By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling will be using former NBA referee Tim Donaghy as an in-ring referee. Donaghy spoke about his new role with the company in a Sports Illustrated interview. “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, Donaghy told Justin Barrasso. “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.” Read more at SI.com.
Powell’s POV: Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in a Federal prison in 2008 for his role in an NBA gambling operation. He ended up serving 11 months in a prison camp, then was sent to a halfway house, only to be sent back to prison after violating the terms of his release. The story states that MLW executive Jared St. Laurent came up with the idea for this publicity stunt that will see Donaghy work as a personal referee for Richard Holliday. This should get MLW some attention in the sports world, but only time will tell whether it will be the right kind of attention. There’s no word yet as to whether MLW intends to use members of the cheating Houston Astros for future episodes. Kidding aside, the story states that the MLW television tapings are currently underway, so it appears MLW will make good on Court Bauer’s earlier statement of a return with first-run television starting sometime in November.
If AEW can use a midget who sucks dildoes in the ring while his nearly identical midget brother sexually assaults women outside the building, and not get any negative press, then why should MLW for using a guy who cheated in a gambling scheme?