Bobby Riggs Talks About His Upcoming Tennis Match With Billie Jean King, on Carson Tonight Show

Bobby Riggs Talks About His Upcoming Tennis Match With Billie Jean King, on Carson Tonight Show - 08/09/1973
Part 02 - • Johnny Carson Gets A T...
#johnnycarson #bobbyriggs #thetonightshow #tennis

[@LeScandal]

Johnny Carson was a big tennis fan. I remember the camera panning over to him and his wife when Bjorn Borg was playing Jimmy Connors.

[@joemarshall4226]

He showed up at Wimbledon and the US Open, and wrote the trips off, saying that his presence at these events was necessary for his image.

[@afinteresting8817]

thanks for having the date in the description!

[@jmac3732]

Great video! Thanks for posting!

[@alaskanbullworm5500]

Austin powers had a tennis career?

[@isaiahgauthier2176]

Powers had gross teeth.

[@whydidtheballooneatthefox282]

😂 yeah same, i didn’t know!

[@TheQ-Continuum]

Steve Carell did a brilliant job of playing Bobby Riggs in the film Battle of the sexes !

[@guidodelgiudice5]

What a great character!

[@MrJoeybabe25]

According to Wikipedia-"In his final days, Riggs remained in friendly contact with Billie Jean King, and King phoned him often. She called him shortly before his death, offering to visit him, but he did not want her to see him in his condition. She phoned him one last time, the night before his death and, according to King in an HBO documentary about her, the last thing she told Riggs was "I love you."

[@dwho432]

Because she's a classy lady.

[@nateh6325]

Wow

[@Smileater]

Sources: "believe me, I tell you"

[@Smileater]

@blah blah Because socially we men don't know how to handle defeat. Even less a misogynist like Riggs.

[@joemarshall4226]

@@Smileater Speak for yourself.

[@Largo64]

Despite all his bravado, Billie Jean handed Riggs his ass in straight sets!

[@dbreiden83080]

That’s because in all likelihood, he threw the match. He had gambling debts and ties to the mafia. He owed them a lot of money, apparently. He also absolutely destroyed Margaret Court previously, and Margaret had a dominating record against Billie, Jean King.

[@Remmyrouser]

Bruh, he was in his mid 50s and was retired for over 10 years. I’d hope she’d beat him

[@gsd632]

"Wimbleton" :D

[@singlespies]

Johnny looks like he just came from the tennis court. I remember this match. I was a kid at the time and it was one of those events that was a popular topic of conversation and speculation - kind of like when Evel Knievel was preparing to "jump" the Snake River Canyon. King spanked him in straight sets. I wonder if Carson invited Riggs back to explain himself after this episode?

[@michaelconnor1542]

Riggs was quite gracious to King. They became lifelong friends. We also must remember, she was at the top of her game. He, while still fit, was much older, and not constantly practicing. King would have been trounced, by most of the top tier men. Just as Serena would be trounced by the top men today.

[@grantfenton1831]

@@michaelconnor1542 I mean, there’s nice ways to say that but I do sort of agree. I don’t think it was fair when John McEnroe said that Serena would be in the top 700 men. It isn’t a matter of man or woman. What matters is that all the people that were mad should go to djokovic vs Federer and see how fucking hard they hit the ball, and then rethink.

[@michaelconnor1542]

@@grantfenton1831 McEnroe wasn't mean about it, just stating fact. From what I understand, he had nothing but respect for her and her sister. They worked hard and deserve the accolades, but due to the differences between men and women, it is a different game, from one to the other. Also remember, the women's US Olympic gold winning soccer team lost to 14yo boys.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Is there a part two you could upload?

[@katherinehogan578]

Yes, there is. Check out this film, "Battle of the sexes!!!" Starring Steve carel & Emma Stone. Based on the that real 🎾 tennis match. My husband & I were in our home, preparing the television to see the match!!! I had been playing the game barley longer than he, despite his being 10 years my senior!!! The outcome really made him mad!!! Oh well. That was his problem!!! Have u ever seen Riggs & Billie Jean appear in the odd couple??? The one with Tony Randall & oh, klugmam. Look it up please, it's simply hillarious. So sad now April 21st, 2020, will be no live grandslams or even opens!!! I want to just cry my eyes out!!! Happy t-court playing gang!!!!!!! 🎾 tennis, the best way to fall in love! ! ! ! Ace, match & games all over. Be safe & stay well.

[@johnnycarson]

Yes, there's a part two and we'll upload it this week.

[@brycekirk5529]

@@johnnycarson Hope y'all can put Billie Jean King's interview, after y'all put the second part of Bobby Riggs interview.

[@ntnrocket1]

@@johnnycarson Where is the second part of this????

[@rc5989]

The video quality is so good, you can actually see the irony.

[@darkdiablo1601]

it's crazy that this is 50 years ago

[@johnknowles6711]

How could anyone in the comment section get upset. He's clearly just promoting the match, and having some fun doing so. If anyone was dumb enough to put big money on this spectacle at the time, they would've been foolish, or had money to burn.

[@davidjorgensen877]

You overlook that Riggs did beat the world's #1 ranked Maggie Court, to this day the winningest women's grand-slammer of all time, and only a year older than Billie Jean. To call it dumb to lay money on Riggs over BJK is pure hindsight, as Vegas, at the time, booked the odds at 5-2 in Riggs' favour! After the match, he shook her hand and said, "I underestimated you." Yes, the pre-match smack talk was promotional, but he really did believe that a former #1 ranked male was, at age 55, still better than any woman on Earth.

[@ramrod_420]

G’s up 👍🏼Hoes down👎🏼. That da motto. 😈

[@40sSonggirl1]

In watching several interviews with Billie Jean king, he was actually a pretty nice guy. She had alot of respect for him and kinda of understood what he was doing. Alot of this was just an act, he created a character to get attention. In his early 20s he was the greatest player in the world, then WWII happened. He was still winning, just not on the level that he was. His heyday was relatively short and he was basically forgotten about. He mixed his tennis talent at a lager age, some ego, some hustle, some con ect and made a name for himself again. Both Billie and Bobby respected one another by all accounts, even mentioned by one of Bobby's children more recently.

[@angelwings7930]

And Billie has said her father raised her to respect people and never underestimate them. She’s got a great personality as well.

[@40sSonggirl1]

Oh definitely, I have much respect for Billie. Very strong and talented woman with a great heart.

[@jackskillet]

crazy good!!

[@milissagoodgion8669]

I remember watching that battle of the sexes. It was the best

[@detaildon]

I got to touch that raquet recently.

[@vforthewe8152]

What's funnier than this video, is the people in comment section proposing different theories on his defeat 😂 Come on his shitty male ego got hurt, now move on.

[@PimpNamedSlickBack1_]

Riggs was to tennis what McGregor is to mixed martial arts

[@izacnewton5761]

wheres the laugh track

[@ADAMSIXTIES]

Billy Jean King age 29 beat Bobby Riggs age 55 fair and square

[@nakternal]

😊😊😊 I love this guy!

[@stevenchilders272]

He's high lol

[@victorbonilla4634]

He's hustling....same thing actually....🤔😂

[@jackparker8686]

I think we could clearly already see which one of them is smarter..... Whoops I think he spilled his beer there... Guess not too smart maybe they should bring in a bib

[@stevemorse108]

He seems to be more of a hustler than a tennis player with all his prognostications and business hype.

[@donlockman3504]

Perhaps in his later life. At one time he was the greatest player in the world.

[@stevemorse108]

@@donlockman3504 I didn't know this thanks.

[@aislinnkeilah7361]

Bobby Riggs was a great promoter and put fun into tennis.

[@237g]

Andy Kaufman of tennis.

[@whydidtheballooneatthefox282]

Honestly i really like Bobby, he seems like a nice guy. Good humour and a good man!

[@abook2141]

he's not a good man. comedy is subjective, sure, but he is objectively not a good man.

[@MrMondeller]

cocain is a hell of a drug

[@paulainsile5016]

John ritter should have played Riggs

[@indiag89]

Bobby Riggs was 55 when he played the match and John Ritter died when he was 54... they don’t usually have younger actors play older ones. Plus he was overweight in his last few years before death.... not exactly tennis player looking

[@MrJoeybabe25]

He was very entertaining. Alas, he lost to Billie Jean. Did Bobby Riggs ever go into pro wrestling?

[@tdunph4250]

Interesting that you would say that. Could you possibly imagine that perhaps there was a motive behind Bobby's behavior? Was it to be a chauvinist pig? Prove that at 55 he was still great and great over little, useless women playing sports? Or was it something ELSE??? if you do your homework little boy, you will see differently. Did HE change or did he help START and move along a movement amongst society

[@ACNC1]

@@tdunph4250 a bit showman like Kaufman and his inter-gender wrestling fights

[@thelastwesternman6115]

Bobby is right!

[@roguefox5171]

He really was a hustler, he got everyone so riled up, by painting himself as an over the top sexist, it guaranteed huge public interest in the match......im sure he saw an angle he could play all this publicity to his advantage. maybe he got a cut of the television rights, or he made a deal with the venue owners for a cut of the door....who knows, but im sure there was an angle.

[@TryMyMartini]

He's playing the same part as the WWE character that is a "bad guy, called a "heel". It's almost all for show, but with just a dash of truth. To put on a huge fake rivalry like this and make millions of dollars, you need the crowds to be really invested Probably the biggest draw would be a hero, but no one will care without a really obnoxious and believable villain that gets people really worked up. This guy was the heel, she was the babyface.

[@ace942]

He was entertaining at least. Still glad that Billie Jean King beat him because his ego was getting a bit too big.

[@vika0194]

He is acting so people would want to see the game. Creating hype.

[@jackparker8686]

They should have done best in 10... Tennis matches... But unless one of them totally dominated the other that wouldn't prove anything except that they were flipping coins to determine the winner each match pretty much same difference.. equal sides .. and they should have had at least a million pairs of competitors to do this little test..

[@marvinalancornell8275]

RIP OLE BIG MOUTH, Billie Jean King kicked he's ass in that match...I remember that match, it's sad that OLE BIG MOUTH got his ass handed to him over the net.....I love the reaction from the crowd, if you have not seen it GOOGLE it.....

[@rickrick5041]

marvin alan cornell They say he made a ton of money by losing the match. He could have won easy. He beat Margaret Court by far and I think she was higher rated than Billy Jean

[@detaildon]

So the #1 woman in the world beat a 55 year old man.

[@rickrick5041]

@@shinelil1 Reality not excuses

[@WillHal1000]

@@rickrick5041 BJK was 4 and MC was 1. MC had beaten BJK multiple times. Riggs dominated MC, its called the Mothers Day Massacre, the match is posted on YT. Riggs lost purposely to BJK.

[@rickrick5041]

@@detaildon She lost

[@sandyzheng8723]

55

[@LALMCGatorsfan]

Bobby Riggs threw the match, he beat 3 women players better than Billie Jean King in straight sets. He also has been set for life after this match. Bobby Riggs wins everyone says yeah she was a woman what do you think.. NOTHING COMES OF IT... Bobby Riggs was a man in debt and had a lot of problems after this match he had no more problems. Billie Jean King was the perfect storm because it was believable that she could win. Bobby Riggs knew he needed to throw this match. Since than no woman tennis player has been able to beat a Man in battle of the sexes that they ended it. This was the one time show that they needed to push an agenda. Bobby Sold his soul for money and fame.

[@angelwings7930]

I think that’s all very likely. It was the right time in history for such a strange event as well.

[@slipper409]

Bobby Riggs is a real man!

[@jackparker8686]

I'm able to do something that men cannot do for miles around.. as can be seen through their statements during divorces of their true hidden feelings..... I'm able to respect women as human beings sentient beings equally worthy of respect... Whether or not they can out bench press a man.... They are vitally necessary for humanity.... For some obvious reason...... But this match proved nothing... I somehow envisioned a tall can of beer along with one entire case of beer in ice.. on the desk brought in for the guest.. to maintain his burgeoning beer gut... Where was our loudmouth guest actually ranked in the zoo that he was residing?

[@ralphadamo1857]

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.

[@angelwings7930]

It’s believable. Even though she was much younger and that was partly why people thought the match had a chance.

[@ralphadamo1857]

@@angelwings7930 You're forgetting that just months earlier, Bobby Riggs crushed Margaret Court, one of the other leading female players of the day, with about the same age difference.

[@angelwings7930]

@@ralphadamo1857 No I’m not.

[@rickrick5041]

Riggs is fantastic

[@roameragency8373]

Sounds like trumps cousin

[@beaumichael6359]

I realy believe Riggs'MCP character was just an act. He couldn't possibly be stupid enough to be sexist!

[@HEADLINEZOO]

No, Riggs didn’t bet against himself as some idiot said. It would be a huge story and money maker. Get a clue. I like Riggs but he lost. Period.

[@jacktrppr1]

www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/9589625/the-match-maker

[@cricka09]

If he won it wouldn't be a story at all it would be forgotten

[@jakeystarsuper]

He did bet himself though

[@billyrossi4661]

Bobby Riggs an ego on par with Donald Trump...🙂

[@marvinalancornell8275]

Wrong,Bobby was a bigger mouth than President Donald Trump.Don't hate your are to love ALL People.....THIS IS TRUE....

[@Hithere-ek4qt]

@@marvinalancornell8275 Trump is nothing but a con man. A world class con man, but still a conman. He cheats in business, in marriage and even at golf. A national DISGRACE!

[@detaildon]

Bobby was a great actor and even better promotor!

[@stevestarr9769]

Bobby had a sense of humor and could joke about things. Trump is an emotionless sociopath,

[@josephfinnegan1805]

@@stevestarr9769 Now that Biden and Harris are going to the White House there will be a big step up on wars in the middle east!!

[@paullooper1090]

Rigss threw away the match against Billie...

[@Smileater]

hahaha, keep dreaming misogynistically

[@paullooper1090]

@@Smileater Whatever makes you happy Dude...

[@LOL-ro9ef]

@@Smileater his name should be bobby rigged lmao.

[@Smileater]

@@paullooper1090 poor thinking, if he wins: he was better, if he loses, it was a set up 👎 that's such a loser way to look at reality, you know, we men don't need to be afraid of successful women, it seems you do.

[@joshuagraham3854]

She's probably thinking of Billie Jean King...who beat Bobby Riggs when he was 55, and she was in her 30s.

[@victorbonilla4634]

Pressured by some old time Mafia "friends", Bobby threw the match against Billie. He also had a huge payout. Every insider knows that.

[@sm-yu7dt]

Okay boomer

[@OfLanceTheLonginus]

Your tinfoils too tight

[@willnill7946]

He simply bet he was going to lose, it was simply a publicity stunt/scam

[@pigeonlove]

This was assumed but discounted. Every insider knows that. The prize money would have been more than sufficient and he was disappointed that he didn't win, or even win more games. It ended the sex tennis competitions and book lines where he could have earned more 8:08.

[@roguefox5171]

@@pigeonlove Theres a couple of issues with your analysis kipper, and thats had he won, the result would have been no other future female tennis No1 would want have challenged him, and he most likely would of had to wait YEARS for another matchup, as tennis No1's often maintain dominance for anywhere up to a decade (some times longer).....he would have been a geriatric by the time he got another matchup, which would mean even if a woman beat him, it wouldn't mean anything, as beating a senior citizen proves nothing. The reality ishe was putting on a show, and he was playing the role of the Heel, Heels exist to be beaten, their job is to make people root for the hero, he knew this match was a one shot deal......im sure he had an angle to personally benefit, beyond the 100k prize money. EG: he did a number of TV adverts both prior to and after the match, and im sure he got payed nicely....in fact both he and billie probably made far more money from advertisers(such as Hasbro) and tv appearences, than the prize money. they were selling everything from toys to haircurlers.....as advertizers took advantage of all the publicity they attracted.

[@farquadshmoogle9120]

sorry to let all you people know. Riggs threw the match with BJK. How does he destroy the #2 women's tennis player, but lose in straight sets to the #1. if that was really the case, dont you thing BJK should have a lot more titles??????? Think about it. Plus, women know they can beat men in athletic competition. only 'sports' were there is an equal playing field, so to speak, is golf and bowling. if im wrong, tell me a sport where a woman could compete with even the top 100 of men?

[@asb4428]

He didn't prepare because of his ego, and she did. He underestimated her. His own son has said it.

[@ramrod_420]

Bobby Riggs is the man, back when Men where MEN. he should definitely have a statue. A true icon. 🇺🇸

[@asb4428]

We should make a statue of a man that said women should be kept pregnant and barefoot and be in the bedroom and kitchen? That's an icon worthy of a statue for you?