Sports events have long been an integral part of human history. Millions of fans adore this industry for its competitive spirit, legendary victories, and, of course, arguments regarding various sports conspiracies. Regardless of how you perceive such controversial stories, we are sure that the most famous of them will definitely shock you with some details.
Operation Slapshot
As the most prestigious hockey league in the world, the NHL has experienced many scandals involving even the most popular representatives of this championship. But when it comes to the so-called Operation Slapshot by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, it transcends all other controversial NHL situations.
The first victim of this operation was Rick Tocchet, who worked as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Coyotes team. He admitted to organizing illegal sports betting, which many star players, managers, and coaches were also aware of. It is believed that his illegal betting allowed him to earn more than $1.7 million within 40 days.
Although Rick was given a 2-year suspended sentence for the crime, his alleged accomplices Travis Green of the Vancouver Canucks, Janet Gretzky, and Jeremy Roenick were found not guilty. At first glance, this decision seems fairly questionable but since the investigation was closed, we are unlikely to find out the truth on whether these individuals were guilty or not.
The second fight between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston
Many boxing enthusiasts consider this boxing match one of the most iconic in the history of the sport. However, numerous fans believe that the May 1965 fight was rigged due to the “phantom punch” that brought Ali victory in the first round.
Some sports conspiracy theorists are sure that Liston wanted to pay off a huge debt to the mafia and deliberately lost the match so that the criminals’ bets turned out to be winning. Other bettors, who favored Sonny, believe that he conceded to Ali in order to protect himself and his family from potential murder attempts by members of the Nation of Islam.
The most fraudulent referee in NBA history
When it comes to sports betting conspiracy theories, it would be strange not to mention Tim Donaghy. This NBA referee had been rigging basketball games for 13 years, from 1994 to 2007. When the FBI launched an investigation and arrested Donaghy, he admitted to using his position to influence match results. The referee did this to generate huge sums of money with bets for himself and his accomplices.
Donaghy informed numerous cappers about the hidden injuries that every basketball player had. In addition, he told them what behavioral tendencies the ballers had in terms of relations with referees. Combined with the opportunities that Tim used on the court, this approach allowed the criminal group to make a fortune with betting.
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