grew up watching those guys, please try to be objective.
Is there any way to clear the images of this video? Anyone who can apply a filter to sharpen it so we can preserve this piece of women's history in sports?
It's so great to actually see this match, you can tell she is in amazing shape he is not, she ran him so much there is no way he could have played 4 sets let alone 5. So yeah maybe he did throw the match but only because he was going to lose and trying to save face
Bobby made his shots a little too obvious, gave up too many opportunities, to assist Billie in winning. Any "competent tournament " male level 5 player would see through this charade. He was good friends with Billie, he knew it would help womens struggle to gain credibility and boost the publics interest. Bobby made out handsomely in the financial aspect from other sources, insiders who knew Riggs financial situation understood the major reason why Bobby needed this to happen. It ended up being a win-win situation
It's ironic Rosie called the exact score, as she'd played BJK several times. I understand why some people think it was thrown....that era, big sporting events....the mob had their hand in so much. Having played competitively....I don't think it was. Bobby hadn't played in the netrush era, and that's what she was. Margaret didn't move Bobby around, so she was a sitting duck for all of his junk off speed shots. BJK attacked him and had him constantly moving. By the end of the 2nd set, he clearly looked gassed. BJK and Margaret were 2 completely different types of players. I miss that era so much. The announcing-except for Howard-horribly biased, and that's what made it so much fun! Let everyone get their digs in....to the winner go the spoils.😏I haven't seen a sporting events marketed like this in my lifetime yet, and I'm only 44. A great spectacle.🤗
I disagree. MOST men at the time expected that Riggs would win 6-2 and 6-2. I would say 90% of men were thinking that. Afterwards they blew it off by saying he let her win...or that he was drunk. Something like that. 😆 😆 😆
@@JGldmn333 If you know tennis, there are quite a few bizarre unforced "errors" that a decent high school player would not make, at critical points, and a pattern of, when having better options, he would simply push the ball back short and down the middle where BJK could get to them easily for winners. I don't even think BJK played her A game. If Riggs had played anywhere near the level when he destroyed Margaret Court a few months before, he would have blown BJK away in straight sets. Some PhD candidate in Sports Psychology is going to win his or her doctorate analyzing the match.
Riggs gave King so many powder puff balls for her to volley away. He didn't play the same quality of tennis like his match against Court. Looked like he threw the match.
I think he may have because the stakes were so much higher for king. Whether real or imaginary she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. She was trying to use her platform to make a difference. For him and Margaret it wasn’t that important
I wasn’t around then but at the time did people not take this seriously at first or think she had no chance of winning? She’s so much faster & 25 years younger than the other guy
Riggs had just beaten Margaret Court recently( the Mothers Day massacre) and therefore it was assumed he would have as easy a time vs. King. He was noted to be a big gambler, and there's been speculation that he bet against himself.
@@tomloft2000 Although he may have thrown the match (and there are allegations, so it is very possible), he did later admit to underestimating King: "He was not laughing, not even smiling. "How's it going?" he muttered to nobody. "Where is she?" Bobby Riggs was actually tight, nervous, grim. He did not look like he loved it anymore." He also said this: "She played within herself all night. She was never extended. The girl was all over me the whole time. I didn't know Billie Jean was so quick." So even though he threw the match she did still impress him, which is noteworthy. But he was a 55 year old man
38yo male 'snowflake' feminst here lol If i'd been alive back then i'd have been cheering on Billie and i'd be booing the HELL out of Bobby. Now, while i DONT agree with how he went about it I can't help but love Bobby on some level. Maybe it's because I am a fan of Wrestling, UFC and sometimes Boxing and understand how it works. All have people playing characters to get the audience hooked, even if that character is the 'Bad Guy' or the 'good guy' or the 'obnoxious guy' you want to pay to see beaten etc. It's just to pull people in. Bobby did just that. He saw a divide in in the country and world and saw how to exploit it to make some money and to get back some fame he lost and never managed to get back after WW2. I don't believe for a second he meant half the stuff he came out with. He was It simply playing the 'Male chauvinist pig' character to get people to react. Everybody at the time either wanted to cheer him on or boo him off the court. He played the character VERY well and you could (or should) say too well. It's very similar to what Andy Kaufman did in the wrestling industry. Now, saying that I think he hurt/could have destroyed the women's movement but I don't think that was ever his intention. He was an gambling addict. ANYBODY who has an addiction will tell you that the 'addiction' isn't restricted to one thing. I think Bobby was also addicted to the spotlight and chased it. Addicts make stupid choices when they're chasing what ever it is they want/need and I think Bobby fell into that trap. Billie was friendly with him before he started on the "Crusade" and said he was a nice guy but just a good hearted hustler. Even after the match they became good friends and she said he wasn't anywhere near as bad as the 'character' he was playing and would often say how amazing she for fighting for womens rights and how proud he was to have her as a friend.
I have the 1970's Julie Albright American Girl doll, though I renamed her Gabriela for personal reasons. Once I get a sewing machine, I'm going to make her a '70's style tennis outfit and say she's Billie Jean King. In the Julie series, Julie uses her Title IX rights to play on the basketball team.
А почему бы сейчас не сделать такой же матч? К примеру, из теннисистов 90-х можно взять Андре Агасси или Пита Сампраса, а из современных теннисисток Джессика Пегула или Коко Гауфф неплохо бы смотрелись. Матч века был в 1973 году, сейчас 2023 год и этому матчу 50 лет, юбилей.
Finally.....(!) got to see the entire match. I was 10 years old and my family wouldn´t let me watch it because of "Bonnie and Clyde" on the other network :) The male commentators were disgusting. Go, Rosie.
GRACIAS A BOBBY EL TENNIS SE POPULARIZO MAS.... GRACIAS A BOBBY MAS MUJERES DECIDIERON JUGAR MAS TENIS... (porque pensaron era un deporte que podian estar de tu tu con los hombres) GRACIAS A BOBBY gano miles en publicidad y seamos sinceros.... EL no era machista... De hecho era un aliado por decicion propia de la causa feminista.... Y perdio a proposito para que las mujeres sobresalieran mas..... El dirigio produjo, dirigio y actuo en esta estafa para sacar provecho y al mismo tiempo contribuir al tenis y a la lucha feminista..... El Hombre detras de la orquesta BOBBY.... un gran tipo
This match was good for all of tennis. Got alot of new fans for the game, for BJK and even for Bobby. One of the first times I got to watch tennis on tv and decided to take it up for fun. I rooted for Billie Jean the rest of her career. She was always great! Bobby wasn't bad for an old man. It was a good match but never in doubt. His hustle brought in fans.
This is about the most cringe-worthy thing I've ever seen. Ugh. I was ten at the time, and I'm frankly proud of the progress we've made, unfinished as it is.
The main objective was to prove that "even a moderate player, a retired 55 year old man, can beat the best female tennis player." That hypothesis was proven wrong. The goal was not to compeate the best man and the best woman. Respectfully said, I don't think it's fair to say "see, that proves it" if Bobby won and "well he wasn't the best and he was 55" if he lost. The objective was set and disproven. Billies motive wasn't for females to gain superiority but equality to know that even if she lost against the best male tennis player because they're built with more muscle, that doesn't make her accomplishments worth any less. I think that's fair. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Wikipedia doesn't say jack about Jack Kramer's blatant male chauvinism. The man wore blinders, and he will forever remain on the wrong side of history. My goodness, look how many were just plain _wrong_ predicting the outcome of this match. Even Chris Evert predicted Bobby Riggs would win. She predicted that Hingis would beat Majoli in the 1997 French Open final as well. That, too, did not happen.
Why was this match best of 5 sets and the one against Court was best of 3. Doesn’t that tell you they both knew what the outcome would be? He played brilliantly against Court, and purposely bad in this match.
Watching but I just don't get it I looked up online 5 different things that say how to score and how points are done done in tennis and none of them make senseWatching but I just don't get it I looked up online 5 different things that say how to score and how points are done done in tennis and none of them make sense
Thank you for posting. I am enjoying watching them play, but find it difficult to listen to the commentators due to their extreme biases. I was very young when this took place but remember the HUGE after affects of her winning. I’m watching to see if he threw the match to cover his old gambling debts. So far, 51:53 in it, it looks like pure play on both sides.
You can see signs of frustration when wrong-selecting shots, so Bob did NOT throw the match. That’s why he got coached DURING. The match, AND tried to pretend he was injured when Billie Jean was having a momentum.
Billie Jean---she took Bobby's 'time' away with that attacking game and net play. He didn't have time to set up properly consistently to hit his junk balls and do his thing. He didn't have time - brilliant strategy by King.
12:24 “The feminist ‘thing’, how important is that Billie?” Americans with passports wonder why they get such a bad reputation whenever they travel, well, it’s *that* kind of blunt/in your face/not reading the room type of comments that stand out (as well as the loudness). I’ve met Americans in the Netherlands as well as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia (including Bali), and Hong Kong. It’s embarrassing the way that they’re so loud & uncouth. People in South East Asian countries sometimes unfortunately see a Western face & think ‘American’, but luckily they ask “you American?” “Oh no no, don’t worry, I’m not!” (Phew)
You guys realize Bobby Riggs threw the match right? He had gambling debts and needed the money. I like Billie Jean king tho. I think she seems like a nice lady.
What a PR stunt with Riggs 25 years older, needing to pay off some debts and Billie Jean King with her agenda for women's tennis.. I'm glad I fell asleep that night and oh how I hate Cosell
The commentator Rosie's clear dislike and disgust for Bobby Riggs is hilarious to me
Nah it's more annoying
man haters , misandry is thriving now, and completely legal, men are waking up though
I read that BJK had planned to play strictly serve and volley (her natural game) but changed her mind during the warm up when she decided she was going to stay back and make him run. The pressure on her that night was incredible.
Regardless of the truth of the match, Bobby and Billy were good friends, and she was a wonderful player
There's always room for wonder when it comes to major money sporting events back then, courtesy of the mob having their hand in so many people's pockets consistently 🙄. We'll never know, as Riggs never said so one way or the other. But one thing is clear from the outset...BJK was intent on doing the opposite of what Margaret did, and she did it from the outset. Margaret was a powerful player, but mechanical in style. Billie was intent on taking risks early on and making Bobby scoot around the court constantly so he didn't have the opportunity to stand in place and junk and dunk her around the court with his off speed shots. She had him on the defensive.
King pretty much played her net game. This was confirmed in the telecast when they noted the high number of points she won at the net. It was the winning strategy. Staying back wouldn't have worked since that's what Margaret Court did. And we all know what happened there.
Am listening to her autobiography All In. She reports that she wanted to wear him out. She changed things up depending on what was happening during the match, but mainly to make him run and wear him out which she reports was evident in the first set.
@@cmkirn Of course. It helped that she saw beforehand what had happened to Court-who had the opposite style of BJK. Court was a strong player, but mechanical in style, predictable. Bobby used junk on her to run her around. BJK figured if she could get Bobby on the move, it'd be a different result....he wouldn't be able to set up his junk off speed shots to get her out of position. She was right, and it certainly was evident by the end of the first set.
So grateful for you posting this entire match. I’ve heard about it but have never watched it. Even though it was hard to see the tennis ball, I watched the entire match. I was born in 1973 and have always taken for granted being able to play sports. I really appreciate Billie Jean King and all she’s done for women’s sports!
he threw the match
@@steinanderson9849 Cope
You're welcome to believe in lies. But I deal in facts. Most people don't know that the sports betting industry in the 1970s was 100% CONTROLLED BY THE MOB. All the Vegas Casinos and the Sports Books were run by the Mob and all of the illegal bookmaking operations throughout the nation were controlled by the Mob as well. The Riggs-King match was one of the most anticipated and heavily bet sports matches in history at the time. Even people who didn't normally bet on sports events bet on this one. And the Mob posted Riggs as the heavy favorite, taking advantage of the fact that Riggs easily beat Margaret Court in an earlier match. Even as a heavy favorite, the money poured in on Riggs as a "can't miss" game. But from the Mob perspective, it was easy money if Riggs lost. And Riggs was always in debt to the Mob from his Casino gambling. So, I'll ask you. What would you do if you were Bobby Riggs? Would you defeat Billie Jean King and cause the Mob to lose tens of millions of dollars? Or would you throw the match, make the Mob very happy and also get yourself 100% out of debt and earn a nice payday to boot? I rest my case.
Wasn't a real match lol he lost on purpose to gain money
its great that women get paid the same at slams for being on court a fifth of the time men are, and only one fifth of the viewing audience watch the womens final at wimbledon, and throughout the year and the standard is around a 5 per cent the mens game, very fair , well done billie... other way around would be anarchy, i bet she cant believe it, now the woke squad support all of this,
the sparring commentating between Rosie and the men was hiliarious. More entertaining than the match itself. You don't realize how much things have changed until you watch old video like this. So many cringe worthy comments...hahaha
ooh, you wouldn't believe the amount of sexist comments everywhere on youtube - especially sports videos. seems the little boys are feeling threatened by the idea that women have the same intellectual ability as them...
@@mariyastoyanova31 really ? bobby was drunk , plus he had some debts to settle hence he lost . My little brother could trash top female players in a set
@@souijaboi3198 someone's dad is bigger than all the other dads
@@kevinkunst3870 his dad could definitely beat up our dads
@@souijaboi3198 no doubt the best men would destroy the best women in a match. But the idea that you - or your little brother - could win a game against Serena Williams is laughable. 🤣🤣
The sexism and misogyny of the male commentators (especially Cosell) made me cringe. And I was a teenager at the time.
Baaaaytah
I hope you can get over this great atrocity committed against you and move on with your life but if not you can probably go on disability for ptsd
Sexism and misogyny are still very much present in today's society. Just look at the comments. ^^^^
@@BenJamin-pd4mp 😂
@@dianenorman3209 when I was walking thru shopko one day doing some shopping my ass got grabbed I turned around and there was my buddy's kid sister with a huge grin on her face and my buddy hiding behind a shelf laughing I didnt think much of it at the time seemed like a harmless joke but fast forward 20 years later and I realize now that i had been raped and have been having nightmares about the incident currently seeking therapy and will probably have to go on disability benefits for ptsd depression anxiety and shy bladder women think men cant be raped but they can
This month will mark 50 years since this amazing tennis match took place. I hope ESPN will run it on their channel.
It will air on ESPN2 on September 19 at 9 p.m. ET.
I hope they tell the truth and finally tell everyone that this match was fixed.
I remember watching this when I was 10 in our big 70s living room with the green shag carpet and console TV 30 feet from the sofa lol. Simpler times. Good times.
I was 12 years old. I remember watching this. It was a huge deal. It’s 50 years. Wow I’ll be 62 in November.
Damn you must be really old
@@rebelsouljaz well I said I was 10 when this happened in 1973 so do the math, Einstein
@@rebelsouljaz you should leave mom and dad's basement today. Go out and enjoy the sunshine. It's what us old folks like to do.
I've been looking for this game for about three years, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING HER
Thankyou for this such a amazing moment so glad I can watch it back I’ve watched this 5 times full in the past 2 days just amazing
I enjoy watching this so so much - thank you for uploading!!
Thanks for posting this. I've read about it but not seen it before.
There was a battle of the sexes going on in the broadcast booth too
YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!! I've wanted to see this BATTLE OF THE SEXES in its entirety for SOOOOOO LONG!!!!! Thanks in MANY LOTS and BUSHELS for posting it!!!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! :) :) :) :) (BTW. I was ten days shy of my SIXTH b-day when this historic match took place. Hence, I'm currently almost 53.)
I was 14 and remember it like it was yesterday. It was just incredible! 🎾🎾🎾
Enjoy. Too bad the public really doesn't know the truth
That's incredible@@lesliejones9705, and my mom was 13 in '73
@@lesliejones9705 Little bit jealous here😕I wasn't born until 77, but my Mother pushed me into tennis, and as a national juniors, I was a netrusher also...the people I studied constantly were Roscoe Tanner and.....BJK😏This is an absolute gem of a historical video💯
Yeah I know right Pine? And I love your profile picture; Anne Frank would approve.
35:10 ... unbelievable quality of a rally, this match was great
With every thing going on....i remembered this match....and looked for it, i was too young to actually have watched it in 73 but, now I can.
Came here after reading BJK's autobiography. I don't believe Bobby Riggs actually believed women were inferior, he was just spouting the most sexist crap he could think of to hype this event. Both Riggs and BJK both got what they wanted out of this. He got money and endorsements and she got attention, promotion and publicity for women's sports. Tennis became enormously popular in America after this match. Riggs and King never really hated each other and they remained friends. She even told him she loved him before he died.
Exactly. It was all for show and went exactly as planned.
Let's see how she would have done against Bjorn Borg
You don't think women are athletically inferior to men?
@@jgc1077inferior ≠ athletically inferior
He was a hustler and his hustle was failing. His wife had left him and he was losing money. This was a way to rebuild the hustle more than him actualy caring about the sexes thing. It succeeded, made him a ton of money even losing, and his wife returned to him and they lived the rest of their lives together, despite that he never gave up gambling and hustling as she wanted. She learnt to live with it. The real sexist was Jack Kramer, which the second movie actualy highlights, which is something a lot of people don't even realize.
Thank you Billie Jean for beating the clown.
He let her win, you probably never watched tennis a day in your life tho lol
@@Mcgregor22 ur ego hurt?
@@Mcgregor22 Lol. He gave the challenge, and ended up losing.
@@aadixum are you dumb? the match was rigged... plus serena williams got ass kicked by 203rd ranked male player
@@Mcgregor22 keep dreaming honey 🤭he wanted to win and he was sure he would win and .. it didn't happen that way LOL you've clearly never seen the old tennis
"I don't think Bobby's a good athlete. I wouldn't consider someone who walks like a duck a good athlete."
"I think we oughta get that man removed."
ROSIE!! 😂
He was 55 retired for years that’s why 😅
I still laugh when the fan yells out "Come on Bobby Baby!" because you know that guy had a lot of money on with his bookie. I wonder exactly how much that slob lost. 🤣
Rosie, the other MVP. Love the dry, blunt, comments.
she was so annoying
Rosie was a savage! I’m glad!
I love it.
@@christopherlyons346 Anything that annoy misogynists is a plus. Stew!
The sarcastic comment 💀💀💀💀
Emma Stone did a great job playing Billie Jean in the movie. With the exception of Frank Gifford, the men announcers were jerks.
Everyone saying thats not fair because he was in his 50s etc. When it was literally this clown's claim to "easily beat any woman at 50". Like that was literally the point he was trying to prove, and he didnt.
Wow, I had no idea Howard Cosell was a commentator on this! I was so used to him doing football games but this was the first time hearing him comment on a tennis match. Cool! Considering it's not his usual arena, he did a pretty good job!
Cosell was on everything. Part of why he was so great. Like Jim McKay he did it all and knew a lot.
Cowell was the man who announced John Lennons death during a football game in Dec 80 as I recall
Cosell
Love the product placement! I never saw this match tho I was a teen - it's great to see it now! You could do a drinking name with the nonPC comments - hey, by the second commercial, you'd be looped! Thanks for posting - love the time travel! I am currently listening to All In, BJK's autobiography,. Recommend it - what an interesting life and an admirable strong and ethical woman.
Define ethical
@@rickrahman391 adjective
1. relating to moral principles or the branch of knowledge dealing with these.
Awesome Thanks!
Mensnettv brings me here
th-cam.com/video/mZ3IORJCdko/w-d-xo.html
Have you seen the Margaret Court match
What fun! I watched this in 73! It was so much fun to watch it in 2022!
That's crazy...have times changed or what
@@tspiv I used to think of all the changes my grandparents had seen. Now I'm looking at all the changes I've seen!🤔
@@pattijacobs100 that's awesome.. I always wanted to live through ww2 or the 20s and 30s.. times just seemed better then, before technology.. everyone would shake hands speak to one another, and now if you try speaking to a person in public it's weird, there were only 2 genders, and people weren't so fixated on material things
God what a moment that must have been for her! Good for her!
Why does Bobby Riggs look like Austin Powers?
oh behave baby behave!!!!!!!
This is one of the campiest things done in professional sports, and I love it
When the game was over and Riggs was jumping over the net I thought he was angry but I then saw that he was going there to shake the opponent's head.
(I wasn't watching the game when it first aired nor was I alive back then.)
Now this is some good TV.
"...almost in a state of delirium..." Lol
The match helped launch a nationwide tennis boom that lasted 20+ years.
I imagine that most folks will forget that this match was the catalyst to the last great tennis golden age. Park tennis peaked and so did the real public fascination with non-tennis participants. Between this match and John Mcenroe.
So you believe that this big 3 +serena era was not a "golden age"
@@romaintagliaferro3189 I am not sure really. I think this might have been the latest golden age . I look at Bill Tilden, Pancho Gonzalez area, the time of McEnroe Borg and Conners as maybe being more competitive. There is a great conversation on you tube between Becker, McEnroe, Lendl and Mats Wilander on this subject!
@@rc-darkangel774 In terms of, mainly, technique but also speed, the game has ENORMOUSLY evolved between the era of those guys that you are referring to and the 00s decade. Truly, there is no comparison between the big 3 era and the McEnroe etc era. Game nowadays is 10 times faster, far more pleasing to the eye (mainly because of the evolution of technique) hence interesting. Even though I truly understand that you might be nostalgic about the fact that you probably grew up watching those guys, please try to be objective.
Why was LeRoy Neiman cut out of this telecast version though Howard mentioned several times they would show his sketches?
Grateful 4 the upload but where's the commercials...
Happy 50th Anniversary!
50 years ago!
A great big facade that benefited both parties.
Is this the clearest recording of this match on TH-cam? I can barely see the ball.
"The Odd Couple" sent me here
Is there any way to clear the images of this video? Anyone who can apply a filter to sharpen it so we can preserve this piece of women's history in sports?
It's so great to actually see this match, you can tell she is in amazing shape he is not, she ran him so much there is no way he could have played 4 sets let alone 5. So yeah maybe he did throw the match but only because he was going to lose and trying to save face
5/2 odds on a 100k bet would have netted 250k. Imagine what the house would have made.
17:20: They don't let the sportscasters touch the athletes like that anymore, lol.
this is quality television at it's ultimate
Just as legitimate as Wrestling on TV!
@@tennisbum3686 Except for the fact that it wasn't fixed.
Would have been better quality if we could see the ball.
I had to work that night.My niece was born a few hours later.
It wouldve been great to interview Gene Scott and Jack Kramer after the match and watch them swallow their words.. lol
Riggs threw the match
@@paleo704 the shots Riggs was making made it too obvious he was far from serious.
Bobby made his shots a little too obvious, gave up too many opportunities, to assist Billie in winning. Any "competent tournament " male level 5 player would see through this charade. He was good friends with Billie, he knew it would help womens struggle to gain credibility and boost the publics interest. Bobby made out handsomely in the financial aspect from other sources, insiders who knew Riggs financial situation understood the major reason why Bobby needed this to happen. It ended up being a win-win situation
It's ironic Rosie called the exact score, as she'd played BJK several times. I understand why some people think it was thrown....that era, big sporting events....the mob had their hand in so much. Having played competitively....I don't think it was. Bobby hadn't played in the netrush era, and that's what she was. Margaret didn't move Bobby around, so she was a sitting duck for all of his junk off speed shots. BJK attacked him and had him constantly moving. By the end of the 2nd set, he clearly looked gassed. BJK and Margaret were 2 completely different types of players. I miss that era so much. The announcing-except for Howard-horribly biased, and that's what made it so much fun! Let everyone get their digs in....to the winner go the spoils.😏I haven't seen a sporting events marketed like this in my lifetime yet, and I'm only 44. A great spectacle.🤗
@@paleo704 *yawn*
There werent many serious tennis players and fans at the time who thought Riggs would beat Billie Jean. Enjoy the great Howard Cosell.
He threw the match, its painfully obvious and most tennis experts agree
I disagree. MOST men at the time expected that Riggs would win 6-2 and 6-2. I would say 90% of men were thinking that. Afterwards they blew it off by saying he let her win...or that he was drunk. Something like that. 😆 😆 😆
@@JGldmn333 If you know tennis, there are quite a few bizarre unforced "errors" that a decent high school player would not make, at critical points, and a pattern of, when having better options, he would simply push the ball back short and down the middle where BJK could get to them easily for winners. I don't even think BJK played her A game. If Riggs had played anywhere near the level when he destroyed Margaret Court a few months before, he would have blown BJK away in straight sets. Some PhD candidate in Sports Psychology is going to win his or her doctorate analyzing the match.
@@PlumpHotdog Uh...no they dont lmao. Only weirdo dudes who can't handle the reality that she won the match think this.
@@dbeaton1111 I'm sorry man but this is just hard cope.
I am here thanks to Bojack Horseman's episode "like fish out the water"
incredible
Howard Cosell (pbp), Rosie Casals (analysis), Gene Scott (analysis) and Frank Gifford (courtside) on the call.
This so memorable BJK♥️♥️❤️
Riggs gave King so many powder puff balls for her to volley away. He didn't play the same quality of tennis like his match against Court. Looked like he threw the match.
I think he may have because the stakes were so much higher for king. Whether real or imaginary she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. She was trying to use her platform to make a difference. For him and Margaret it wasn’t that important
I wasn’t around then but at the time did people not take this seriously at first or think she had no chance of winning? She’s so much faster & 25 years younger than the other guy
Riggs had just beaten Margaret Court recently( the Mothers Day massacre) and therefore it was assumed he would have as easy a time vs. King. He was noted to be a big gambler, and there's been speculation that he bet against himself.
@@tomloft2000 Although he may have thrown the match (and there are allegations, so it is very possible), he did later admit to underestimating King:
"He was not laughing, not even smiling. "How's it going?" he muttered to nobody. "Where is she?" Bobby Riggs was actually tight, nervous, grim. He did not look like he loved it anymore."
He also said this:
"She played within herself all night. She was never extended. The girl was all over me the whole time. I didn't know Billie Jean was so quick."
So even though he threw the match she did still impress him, which is noteworthy. But he was a 55 year old man
16:28 Those days when the frequencies for RF mics were not as protected as they are now.
COMMENTATOR:
HOWARD COSELL
TV NETWORK:
ABC
DATE:
20 SEPTEMBER 1973
Get a man in his prime to play Billie Jean. They should’ve had Jimmy Conners, Bjorn Borg, or Stan Smith.
I am surprised few people talked about....age! BJK was much younger!
38yo male 'snowflake' feminst here lol
If i'd been alive back then i'd have been cheering on Billie and i'd be booing the HELL out of Bobby. Now, while i DONT agree with how he went about it I can't help but love Bobby on some level. Maybe it's because I am a fan of Wrestling, UFC and sometimes Boxing and understand how it works. All have people playing characters to get the audience hooked, even if that character is the 'Bad Guy' or the 'good guy' or the 'obnoxious guy' you want to pay to see beaten etc. It's just to pull people in. Bobby did just that. He saw a divide in in the country and world and saw how to exploit it to make some money and to get back some fame he lost and never managed to get back after WW2. I don't believe for a second he meant half the stuff he came out with. He was It simply playing the 'Male chauvinist pig' character to get people to react. Everybody at the time either wanted to cheer him on or boo him off the court. He played the character VERY well and you could (or should) say too well. It's very similar to what Andy Kaufman did in the wrestling industry.
Now, saying that I think he hurt/could have destroyed the women's movement but I don't think that was ever his intention. He was an gambling addict. ANYBODY who has an addiction will tell you that the 'addiction' isn't restricted to one thing. I think Bobby was also addicted to the spotlight and chased it. Addicts make stupid choices when they're chasing what ever it is they want/need and I think Bobby fell into that trap. Billie was friendly with him before he started on the "Crusade" and said he was a nice guy but just a good hearted hustler. Even after the match they became good friends and she said he wasn't anywhere near as bad as the 'character' he was playing and would often say how amazing she for fighting for womens rights and how proud he was to have her as a friend.
Are the ball boys and ball girls wearing netting or a camouflaging material over their heads to blur them - a la lo-tech pixillation?
I wonder if her dress and shoes are in a museum somewhere....
I have the 1970's Julie Albright American Girl doll, though I renamed her Gabriela for personal reasons. Once I get a sewing machine, I'm going to make her a '70's style tennis outfit and say she's Billie Jean King. In the Julie series, Julie uses her Title IX rights to play on the basketball team.
This event will turn 50 years old in a few weeks. I wonder if King will get the Medal Of Freedom?
This is like Ash Barty vs Andre Agassi today.
17:40 Wow she was really close.
Humans can be blinded by ego.
А почему бы сейчас не сделать такой же матч? К примеру, из теннисистов 90-х можно взять Андре Агасси или Пита Сампраса, а из современных теннисисток Джессика Пегула или Коко Гауфф неплохо бы смотрелись. Матч века был в 1973 году, сейчас 2023 год и этому матчу 50 лет, юбилей.
Somebody know the name of the female Co commentator?
No1 gonna talk abt the cursed thumbnail?
Finally.....(!) got to see the entire match. I was 10 years old and my family wouldn´t let me watch it because of "Bonnie and Clyde" on the other network :) The male commentators were disgusting. Go, Rosie.
GRACIAS A BOBBY EL TENNIS SE POPULARIZO MAS.... GRACIAS A BOBBY MAS MUJERES DECIDIERON JUGAR MAS TENIS... (porque pensaron era un deporte que podian estar de tu tu con los hombres)
GRACIAS A BOBBY gano miles en publicidad y seamos sinceros.... EL no era machista... De hecho era un aliado por decicion propia de la causa feminista.... Y perdio a proposito para que las mujeres sobresalieran mas..... El dirigio produjo, dirigio y actuo en esta estafa para sacar provecho y al mismo tiempo contribuir al tenis y a la lucha feminista..... El Hombre detras de la orquesta BOBBY.... un gran tipo
07:10 had no idea jim briwn was that big. He made Foreman look average
Until Foreman could deck him in one hit
That was back in the day when he was throwin ladies off of balconies. Thats how he stayed in such great shape.
@@randymagnum143 remember when he announced he was making a comeback in the NFL? at age 47.
This match was good for all of tennis. Got alot of new fans for the game, for BJK and even for Bobby. One of the first times I got to watch tennis on tv and decided to take it up for fun. I rooted for Billie Jean the rest of her career. She was always great! Bobby wasn't bad for an old man. It was a good match but never in doubt. His hustle brought in fans.
match starts at 23:50
This is about the most cringe-worthy thing I've ever seen. Ugh.
I was ten at the time, and I'm frankly proud of the progress we've made, unfinished as it is.
The 70s were pretty damn cringe man kids think things are cringe today the cringe was superior in the 70s😅
So many comments show they know nothing about tennis. BJK was faster, stronger, better. If she had not been so tight, she would have won 1,1,1
You obviously don’t know tennis if you think he was even remotely trying lol
The main objective was to prove that "even a moderate player, a retired 55 year old man, can beat the best female tennis player." That hypothesis was proven wrong. The goal was not to compeate the best man and the best woman. Respectfully said, I don't think it's fair to say "see, that proves it" if Bobby won and "well he wasn't the best and he was 55" if he lost. The objective was set and disproven. Billies motive wasn't for females to gain superiority but equality to know that even if she lost against the best male tennis player because they're built with more muscle, that doesn't make her accomplishments worth any less. I think that's fair.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
Wikipedia doesn't say jack about Jack Kramer's blatant male chauvinism. The man wore blinders, and he will forever remain on the wrong side of history.
My goodness, look how many were just plain _wrong_ predicting the outcome of this match. Even Chris Evert predicted Bobby Riggs would win. She predicted that Hingis would beat Majoli in the 1997 French Open final as well. That, too, did not happen.
Keep believing your Fairy Tail, it's laughable
BAAAAYYTAH
Why was this match best of 5 sets and the one against Court was best of 3. Doesn’t that tell you they both knew what the outcome would be? He played brilliantly against Court, and purposely bad in this match.
This is one of the most memorable events in tennis and what do we get a crappy recording.
Bitch it was 70's TV what did you expect?
8K HD 1840p?
What, you expect a HD recording handed to you on a platter? And free? Time to scale down your entitlement.
@@sadee1287 Yes I agree it is entitlement to speak the truth
even though they have computer technology today to clean up such recordings as this.
@@yell50
Shove your entitlements up your shit-chute.
@@yell50 you’re right, they cleaned up Super Bowls to make them look fresh
Larry king, what a enthusiastic guy, if he was more laid back, he'd be a couch.
10:00 BJK, 13:31 Bobby Riggs
Watching but I just don't get it I looked up online 5 different things that say how to score and how points are done done in tennis and none of them make senseWatching but I just don't get it I looked up online 5 different things that say how to score and how points are done done in tennis and none of them make sense
Thank you for posting. I am enjoying watching them play, but find it difficult to listen to the commentators due to their extreme biases.
I was very young when this took place but remember the HUGE after affects of her winning. I’m watching to see if he threw the match to cover his old gambling debts. So far, 51:53 in it, it looks like pure play on both sides.
Financially he made out like a bandit, and got certain parties off his back
The commentators knew what was up. When you watch things, you only see what's presented to you, and HOW it's presented
@@tennisbum3686 He lost so much of his own $$ on private bets. He lost, fair and square.
You can see signs of frustration when wrong-selecting shots, so Bob did NOT throw the match. That’s why he got coached DURING. The match, AND tried to pretend he was injured when Billie Jean was having a momentum.
Riggs probably made more $$$ from this one 'loss' than his entire regular career... which was actually quite stellar.
Yeah why do u think he lost dummy he sold on purpose LOL
There’s no evidence he deliberately lost.
More likely he threw the match than not tho
He beat Margaret who was no1 ranked and had beat BJK months before this...
Billie Jean---she took Bobby's 'time' away with that attacking game and net play. He didn't have time to set up properly consistently to hit his junk balls and do his thing. He didn't have time - brilliant strategy by King.
Lol
He obviously let Billie win lol
@@Mcgregor22 Yes absolutely
@@Mcgregor22 Such cope
@@Mcgregor22 how do you know?
12:24 “The feminist ‘thing’, how important is that Billie?”
Americans with passports wonder why they get such a bad reputation whenever they travel, well, it’s *that* kind of blunt/in your face/not reading the room type of comments that stand out (as well as the loudness).
I’ve met Americans in the Netherlands as well as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia (including Bali), and Hong Kong. It’s embarrassing the way that they’re so loud & uncouth. People in South East Asian countries sometimes unfortunately see a Western face & think ‘American’, but luckily they ask “you American?”
“Oh no no, don’t worry, I’m not!” (Phew)
A real professional Billie Jean King Thank you Women tennis players should be grateful for what she did for tennis. And women
Larry King 4:40 was he in some scandal
He was gay too lol.
King is a Queen ❤
You guys realize Bobby Riggs threw the match right? He had gambling debts and needed the money. I like Billie Jean king tho. I think she seems like a nice lady.
Absolute slaughter. Canny tactics to work the guy who hadn't bothered getting in shape around.
If you only knew............ what really happened
@@tennisbum3686 what?
@@MrJustinBeiberSucks he let her win
Didn't Riggs put all his money on King winning?
@@ianwilson2007 citation needed please. He didn't need any money, he was a kept man
I give Howard Cosell credit. He didn't cover tennis and did a pretty good job.
Yeah, he did great!
I was buying the whole throwing the match until I see him getting tired super early in this match. She wore him out
So I would have bet on BJK, because this is the first time I've read about this guy and I didn't know him before.
Billie Jean KİNG👸🏻👑
What a PR stunt with Riggs 25 years older, needing to pay off some debts and Billie Jean King with her agenda for women's tennis.. I'm glad I fell asleep that night and oh how I hate Cosell
Rosie Casals had some real read on this match, Billie Jean 6-3,6-4,6-3 was almost exactly right, just the first two sets' score flip flopped.
What was funny was that Riggs had just destroyed Margaret Court, who won the U.S. Open a couple of weeks before this match.
That’s true. Does anybody have a video of that match between court and Riggs?
@@markkrull556 If you search Mothers Day Massacre on TH-cam you might find it.
@@tomloft2000 thanks
...and Margaret won 3 of the 4 slams that year.
I want to see Virginia Wade