Photos: September 20, 1973 — Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in ‘Battle of the Sexes’
September 20, 2013
Mrs. Billie Jean King raises her hands in triumph as her Opponent, Bobby Riggs, prepares to hurdle the net following her straight-set victory over him in tennis match at the Houston Astrodome in Houston on Sept. 20, 1973. (AP Photo) ( Mrs. Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs )
Billie Jean King holds the winner?s trophy high in the air after she defeated Bobby Riggs in the $100,000 winner-take-all tennis championship in the Astrodome in Houston, Texas on Sept. 20, 1973. Ms. King set Riggs down 6-4; 6-3; 6-3. (AP Photo) ( Billie Jean King )
Bobby Riggs, left, with Billie Jean King who will meet on Sept. 20, 1973 in a tennis match are shown Aug. 1973. (AP Photo) ( King Riggs Tennis )
Tennis star Bobby Riggs, right side, and Billie Jean King are shown in action during the "Battle of the Sexes" match in the Astrodome in Houston, Tex., Sept. 20, 1973. (AP Photo) ( Battle of the Sexes Riggs King 1973 )
Billie Jean King, left, and Bobby Riggs answer questions at press conference following their match in the Houston Astrodome Sep. 20,1973. King demolished the 55 year old Riggs.(AP Photo) ( King Smith Tennis )
Tennis star Bobby Riggs, bottom, and Billie Jean King are shown in action during the "Battle of the Sexes" match in the Astrodome in Houston, Tex., Sept. 20, 1973. (AP Photo) ( Battle of the Sexes Riggs King 1973 )
Heavyweight Champion George Foreman presents the winner?s trophy and a check for $100,000 to Billie Jean King after she defeated Bobby Riggs in the winner-take-all tennis match at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas on Thursday, Sept. 21, 1973. Ms. King downed Riggs, 6-4; 6-3; 6-3. (AP Photo) ( Billie Jean King and George Foreman )
Tennis star Bobby Riggs, bottom, and Billie Jean King are shown in action during the "Battle of the Sexes" match in the Astrodome in Houston, Tex., Sept. 20, 1973. (AP Photo) ( Battle of the Sexes Riggs King 1973 )
Bobby Riggs poses for Billie Jean King in this undated handout photo. (AP Photo) ( RIGGS KING )
Bobby Riggs, right, leans over to plant a kiss on Billie Jean King after Ms. King set Riggs down 6-4; 6-3; 6-3 in their $100,000 winner-take-all tennis match in the Astrodome in Houston, Tex., Thursday, Sept. 21, 1973. (AP Photo) ( King Riggs Tennis )
Supporters of Billie Jean King are shown at the Astrodome in Houston, Tex., Sep 20,1973 as King will participate in a $100,000 winner-take-all "Battle of the Sexes" match against Bobby Riggs.(AP Photo) ( King Riggs Tennis )
Billie Jean King tennis player in the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match with Bobby Riggs, the 55-year-old veteran, at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas on Sept. 20, 1973. (AP Photo) ( Billie Jean King with Bobby Riggs )
Ms. Billie Jean King waves to crowds at the Astrodome in Houston, Tex., Sep 20,1973 as she is borne onto the crowd on a multi-colored throne carried by four men for her match with Bobby Riggs.(AP Photo) ( King Riggs Tennis )
Bobby Riggs rides in a carriage pulled by women in his grand entrance to the Astrodome in Houston, Tx., for his $100,000 winner-take-all "Battle of the Sexes" match against Billie Jean King, Sept. 21, 1973. (AP Photo) ( BATTLE OF THE SEXES RIGGS )
Billie Jean King, center, surrounded by media Sept. 19, 1973 for a round of interviews and promotional work for the up coming match with Bobby Riggs, $100,000 winner take all match with Billie Jean King. (AP Photo/EFK) ( King Riggs Tennis )
Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs smile during a news conference in New York to publicize their upcoming match at the Houston Astrodome, July 11, 1973. (AP Photo) ( BATTLE OF THE SEXES KING RIGGS )
Bobby Riggs walks off the court near the end of the third match in which Billie Jean King defeated the one-time champion of the courts to take the $100,000 winner-take-all tournament at the Houston Astrodome, Texas, on Sept. 20, 1973. King won 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. (AP Photo) ( RIGGS KING MATCH )
Bobby Riggs leaps over the net to congratulate Billie Jean King after she beat him in straight sets in the Houston Astrodome, Texas, on Sept. 20, 1973. King won 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. (AP Photo) ( RIGGS KING MATCH )
Billie Jean King tennis player in the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match with Bobby Riggs, the 55-year-old veteran, at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas on Sept. 20, 1973. (AP Photo) ( Billie Jean King )
Tennis player Billie Jean King, left, makes a fist while she answers a question at a news conference in Houston, Tex., on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 1973. At right is Bobby Riggs smiling as King makes her answer. (AP Photo) ( BILLIE JEAN KING )
Mrs. Billie Jean King consoles Bobby Riggs after she defeated him in straight sets at the Houston Astrodome in "The Battle of the Sexes" tennis match on Sept. 20, 1973. (AP Photo) ( Mrs. Billie Jean King Consoles Bobby Riggs )
Billie Jean King displays her winning form as she goes low to return a volley by Bobby Riggs in their winner take all $100,000 match in the Astrodome in Houston, Texas on Thursday, Sept. 21, 1973. Ms. King defeated Riggs in the well publicized match, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. (AP Photo) ( Billie Jean King )
Bobby Riggs, the 55-year-old veteran, in the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match with Billie Jean King at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas on Sept. 20, 1973. (AP Photo) ( Bobby Riggs )
Billie Jean King, who won the $100,000 “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match from Bobby Riggs, as she towels down during her tournament quarterfinals match with Robin Tinney at the Houston Virginia Slims in Houston on Sept. 21, 1973. King was back to the grind of tournament play after Astrodome extravaganza. (AP Photo) ( Billie Jean King )
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 18: (L-R) Billie Jean King, Cheyenne Woods, Sharon Byers, Dr. Mark Emmert, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Summer Sanders join Coca-Cola and NCAA to honor the 40th Anniversary of Title IX at Jazz at Lincoln Center on June 18, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Coca-Cola) ( 146594528NB006_Stars_Join_C )
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 17: Former tennis player Billie Jean King attends the 33rd Annual Salute To Women In Sports Gala at Cipriani Wall Street on October 17, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images) ( 153476076MB00010_33rd_Annua )
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 17: Billie Jean King (L) and Christine 'Chris' Evert speak onstage at the 33rd annual Salute To Women In Sports Gala at Cipriani Wall Street on October 17, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images) ( 153476183MB00053_33rd_Annua )
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 22: Women's Tennis Association founder Billie Jean King visits The Empire State Building on August 22, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images) ( 175939835DD002_WTA_Founder_ )
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 11: Billy Jean King attends the Annual Charity Day Hosted By Cantor Fitzgerald And BGC at the Cantor Fitzgerald Office on September 11, 2013 in New York, United States. (Photo by Mike McGregor/Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald) ( 180444112JW00032_Annual_Cha )
Actress Holly Hunter films a scene on the set of "When Billie Beat Bobby" taken in March 2001 in Los Angeles, CA. The television movie is based on the historic 1973 tennis match between tennis champion Bobby Riggs and young feminist Billie Jean King. Hunter stars as Billie Jean King. (Photo by Peter Brandt/Getty Images) ( 39153907bill_20010807_01526.jpg )
Actor Ron Silver films a scene on the set of "When Billie Beat Bobby" taken in March 2001 in Los Angeles, CA. The television movie is based on the historic 1973 tennis match between tennis champion Bobby Riggs and young feminist Billie Jean King. Silver stars as Bobby Riggs. (Photo by Peter Brandt/Getty Images) ( 39153910bill_20010807_01529.jpg )
Bobby Riggs tips his hat at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York in this Sept. 3, 1993 photo. (AP Photo/Angie Corqueran) ( BOBBY RIGGS )
Billie Jean King greets opponent Bobby Riggs after their celebrity tennis match at the Forum in Los Angeles on Sep 20, 1993. King and her partner, Elton John, beat Riggs and Martina Navratilova 3-2 in a 15 minute match, which raised money for AIDS education and patient care. The 20th anniversary of the famed Astrodome battle of the sexes match between King and Riggs, now 75, was Monday Sept. 20. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) ( King Riggs Tennis )
Bobby Riggs tries a new kind of tennis game - table tennis - with Billie Jean King during taping of a segment of TV’s “The Odd Couple” in Hollywood on Friday, Oct. 20, 1973. Mrs. King defeated Riggs in three straight sets in their match at Houston’s Astrodome. The outcome of the new game was not immediately known. (AP Photo/Harold Filan) ( Bobby Riggs with Billie Jean King )