Jason Momoa, renowned for his roles in blockbuster action thrillers, stepped into unfamiliar territory during his recent appearance on Saturday Night Live. The comedy show, currently in its 49th season, marked the 50th anniversary of Billie Jean King’s Battle of the Sexes, with a bold comic skit featuring Momoa as one of the central characters.
In this mockumentary-style satire, Momoa plays Ronnie Dunster, humorously portrayed as the largest man to ever play tennis. The skit depicts a fictional event prior to Billie Jean King’s historic victory over Bobby Riggs, an over-exaggerated version that satirizes the preceding Battle of the Sexes match between Bobby Riggs and Margaret Court.
Momoa’s character, Dunster, faces off against an “overconfident” and “oversmart” Charna Lee Diamond, played by Sarah Sherman. The comedy takes a hilarious turn as Ronnie’s super-powerful serve literally creates a hole in Charna’s abdomen. Undeterred, Charna demands another serve, emphasizing the significance of the women’s game. However, the second serve results in an unexpected and comically dramatic beheading of her.
The skit humorously explores the outcome of the event, with a sports journalist reflecting, “There’d be no Billie without Charna, there just wouldn’t be.” Despite the bizarre outcome, the skit concludes with a concluding tribute to Charna’s impact on the game, noting that her legacy lives on in the tennis hall of fame, where the dress she wore on that memorable day hangs with a hole in it.
In this unusual take on the Battle of the Sexes, Jason Momoa adds a humorous twist to the historic event, adding satire to it. It provides viewers with a playful and entertaining perspective of this iconic event.
The Mother’s Day massacre of 1973 and how Billie Jean King avenged it
In 1973, Bobby Riggs made bold claims about beating top female tennis players at the age of 55. He first challenged Billie Jean King, but she declined. Instead, Margaret Court took the challenge, enticed by a $20,000 guarantee. The match finally took place on May 13, 1973, on Mother’s Day, however, Riggs won convincingly beating Court 6-2 6-1, highlighting the sexism in the sport. The match was dubbed as the “Mother’s Day massacre.”
Responding to Riggs’ provocations, Billie Jean King stepped up for the “Battle of the Sexes,” to champion the women’s cause, setting the stage for an iconic match on September 20, 1973, at the Houston Astrodome. The winner would take home $100,000. Captivating the entire nation, King, then aged 29, made a grand entrance, carried like Cleopatra.
The Battle of the Sexes was played 50 years ago today.
More than a tennis match, it was a catalyst for social change & one of the most important days of my life.
We have come a long way since 1973, but we are not done yet.
Let’s keep going for it.
📷:@GettySport #BOTS50 pic.twitter.com/J5S7eeYXOr
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) September 20, 2023
Before the match, Riggs even gave King a giant Sugar Daddy lollipop, a symbolic gesture of male chauvinism. A resolute-looking King showcased her court skill and endurance in a best-of-five-set match, a format in the men’s game only. Yet she triumphed in straight sets, 6–4, 6–3, 6–3. This victory wasn’t just personal, it was revenge for the “Mother’s Day massacre” that Riggs had boasted earlier and a fight for gender equality!