Predicting the Five Best Cross-League Fights in Sports

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

David Backes (NHL) vs. Derek Jeter (MLB)

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Such an improbable brawl: two men, both referred to as “the captain”, who are known as great leaders and all-around good guys off the field. But with their courageous leadership ability, either one of them is going to defend their pack if the need arises, and Jeter showed during last week’s All-Star festivities that he’s not against delivering humorous low blows.

If any of Backes’s teammates take things the wrong way, he’ll step in there to take care of Jeter, and you’d have to think that he has the edge considering that he’s 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds and has a rather accomplished fighting record on the ice. While the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Jeter is going to stick with it until the very end, Backes is definitely the favorite, especially if he targets the ankle, quadriceps, or calf which have sent Jeter to the DL over the past 18 months.