The Seventies saw the rise of the women’s liberation movement. Most women began to demand equal rights. Many called men wanted women to remain in their traditional status of subordination to men. The feminists called them male chauvinist pigs. Few men were willing to accept that label. However, there was one man who gleefully accepted the title and planned to make money off it. Bobby Riggs had been a #1 ranked player in the 40’s and had won six major titles. He retired in 1951, but continued to play to win bets. In 1973, he made national news proclaiming women were inferior to men, especially in sports. At age 51, he challenged Billie Jean King to a match to prove his points. She refused to be baited. So, Riggs turned to Margaret Court. Court was the #1 women’s tennis player in the world. Court accepted and the match was held on Mother’s Day (the 30-year-old Court had recently become a mother). Riggs, ever the showman, presented Court a bouquet of flowers before the match. He then proceeded to trounce her 6-2 6-1. She was baffled by his repertoire of lobs, drop shots, and spinning balls. Riggs made the cover of Sports Illustrated and Time magazine. Feminists across the country groaned and worried that the match had fueled the male chauvinist fire. Realizing the need to recover lost ground, King decided to accept the challenge. The match was aired life on national TV with famous commentator Howard Cosell. It was hyped as the “Battle of the Sexes”. It was winner take all of $100,000. It was held in the Astrodome before 30,472 people. This is still the largest audience for any tennis match. 50 million people watched it on TV. King was 29 years old and had been chosen as the first woman to be Sports Illustrated “Sportsperson of the Year”. She entered carried like Cleopatra on a throne carried by four buff shirtless men. Riggs entered in a rickshaw pulled by models. He presented her with a large Sugar Daddy sucker. (He had a $50,000 sponsorship with the candy maker and wore a Sugar Daddy jacket onto the court.) King was prepared for Riggs’ variety of trick shots. She stayed on the baseline most of the time, simply returning the shots and making the out of shape Riggs run back and forth. King won easily, 6-4 6-3 6-3. Feminism had found a hero and King accepted a role in promoting women’s rights. Male chauvinists were humiliated.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Sexes_(tennis)
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/king-triumphs-in-battle-of-sexes
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