Listening to the latest BTL they were discussing the BFL all-american and I went back an looked who past winners of it were and didn't realize Tony Christian won it in 2003... by quite a large margin. For those that don't know he is the one who got caught cheating after a streak of several big tournament wins and was quietly told to go packing and never come back. I'm sure it was quite an embarrassment to FLW but many of the old articles on his wins are still archived on the MLF website and bassfan Red Hot Tony Christian Tony "The Magician" Christian Christian wins All-American. Someone could do a movie about this guys exploits as a con man, I wish they would do a 20 feet deep documentary on him with or without him, I know the bass talk live guys have said that is their holy grail documentary follow by whatever happen with the Michael Bennett deal.

What’s the Michael Bennet deal?

A lot of the Angling world has forgot the phenom that was TC , I remember that deal when it went down.

There has been some doozy's , especially locally

He won the Forrest Wood Cup and for reasons unknown walked away from the sport.

I don’t think it was ever proven that he was cheating and if it was, they sure didn’t disclose how. (Tony Christian)

I'd have to hunt for the article but the jist was that divers found what they were looking for and watched him , don't think he was prosecuted I think they took the path of least fallout for them and made him go away.

He won the All-American that was held at Mobile/Alabama delta....the guy that came in second was from the that area and reportedly said that he "lived there 30 years and caught one 6lb bass and tony christian must be a heckuva fisherman to come down here and catch two in one week".....

Wow that was a low weight event, feel bad for the guy in second and look who got 3rd https://majorleaguefishing.com/events/2003-05-28-all-american/results/ His weight was over twice what 2nd had I have no doubt he cheated and stole $101,000 some serious coin and even more so in 2003.

A 20 foot deep on that would be great, Jeffries has talked about doing that before. I can't believe that the All American was not televised as it had been before. Was a cool tournament to watch

If you watched the shows at the Black Rifle Coffee opening...for the record, James Watson did ask if he could sign my baby at the Hartwell Classic expo, I about rolled on the floor laughing at my wifes face.

wow that really looks like he cheated..

I have met and talked with Bennet over dinner along with some other guys. He’s a good dude I would say, he actually took the winnings bought a house, and went to nursing school if I remember correctly, I think there was a girl mentioned also. He was talking about coming back. Some folks see life differently.

He won FLW Championship then took the money and put himself through nursing school and quit fishing the Tour. From all I know he lives in Florida and is doing well.

He may be the only bass fisherman ever that's ahead.

I seem to remember them saying on that podcast it also had something with him getting snubbed for a team deal from FLW and he decided to more wisely invest his money as you said. Hard to believe they would do that with a young marketable angler that had just won their championship but they didn't seem to be the smartest run company back then.

I seem to remember a relationship mentioned also, either she left him over the tour lifestyle and that factored into him leaving or she didn't and convinced him to quit.