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Former NBA Referee Tim Donaghy And Major League Wrestling Have Reached A Deal

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in the 2007 NBA betting scandal. However, Donaghy is set to make his return to officiating. But not with the NBA. Donaghy has agreed to appear as a referee for the Major League Wrestling promotion. He will forever be infamous as a sports official but will return to wearing the stripes.


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Tim Donaghy To Officiate Pro Wrestling League

The push for Tim Donaghy to appear in the squared circle is the idea of MLW COO Jared St. Laurent. The MLW’s tapings are currently underway and are set for an early November return on the Fubo Sports Network, beIN Sports, and on-demand through DAZN. The current plan is to introduce Donaghy in a storyline that sees him serve as the personal referee for Richard Holliday’s upcoming slate of matches, Sports Illustrated reported.

“Pro wrestling is entertainment, and I always joked the NBA was a form of entertainment, and I compared it a little bit to pro wrestling behind the scenes,” Tim Donaghy said to Sports Illustrated. “When I was growing up, I always enjoyed pro wrestling, guys like Hulk Hogan and Ivan Putski. I thought it would be fun to get involved and see where it goes.”

Unlike the NBA, crooked referees have far more of a celebrated history in the pro wrestling realm. Wrestling fans probably remember the famed Hebner twins storyline. Evil twin Earl Hebner played a major role in Andre The Giant dethroning Hulk Hogan for the WWF title in 1988.

Tim Donaghy seems eager to make his return to officiating. “If there is a good response, who knows where it can go from here,” Donaghy says. “I’m willing to do whatever I can to make the show entertaining and fun for everyone watching, and I’m excited to be a part of it.” The MLW is believed to be holding tapings this week. New episodes are set to air in November.


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