potw Poll of the Week: Rising Up to the Challenge of Our Rivals

[Jo Marshall]

Grappling with an enemy, in one way or another, is a staple of Star Trek. Whether it’s wrestling with Gorn in the middle of the desert, scrimmaging with Q in Quark’s Bar, or confronting a horror tentacle monster in the Voyager corridors with a phaser rifle, every now and then, a physical contest rises up. 
 
Bare knuckles and sharply traded insults could sometimes replace the stoic and reasonable Starfleet Officer, and at some point, every crew has come to the edge of the mat, slipped on those knuckle-dusters, and set about for a good barroom brawl. 
 
We’ve seen some magnificent fight scenes on screen (Archer and Shran going toe to toe with an Ushaan-tor will always be a top favourite of mine) as well as some unintentionally hilarious slap fights like Kirk versus the Gorn Captain, where tickling looked like it was a priority, and did that rock really weigh as much as it looked? I know I’ll be trying out a double-hand punch in the future. 
 
Whether you’ve got Kirk using an Andorian as a springboard, or Sisko punching the lights out of Q (“Picard never hit me!”), throughout our loveable Star Trek history, there are plenty of fights to choose from. Legendary as they are, the fight scenes between starships couldn't match up to the glorious gladiatorial battles taking place in a personal area, going head to head, knuckle to knuckle, in a struggle for the survival of the fittest. 
 
Or, just survive until next week’s episode. 
 

 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Jo Marshall
typo

[LCDR Aine O. Sherlock]

"Picard and Dathon...at El-Adrel."-Tamarian Captain

[Maz Rodan]

Don't know how gladiatorial it is, but I've always loved the punch up between Kirk and Kruge in The Search for Spock.

I... have had... enough. Of. YOUUU!

[Alieth]

Absolutely biased to "Family" so a good deal of stuff going on there ❤️

[BenStryker]

Any fight with Sisko sparring with anyone is best.

 

I actually laughed at Janeway vs that Microorganisim horror virus thingie. Like, what? lol

[LCDR Aine O. Sherlock]

Sisko always had the most realistic fights. My personal favorite was when Vedek Bariel took a swing at him. He just stood there nonchalantly blocking his weak attempts at a punch.

[Serala]

Amok Time is by far and away in my list of Top 5 Favorite Episodes, so Kirk v. Spock was a no brainer for me.

[Jo Marshall]

On 1/28/2021 at 4:33 PM, Regan Wilde said:

Don't know how gladiatorial it is, but I've always loved the punch up between Kirk and Kruge in The Search for Spock.

I... have had... enough. Of. YOUUU!

Oh yeah! He pulled *no* punches!

 

 

[Jo Marshall]

We're down to two: 

vs

Who will win?!

[Maz Rodan]

Always bet on the Gorn!

[Serala]

Still routing for Spock v. Kirk. And did anyone else notice that Kirk cheated again? (Ok, it was all McCoy this time, but still...)