There were a few actual combat sports fights Saturday night, including the PPV boxing match between Jake Paul and Nate Diaz, but an unexpected fight that showed up in a Major League Baseball game drew even more attention. The Chicago White Sox-Cleveland Guardians game saw a bench-clearing brawl, and that started with a remarkable punch from Cleveland’s José Ramírez.
Ramírez was unhappy with Chicago shortstop Tim Anderson for a hard tag and for standing over him after a head-first slide into second. That saw the two exchange words and then square up to fight. And Ramírez then delivered a devastating shot to Anderson’s face, which keyed off the full brawl:
A lengthy brawl in Cleveland between the White Sox and Guardians.
Part 1: pic.twitter.com/WqzSMIsblh
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) August 6, 2023
The Ramírez-Anderson fight drew most of the attention, though, including with a “Down goes Anderson! Down goes Anderson!” Howard Cosell-referencing call from Guardians’ radio broadcaster Tom Hamilton:
Tom Hamilton's call of the Jose Ramirez-Tim Anderson fight on Cleveland radio is the stuff of legend.
"DOWN GOES ANDERSON! DOWN GOES ANDERSON!" pic.twitter.com/ZXSUW4eE0V
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 6, 2023
And on Sunday, ahead of the rematch between the teams, Ramírez’s agent Rafa Nieves posted a photo to his Instagram Stories. That photo had Ramírez wearing boxing gloves:
José Ramírez's agent posted this 😂🥊
(h/t mlb_agent/IG, via @CleGuardians) pic.twitter.com/GYAx7ztNSX
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 6, 2023
That’s certainly quite the move from Nieves. And it drew some reaction from across the sports world:
Oh no Tim Anderson gotta retire tonight https://t.co/kbOdrBtr6S
— Myron Medcalf (@MedcalfByESPN) August 6, 2023
Just when you thought Tim Anderson’s year couldn’t go further south for him… https://t.co/iI8aouawO8
— Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) August 6, 2023
Tim gotta ask for a rematch lol https://t.co/CbQMdVhXtj
— ON GOD! (@jbanks88) August 6, 2023
— Browns Land (@browns_land) August 6, 2023
Is he calling out Jake Paul ?!
— Aliens (@Aliens) August 6, 2023
Meanwhile, an old tweet of Anderson’s also went viral Saturday night:
Never let them knock you off your pivot…. #standup💯
— Seven (@TimAnderson7) August 17, 2019
Ramírez, Anderson, White Sox manager Pedro Grifol, Guardians manager Terry Francona, and Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase and third base coach Mike Sarbaugh were all ejected after this brawl. No further suspensions have been announced yet.
[Bleacher Report on Twitter]
