Ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2008 on gambling charges for betting on NBA games, has been tapped to referee an upcoming storyline for MLW.
The 53-year-old was an NBA referee from 1994 to 2007. He served 11 months in a federal prison camp in Pensacola, Florida, before being sent to a halfway house. After violating the terms of his release, he was sent back to prison to serve the remainder of his term.
In prison, Donaghy claims he was attacked and threatened. He also alleges that an inmate claiming to be an associate of the New York Mafia hit him with a paint roller extension bar, which resulted in injuries to his knee and leg that required surgery. FBI SSA Philip Scalaand dismissed Donaghy’s claims, saying, "If organized crime wanted to hurt Donaghy, he wouldn't be around today."
MLW is reportedly planning a storyline that will have Donaghy serve as a personal referee for Richard Holliday. The personal referee storyline is nothing new. Nick Patrick was the official referee for NWO in 1996. After he was caught cheating, he was forced into a match against Chris Jericho at the World War 3 PPV. Even though Jericho had one arm tied behind his back, he still defeated Patrick.
"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. 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," Donaghy told Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated.
MLW, which airs on beIN Sports, Fubo Sports Network and DAZN, has been on hiatus for the past several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The promotion’s roster mainly includes independent contractors from Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide and Impact Wrestling. On August 31, MLW CEO Court Bauer confirmed that the promotion, which is based in New Rochelle, New York, will return to television in early November.
Source: Bleacher Report