BaseBrawl 2025: Rocker vs Mahomes

While the action inside the Caesars Superdome last Sunday might have not lived up to expectations, there was plenty of rumblings out on Bourbon Street.  One noteworthy encounter was a heated exchange between two retired MLB stars, John Rocker and Patrick Mahomes Sr.  The video went viral on Barstool Sports.

Pat Mahomes Sr & John Rocker got into it in NOLApic.twitter.com/2q9TythCsQ

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 11, 2025

While it remains unclear exactly the origins of their confrontation, some have speculated that it could have something to do with the Braves vs Mets rivalry in the late 1990s.  Mahomes pitched for the Mets during the 1999 and 2000 seasons, during the same span in which Rocker burst on the scene with the Braves.  The Braves got the best of the Mets in 1999 on their path to the World Series.  The following year, the Mets won the NL Pennant.

In the days following their exchange in New Orleans, trash talk ensured over X.  Barstool President Dave Portnoy took notice and promptly proposed a scheduled fight between the two former major league pitchers.  The fight has been officially scheduled through Bartstool’s Rough N’ Rowdy, a boxing circuit described as “Hillbilly boxing chaos like you’ve never seen before.”

It’s official. The paperwork was signed today. Pat Mahomes Sr vs John Rocker at Rough N Rowdy. April 19th. Real bad blood. @roughnrowdy https://t.co/Ax3r40WBwa pic.twitter.com/abVsaD5oGE

— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) February 12, 2025

John Rocker, a recent guest on the Legends on Deck Podcast, seems to have a clear advantage over Mahomes in terms of physical size and strength.  He also brings his well known intensity to the fight.  According to chatter on X, Rocker is the clear favorite over the lanky Mahomes.  The father of the Chiefs quarterback will need to rely on speed and hope to land some surprise blows to Rocker.

While we are all attuned to the excitement of a bench clearing brawl, to our knowledge this is the first ever official boxing match between two professional baseball players.  The fight is scheduled for April 18th at Rough N’ Ready 2025 in Wheeling, West Virginia.

Let’s get ready to rumble!

Brian Koss

Brian is the Co-Owner/Managing Editor at Legends on Deck and Co-Host on Legends On Deck Podcast. He's been writing about baseball at LOD since 2017. He grew up in the Detroit area and is a lifelong Tigers fan. However, he shares some affinity for his son George's favorite team, the Atlanta Braves. Brian also has a particular interest in the amateur side of the game, including high school, college and collegiate summer league baseball. Brian and George also love collecting and selling baseball cards. You can find them selling on eBay (@Kossball) or posting on George's Instagram (@Kossball). Brian lives in Horizon West (Winter Garden), Florida with his wife (Grace), three daughters and son George. You can also reach him at brianmkoss@gmail.com