Former NBA Referee Tim Donaghy To Appear On MLW
Tim Donaghy will be a referee once again, but this time, it will be in a wrestling ring.
According to Sports Illustrated, Donaghy, the disgraced former NBA referee who was the focal point of an gambling scandal more than a decade ago, will be appearing on MLW.
The idea to have Donaghy appear on MLW was from MLW COO Jared St. Laurent with the planned storyline being that he will serve as the personal referee for Richard Holliday when he wrestles. The promotion is currently set to return with new episodes in November as it had stopped taping for months due to the global pandemic. Donaghy said he’s not sure what his long-term involvement with wrestling will be, but said he’s excited to be with MLW.
“If there is a good response, who knows where it can go from here. 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,” Donaghy said.
In July 2008, Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison due to his involvement in a gambling scandal while serving as an NBA official. Donaghy pleaded guilty to two federal charges related to gambling in August 2007 and was sentenced a year later to 15 months in prison.
Despite MLW not doing television tapings for months, the promotion has been making preparations for its return, including signing wrestlers Bu Ku Dao and Calvin Tankman.
