According to Sports Illustrated, former NBA referee Tim Donaghy has been hired by Major League Wrestling to serve as an official for the upcoming company restart. Donaghy is infamous to the sport of basketball for his involvement in a gambling scandal while serving as an NBA ref, a crime that got him sentenced to 15 months inside a federal prison back in 2008.
Donaghy would later comment on his new venture with MLW by revealing his life-long fandom of professional wrestling.
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.
The idea to bring Donaghy in was that of MLW COO Jared St. Laurent. Whether it’s for a one off appearance or a long-term commitment remains to be seen.