XFL Week 10 falls just shy of full-blown fist fight as St. Louis sees Battlehawks vs. Guardians showdown

XFL Week 10 brought us all the drama anticipated in football as the St. Louis Battlehawks and Orlando Guardians nearly came to blows in the second half of their match. While the referees stepped in quickly to defuse the situation, it easily could have become more volatile.

The fisticuffs came during the third quarter of the game on a regulation punt. Guardians punter Mac Jones punted the ball, which was retrieved and returned to the 40-yard line by the returner. As he was about to step off the field, he was brought down by the punter to halt his forward momentum.

However, one could argue that the returner had already given himself up by heading to the sidelines and so was not expecting a collision. The punter could argue that the opposition was still on the field of play when it happened. Either way, Mac Brown upended the returner, much to the latter's chagrin. He got up and pushed Brown away, making his displeasure clear.

As it happened in St. Louis and on the Battlehawks sideline, the situation was about to turn explosive. However, before it could escalate further, the referees separated the players so that the whole scenario did not deteriorate further. You can watch the entire sequence below.

Mac Brown: The XFL punter at the center of the St. Louis Battlehawks and Orlando Guardians firestorm

The Orlando Guardians are having a poor season in XFL 2023. They are marooned at the bottom of the XFL South division. But one ray of sunshine in this dismal run has been Mac Brown, their punter, and the special teams play calls.

During this game and the one last week against the San Antonio Brahmas, Mac Brown threw two fake punts for touchdown passes for the Orlando Guardians. The one against the St. Louis Battlehawks was exceptionally egregious. At 4-and-21, he attempted a long pass that was caught by the receiver and converted into a 84-yard touchdown. What was a bleak situation for their offense ended up getting them maximum points.

So, no wonder the St. Louis Battlehawks were a bit touchy about the Guardians punter. This is also why the commentator remarked about Mac Brown living in the opposition's head rent-free.

While Brown is burnishing his credentials, it did not do Orlando much good, though. They slipped to another defeat to fall to 1-9 for the season. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Battlehawks now have a 7-3 record and sit second in the XFL North division.