The Reisman kid refused to adopt sponge. “It made table tennis a game based on fraud, deception, deceit.” He was convinced that the universal appeal of the game—the world’s most popular—was in simplicity, in strokes and tactics, not in technology and trickery. He tested his faith by challenging the new champion Satoh to a return match in Osaka, pitting his hardbat against sponge. Before an astounded crowd, he beat Satoh fair and square. (via Marty Reisman: The Magical Hustler Who Saved a Classic Game – The Daily Beast)