- 2 years ago
These sports brawls were wild! For this list, we’ll be looking at the most chaotic, violent, and/or surprising fights in professional sports.
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00:00 Wait a minute, hold on a second, Rod.
00:01 We've got some problems going here.
00:03 John Davidson is down there, right in the thick of things.
00:05 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're
00:07 counting down our picks for the top 20 craziest sports brawls.
00:10 [CROWD CHEERING]
00:11 Now Ramirez.
00:12 That ball's not even close.
00:14 [CROWD CHEERING]
00:16 For this list, we'll be looking at the most
00:18 chaotic, violent, and/or surprising fights
00:20 in professional sports.
00:21 Did we forget to mention your favorite sports brawl?
00:23 Let us know in the comments below.
00:25 Number 20, Guardians versus White Sox.
00:28 What could have been an ordinary play at second base
00:30 became an internet meme.
00:31 Cleveland Guardian Jose Ramirez went in for a slide,
00:34 but Chicago White Sox infielder Tim Anderson
00:36 wasn't ready to play nice.
00:37 Their verbal exchange turned sour
00:39 as Anderson put up hands for a boxing match.
00:41 The umpire failed to break it up,
00:42 leaving both sides to turn physical.
00:44 With both benches coming in to help,
00:46 Ramirez connected with his opponent's jaw and dropped him.
00:48 Coaches and managers later got involved
00:50 in separate incidents that kept the fight going
00:52 for several minutes.
00:53 That's Mike Sarbaugh now, getting after Pedro Graffal,
00:57 and off we go, spilling into foul territory
01:00 in as long of a brawl as you're gonna see
01:03 in Major League Baseball nowadays, and it's not over.
01:06 All in all, ejections and suspensions were handed out
01:09 to members of both organizations.
01:11 Number 19, Riddick Bowe versus Andrew Golota.
01:14 For this face-off at Madison Square Garden,
01:16 two heavyweights entered the ring to do battle.
01:18 Riddick Bowe and Andrew Golota kept the fight interesting
01:20 until the latter threw an illegal punch.
01:22 (crowd cheering)
01:23 - That was another low blow.
01:24 Down goes Bowe, that's it.
01:26 - With Bowe writhing on the ground,
01:27 Golota was charged by his opponent's entourage.
01:30 The ring was soon stormed by all kinds
01:31 of wannabe fighters as a riot ensued.
01:33 Despite attempts to break it off,
01:35 dozens of spectators ended up inside the ropes.
01:37 - After the last low blow and the disqualification,
01:40 and now the riot has spread.
01:42 - The violent clash led to several arrests
01:44 and numerous injuries.
01:45 Following this brutal exhibition,
01:47 the Bruisers held a rematch that same year
01:49 despite the aftermath of this botched event.
01:51 Number 18, Angels versus Mariners.
01:54 With a growing feud between teams,
01:55 this confrontation stemmed from a few questionable pitchers
01:58 in previous at-bats.
01:59 Angels pitcher Andrew Wants kept the bad blood boiling
02:02 by hitting batter Jesse Winker.
02:03 - And he just hit Winker.
02:06 Erica, with the first pitch, Scott Service
02:10 is calling for him to be thrown out of the game.
02:12 - Instead of going for Wants,
02:13 the angry Mariner decided to yell at the Angels' dugout.
02:16 This led to a full-scale battle between the two teams.
02:19 It seemed like every active player was on the field
02:21 trying to get in on the action,
02:22 including members of the bullpen.
02:23 When all was said and done,
02:24 eight people were ejected for their part
02:26 in the vicious brawl.
02:28 Number 17, James versus Stewart.
02:30 While it all seemed like a misunderstanding,
02:31 this fight between LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart
02:34 started with some rough contact.
02:35 The Los Angeles Laker boxed out his opponent
02:37 and hit him in the face.
02:39 The Detroit Pistons started to chirp back at James,
02:41 leading to some pushing and shoving between teams.
02:43 - Uh-oh, Stewart and LeBron.
02:46 Stewart is hot, and everybody's coming out now.
02:51 - Stewart appeared to have a serious cut
02:52 from the blood dripping off of him.
02:54 After being restrained,
02:55 he decided to charge the star Laker again
02:57 and pushed aside anyone in his way.
02:58 - And he's still trying to get loose.
03:01 He is knocking over, and he's out of the game.
03:07 - It all seemed to ramp up from an apparent accident
03:09 to a full-on rumble.
03:10 Stewart was suspended two games
03:12 while James only had to drop one from his schedule.
03:14 Number 16, Giants versus Nationals.
03:17 As an MLB pitcher, you never know what'll happen
03:19 after you hit a batter.
03:20 It's sometimes best to assume
03:21 that the likes of Bryce Harper will retaliate
03:23 if they're in the wrong mood.
03:24 This happens for Giants reliever Hunter Strickland
03:26 in this clip, but the fight got even worse
03:28 when Harper utilized an unlikely weapon.
03:30 - It's a piece of Hunter Strickland.
03:32 Here they go.
03:33 - The Nationals batter decided to whip his helmet
03:35 at the pitcher in a fit of anger.
03:37 Thankfully for Strickland,
03:38 the headgear didn't connect with him.
03:40 This didn't stop the brawl, however,
03:41 as both teams came to the rescue.
03:43 It all happened in a flash,
03:44 with both players quickly disappearing
03:46 inside of a much larger altercation.
03:48 Number 15, Machado versus Ventura.
03:50 To start off this particular brawl,
03:52 pitcher Jordano Ventura hit Manny Machado with the ball.
03:55 - Here we go.
03:56 And Manny and Ventura are going at it on the mound.
03:59 And this is a big-time brawl at Camden Yards.
04:02 - The batter followed this up by charging the mound.
04:04 While the two players exchanged blows,
04:06 they each had an entire lineup to back them up.
04:08 The Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles
04:10 took the field to defend their respective teammates.
04:13 Not long after the tussle, Ventura and Machado
04:15 were physically separated in order to prevent round two.
04:18 You can tell that both of them were seething
04:19 with such anger that they could've gone on for much longer.
04:22 - Manny and Ventura still barking at each other.
04:24 Manny is being pulled away by C.B. Buckner.
04:27 - The Orioles' batter later doubled down on his decision,
04:29 saying, "I don't regret anything."
04:31 Number 14, Garrett versus Rudolph.
04:33 - Here's a flag as, whoa, whoa.
04:38 - Even though this NFL game was winding down,
04:40 there was still enough time
04:41 for the most unforgettable fight of the 2019 season.
04:44 Cleveland Browns defender Miles Garrett
04:46 tackled Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph
04:49 in a confrontation that became ugly.
04:50 Both players appeared to be fighting,
04:52 grappling in a close-quarters battle
04:54 for each other's helmet.
04:55 Garrett responded by taking Rudolph's headgear
04:57 and swinging it at him.
04:58 Other Steelers came to the quarterback's defense,
05:00 pushing the Browns' defensive end to the ground
05:02 and attacking him.
05:03 The event resulted in fines for multiple players
05:05 and a serious suspension for Garrett.
05:07 Number 13, Australia versus Philippines.
05:10 During a qualifying match for the FIBA World Cup,
05:12 the Australian player Chris Goulding
05:14 was knocked to the ground by an opponent
05:16 from the Philippines.
05:17 The foul inspired his teammate Daniel Kicker
05:19 to do the same to the man responsible.
05:21 After each of these shoves transpired,
05:23 the two squads came to serious blows.
05:24 - Oh my Lord, these are ugly, ugly scenes right now.
05:28 - The brawls spilled off the court
05:29 as Aussie and Filipino jerseys went every which way.
05:32 Someone from the Filipino side
05:34 even tossed a chair at an opposing player,
05:35 turning this scrap into a dangerous battle.
05:38 Members from both sides were suspended
05:40 for the ensuing destruction.
05:41 Number 12, Cardinals versus Reds.
05:43 Following Brandon Phillips' harsh comments
05:45 about the St. Louis Cardinals,
05:47 this fight was almost bound to happen.
05:49 The second baseman stepped up to the plate
05:50 and got an earful from catcher Yadier Molina.
05:53 While Phillips and Molina started it,
05:54 the worst of it was yet to come.
05:56 Things got ugly from there as the Cardinals and Reds
05:58 decided to clear their benches.
05:59 - Now Scott Rowan is getting into it.
06:02 - And now he is turning ugly.
06:03 (crowd cheering)
06:04 - In it with Chris Carpenter.
06:06 And Carpenter's the one down there chirping.
06:08 - At one point, both teams were up against the back netting
06:10 in a scene out of a wrestling match.
06:12 Players hit the ground in a mob scene
06:13 that featured all kinds of punches and kicks.
06:15 - This is not good at all
06:17 because this is the kind of situation
06:18 where somebody can get up, get hurt,
06:21 get their finger stepped on, and it's just not baseball.
06:24 - Catcher Jason LaRue received the worst injury
06:26 of the bunch, sustaining a concussion
06:28 that would put his career to bed.
06:30 Number 11, Avalanche versus Red Wings.
06:32 Inspired by an earlier incident
06:34 where Claude Lemieux checked Chris Draper,
06:36 the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings
06:38 were already testy at the start of this matchup.
06:40 What followed was a night of fighting
06:42 that came to be known as the Brawl in Hockey Town.
06:44 A series of dust-ups started
06:45 with Brent Severin and Jamie Pusher,
06:48 eventually leading to all sorts of brawls
06:49 with other players that included
06:51 Darren McCarty going for Lemieux.
06:52 McCarty did a number on the Avalanche stars,
06:55 even the goalies fought for their teammates.
06:56 - You never know when to expect it,
06:58 Darren McCarty said before.
07:00 (crowd cheering)
07:02 Vernon and Wong!
07:04 - There's really too many fights to count,
07:05 but trust us that it wasn't pretty.
07:07 - They are on their feet here at Joe Louis Arena.
07:09 (crowd cheering)
07:12 301 days since the hit on Chris Draper.
07:18 And look at Darren McCarty.
07:22 - Number 10, Woody Hayes versus Clemson.
07:25 In the last game of his collegiate career,
07:26 Ohio State coach Woody Hayes led his team
07:29 into the Gator Bowl against the Clemson Tigers.
07:31 The close contest took a violent turn in the fourth quarter.
07:34 After intercepting a pass from quarterback Art Schlichter,
07:37 Clemson player Charlie Bowman wound up out of bounds
07:39 on the Buckeyes' sideline.
07:41 Hayes then attacked Bowman with an unprecedented punch.
07:44 This unsurprisingly incited both teams to fight each other,
07:47 leading to significant penalties for the Buckeyes.
07:49 - And we got a big fight going on.
07:52 The officials buried in the middle.
07:55 All right, come on now, quiet down, folks.
07:59 - On the following day,
07:59 the coach was fired for his actions.
08:01 The infamous event marked the end of an era for OSU football.
08:05 Number nine, Clint Bowyer versus Jeff Gordon.
08:07 If you think that NASCAR drivers don't usually fight,
08:10 this memorable bout from 2012 will change your mind.
08:12 Clint Bowyer and Jeff Gordon were fostering a rivalry
08:15 as they made the chase for the Sprint Cup.
08:17 Gordon appeared to hit Bowyer,
08:18 creating a pileup on the racetrack.
08:20 The latter driver took it personally
08:22 as they both headed into their respective pits.
08:24 With each crew heated up,
08:25 things got ugly between the rival teams.
08:27 - Oh, conflict.
08:29 The crews are in it.
08:35 (crowd cheering)
08:38 Somewhere in the middle of that is Jeff Gordon.
08:42 - This all culminated with Bowyer racing
08:44 towards his opponent in the hopes of starting something.
08:46 While neither man fought each other face to face,
08:48 Gordon was ultimately fined $100,000
08:51 for instigating the crash.
08:52 - There's your side and there's my side.
08:54 - My side's right.
08:55 - Then there's the truth.
08:56 Your side is literally out of your mind.
08:59 - Number eight, Clemson versus South Carolina.
09:02 As rivals from the same state
09:03 both the University of South Carolina
09:05 and Clemson University
09:06 have a history of dramatic confrontations.
09:08 This particular game took things to the next level
09:10 as the two teams got physical after the whistle blew.
09:13 Tiger players went for the Gamecocks quarterback,
09:15 initiating a brutal beat down at midfield.
09:18 - Both benches start to empty.
09:20 Knew this was gonna happen sooner or later.
09:24 - Both sidelines took off toward each other
09:25 with little chance of keeping athletes away from each other.
09:28 Helmets even came off as police were no match
09:30 for evasive maneuvers and padded opponents.
09:32 Each side suffered through suspensions and unwanted press,
09:35 making the rivalry even more noteworthy.
09:37 - But I'll tell you what. - This is very embarrassing.
09:39 - Police have gotta treat 'em like idiots now.
09:41 Like the rioters and billy clubs.
09:43 Take 'em all out and pursue 'em.
09:45 - Number seven, Cantona versus Crystal Palace.
09:47 During this English football match
09:49 between Manchester United and Crystal Palace,
09:51 forward Eric Cantona lost his cool in a major way.
09:54 The star player received a red card
09:55 for kicking Richard Shaw.
09:57 A normal sports fight might have happened between opponents,
09:59 but this matchup really got going
10:01 once the United footballer leaves the field.
10:03 The Frenchman wasn't done kicking either
10:05 as he decided to unleash his anger on a verbally abusive fan.
10:08 - Oh, what's going on here?
10:09 Cantona's getting involved with some supporters.
10:12 Oh, this is outrageous.
10:13 - In what was described as a kung fu kick,
10:15 Cantona was taken away before he could do much damage.
10:18 He received a short prison sentence
10:19 that was later changed to 120 hours of community service.
10:22 - And once more, Eric Cantona is the man
10:25 at the center of a dramatic controversy.
10:29 - Number six, Rangers versus White Sox.
10:32 Pitcher Nolan Ryan might have been nearing
10:33 the end of his career,
10:34 but he could still fight like he was a rookie.
10:36 Chicago White Sox batter Robin Ventura charged the mound
10:39 after Ryan hit him in the back.
10:40 - Here's Ventura, RBI single in the first, watch out.
10:43 Look at this.
10:46 - Despite being the older player,
10:50 the latter man did most of the punching
10:52 during the altercation.
10:53 Both the Rangers and the White Sox engaged in a melee
10:55 with athletes strewn around the infield.
10:57 Even after the initial confrontation cooled off,
11:00 both teams started up again not long after.
11:02 - And here we go again.
11:03 - The legendary starter walked away largely unscathed
11:09 and without an ejection.
11:11 Number five, Bruins versus Rangers.
11:13 At the end of a close game,
11:14 the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers
11:16 started a fight in Madison Square Garden.
11:18 Al Secord and Ulf Nilsson started the larger brawl
11:20 that later included some fan interaction.
11:22 Attendee John Kapton managed to hit Stan Jonathan,
11:25 provoking action from the latter's teammates.
11:27 - And O'Reilly's after somebody in the crowd.
11:30 Oh, this could be bad.
11:31 Oh, there go the Bruins.
11:34 Oh, you hate to see this.
11:35 - Bruins players such as enforcer Terry O'Reilly
11:38 launched into the stands
11:39 and even used one fan's shoe against them.
11:41 O'Reilly and others received suspensions
11:43 and fines for their participation in the incident.
11:45 All these years later,
11:46 it remains one of the most infamous nights in NHL history.
11:49 - But that's the worst thing you can see in a hockey rink
11:52 is when the players decide to go over that barricade.
11:55 - Jim, the fans have no right.
11:56 - None, I agree with you, Bill.
11:57 - No right at all to take a player's stick
12:00 from out of his hand.
12:01 - Number four, Red Sox versus Yankees.
12:03 This particular rivalry is full of historic fights,
12:05 but this one might top them all.
12:07 Boston pitcher Pedro Martinez threw a ball
12:09 over the head of New York batter Kareem Garcia.
12:12 Tensions prevailed until Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez
12:15 stepped up to the plate against Roger Clemens.
12:17 With a ball that seemed too close for his comfort,
12:19 Ramirez charged the mound
12:20 and incited both benches to take the field.
12:22 (ball thuds)
12:23 - Now Ramirez.
12:24 That ball's not even close.
12:26 (crowd cheers)
12:28 - During the confrontation,
12:29 Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer headed right for Martinez.
12:32 The latter athlete then took Zimmer to the ground
12:34 in a controversial move.
12:36 - Oh my goodness.
12:37 Don Zimmer and Pedro Martinez.
12:41 Oh, that's awful.
12:45 - While the lineups have since changed,
12:46 the incident from the 2003 ALCS hasn't been forgotten.
12:50 Number three, Hurricanes versus Golden Panthers.
12:53 Florida International University went up
12:55 against University of Miami in this 2006 game.
12:57 While verbal abuse was hurled back and forth,
12:59 FIU became more angry after a touchdown celebration
13:02 from Hurricanes player James Bryant.
13:04 A fight broke out during the next play
13:06 as Miami went for an extra point.
13:08 Punches, kicks, and wrestling moves followed
13:10 as the opponents went at it.
13:11 The whole thing became so intense
13:12 that the police had to break them up.
13:14 You'd expect this kind of thing from historic rivalry,
13:16 but it's especially surprising
13:18 coming from a seemingly ordinary matchup.
13:20 Number two, Braves versus Padres.
13:22 During this tense game between Atlanta and San Diego,
13:24 both teams threw balls at each other in a violent matchup.
13:27 One brawl occurred in the eighth inning
13:29 after Padres pitcher Craig Lefferts
13:30 hit Braves man Pasquale Perez.
13:33 Perez's teammates made a break for Lefferts
13:34 in what became a brutal battle.
13:36 - For the fourth straight time,
13:37 Perez coming to the plate, and we've got one going now.
13:40 - Once the dust settled,
13:41 the squads were clearly still angry with each other.
13:43 An inning later, Braves pitcher Donnie Moore
13:45 sent a pitch into the back of batter Craig Nettles.
13:48 - And that pitch hits Craig Nettles,
13:50 and he's going after Donnie Moore.
13:51 - Here we go again!
13:53 - Both benches empty as the opponents
13:54 create a massive pileup in the infield.
13:56 This time, the fans eventually get involved
13:58 in one of the more rebellious moments in MLB history.
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14:15 Number one, Pacers versus Pistons.
14:19 Among the craziest fights in sports history,
14:21 this brawl started after the Indiana Pacer,
14:23 once known as Ron Artest,
14:24 fouled Detroit Piston Ben Wallace.
14:26 What happened next took NBA disputes to a whole new level.
14:29 Wallace went after Artest,
14:30 leading to an extended period
14:32 that included some unwanted fan interactions.
14:34 One fan ended up throwing their drink
14:36 at the Pacers' small forward,
14:37 which inspired the player to enter the stands.
14:39 - And out of the corner of my eye,
14:41 I see it coming.
14:44 Super slow-mo.
14:49 Like, it just...
14:50 Like, it just...
14:51 Everybody was supposed to see it.
14:53 That's how slow it went.
14:54 Bam!
15:00 - The resulting melee was complete chaos,
15:01 with Artest going after the wrong person.
15:03 Athletes and fans started duking it out
15:05 in the subsequent confusion.
15:07 Fines, criminal charges, and significant suspensions
15:09 were dished out as a result.
15:11 The event has gone on to become known
15:12 as the Malice at the Palace.
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