Did Bobby Riggs fix 'The Battle of the Sexes' against Billie Jean King?

And if he did, does it matter?

King and Riggs
(Image credit: Bettmann/Corbis)

On September 20, 1973, in front of more than 30,000 people at the Houston Astrodome, Billie Jean King soundly defeated Bobby Riggs in what was dubbed "The Battle of the Sexes." The massively hyped event featured King, then 29, and Riggs, then 55, in a sports spectacle that encapsulated the national feminist struggle for equality and respect. Beating Riggs in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, King earned not only a personal victory but a larger one for women across the country.

Or did she?

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Emily Shire is chief researcher for The Week magazine. She has written about pop culture, religion, and women and gender issues at publications including Slate, The Forward, and Jewcy.