Opinion: The top five headbutting moments in world sport history
JONNY Bairstow’s greeting to Cameron Bancroft may not have been the most vicious, but for impact Mike Colman rates it among the top five headbutts in world sport. Here are the others.
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THE headbutt that England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow planted on Aussie opener Cameron Bancroft as a way of greeting in Perth last month may not have been the most vicious in sporting history, but it has been one of the most discussed.
It also reignited the conundrum that has puzzled sporting historians through the ages: just what constitutes a headbutt?
It was a question that so troubled Maroons skipper Cameron Smith back in 2010 after Blues forward Luke O’Donnell was judged to have no case to answer after planting what looked very much like a “Liverpool Kiss” on the scone of Dave Taylor in Game Two of the series, that he made an impassioned plea for authorities to “define” the headbutt.
Up in the commentary box Ray Warren had been emphatic, rabbiting: “There’s headbutts going in there as well …” but the judiciary disagreed — as they had a few weeks earlier when Jarryd Hayne had led with his head on Billy Slater in a club match.
Smith was confused. “Obviously if someone throws their head at someone else’s head, they’re clearly trying to do some damage,” he said.
But according to England coach Trevor Bayliss following the first Test on Monday, that isn’t always true.
Asked whether Bairstow had actually headbutted Bancroft as reported, Bayliss answered: “I think there was some contact but obviously that’s not a headbutt. There’s a big difference.”
Bancroft disagreed, providing his own first-hand definition of the act.
“Headbutts clash with heads,” he said. “When he made the decision to do that it meant our heads collided.”
With the jury still out, we are nonetheless officially placing the Bairstow-Bancroft encounter in our Top Five Sporting Headbutts.
The other four, in no particular order, are:
Jim Morgan-Cliff Watson, Lang Park, 1970.
Just like Saturday night’s upcoming RLWC final, it was the Aussies versus the Poms in Brisbane.
Late in the first half the game erupted — as they were wont to do back in those days — and both sides got stuck in.
As the fight subsided, Big Jim, a garbo from Sydney, and Cliffy Watson, one of rugby league’s great gentlemen off the field and one of it’s toofest boogers on it, stood toe-to-toe holding each other’s jumpers.
Jim then made the mistake of trying to headbutt Cliff, and Cliff returned serve with interest, spreading Jim’s nose across his face like jam on toast.
Australia won 37-15 and Jim scored two tries. Later he said: “They can break my nose as many times as they like as long as I score two tries.”
Zinedine Zidane-Marco Materazzi, Berlin, 2006.
The World Cup final was Zidane’s last-ever match and he was determined to put his name in the history books.
He did, but for the wrong reason.
The French superstar and Italy’s Materazzi had both scored and the game was in extra time when Zidane reacted to something Materazzi said as he ran past.
Zidane stopped, walked back and launched a headbutt into the Italian’s chest.
The referee had no hesitation reaching for the red card.
Exactly what Materazzi said to spark such a reaction has never been revealed, although he has angrily denied rumours that it was something about Zidane’s mother. About his sister then? No comment.
Floyd Mayweather Jr-David Ortiz, Las Vegas, 2011
Mayweather was looking comfortable in the WBC world title bout when, in round four, Ortiz launched his best attack of the fight.
Backing Mayweather into a corner, Ortiz threw everything at him, including his head.
As referee Joe Cortez halted the fight to issue a caution, Ortiz apologised to Mayweather and kissed him on the cheek. Cortez docked Ortiz a point and said, “let’s go”.
As the two boxers came together, Ortiz again tried to hug Mayweather, who hit him with a left.
Ortiz looked to the referee as if to say, “Are you going to let him get away with that?”
Cortez didn’t have time to answer. Mayweather followed up with a right, Ortiz hit the canvas and was counted out, proving that if you are going to headbutt someone, best not make it Floyd Mayweather.
Tony Hearn-Mark Carroll, Suncorp Stadium, 1995
Last but not least, Queenslanders’ favourite all-time headbutt.
Fatty Vautin’s “Neville Nobodies” had already won the unwinnable Origin series but there was still a small matter of a clean-sweep to be achieved in front of a delirious home crowd.
Midway through the first half Maroons’ front rower Hearn took the ball up and was taken low by Steve Menzies as Mark “Spud” Carroll hit him side-on with a shoulder.
As Hearn climbed to his feet he brought his head up in a classic headbutt, hitting Carroll on the left cheek.
The Blues enforcer retaliated with three punches and players from both sides rushed in.
Commentator Peter Sterling was adamant that Hearn should — and would — be sent from the field.
Not so much. Queensland referee David Manson not only didn’t point Hearn to the sheds, he awarded the penalty to NSW — which just goes to show once again that when it comes to a headbutt, the definition is as clear as mud.
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