Best of 2011: fights

Simon Katich v Michael Clarke

The Katich-Clarke stoush had its genesis almost three years ago, when the opener grabbed Clarke by the throat in a dressing-room disagreement. Despite a string of good performances for Australia, Katich has since been axed from the Test team and stripped of his Cricket Australia contract. A strong start to the domestic summer prompted questions from journalists about a possible Test recall in late October but the always-frank Katich batted them away: "To be brutally honest, obviously what happened in the dressing room here a few years ago didn't help my cause," he said. "And obviously the captain and coach are selectors." CA didn't take kindly to Katich airing the dirty linen, reprimanding him for making a detrimental public comment.

Brett Stewart and Des Hasler v David Gallop

The simmering feud between Manly's star fullback and the NRL boss over Stewart's 2009 sexual assault charge - which was eventually dismissed - and drunken behaviour at the Sea Eagles' season launch was unexpectedly inflamed when Hasler weighed into the argument in May. "(Stewart's) soul hasn't been cleansed because the game hasn't apologised to him," Hasler complained after Stewart had celebrated the second of his three tries against Canberra by riding an imaginary 'Gallop'-ing horse. Gallop was unrepentant, standing by the sanctions handed to both Stewart and Manly. The final chapter came when Stewart and his brother Glenn had words with Gallop on the podium after receiving their premiership medals. The content of their discussion remains a mystery but the stern expressions from both parties suggest no resolution was reached, nor will ever be.

Mehdi Baala v Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad

The two Moroccan athletes had been less than friendly for some time in the lead-up to the 1500m at the Monaco Diamond League meet in July. After the pair finished ninth and 11th in the race, Baala approached his rival with what he later argued was a gesture of consolation. Mekhissi-Benabbad was having none of it, so Baala responded with a headbutt. Chaos ensued.

Floyd Mayweather v Victor Ortiz

Mayweather's persistent refusal to fight his chief rival as the world's best pound-for-pound fighter, Manny Pacquiao, has tarnished his otherwise sterling reputation. His sucker-punch knockout of Victor Ortiz in their WBC welterweight title fight in September did nothing to repair the damage. Ortiz repeatedly tried to apologise to Mayweather after headbutting him during the fourth round. After four attempts, the man they call 'Money' had heard enough and ended the fight with a left-right combo to the jaw of a defenceless Ortiz.

Battle of Brookvale

NRL chief executive David Gallop was publicly horrified by the all-in brawl between the Sea Eagles and Storm in round 25. "The sight of so many players from both teams fighting, of people running in and leaving the bench area, was a horrendous look for the game," he lamented. A significant proportion of rugby league fans thought otherwise. In a game that celebrates violent acts - as long as they are carried out within the rules - the sight of Glenn Stewart and Adam Blair throwing haymakers at each other on the sidelines was a throwback to league's glory days. That players from both teams joined in - including their respective benches - instantly elevated the match to legendary status.

Wladimir Klitschko v David Haye

Billed as the bout that would restore the prestige to the heavyweight division after a decade of mediocrity, Haye's promised challenge to Klitschko never materialised. The Ukrainian used his superior reach to keep the Briton at bay throughout the fight and scored a comfortable points victory. Klitschko continued his humiliation of Haye in the post-fight press conference when his opponent attributed his poor performance to a broken toe, which he showed to the assembled reporters. "A broken toe? Really? It looks like a bee bit you," Klitschko said. Haye's tweeted picture of the offending digit simply confirmed his conqueror's assessment.

Joe Kapp v Angelo Mosca

In a 1963 Canadian Football League clash, Hamilton Tiger-Cat star Mosca landed a late hit on one of Kapp's B.C. Lions teammates. Kapp apparently never forgot nor forgave the incident, as evidenced by his punch-on with Mosca at an alumni function in late November. Kapp, now 73, told the Vancouver Sun that Mosca had been mouthing profanities at him throughout the function before the pair was invited on stage to speak. A peace offering from Kapp was swatted away by Mosca, also 73, who then swung his cane in retaliation. Cue wild brawling.

Next up: verbals (part 1)

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of BigPond Sport.