barroom brawl

plural barroom brawls

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: A brawl in a barroom.

   His name was Charlie Upton, from Liverpool. And he had a penchant for whiskey and barroom brawls.

   2017, Sam Shepard, Spy of the First Person, →ISBN, page 8

2. A conflict with no rules.

   "We don't want to get involved in a barroom brawl with the United States" while there is still hope for revoking Reagan's decision, the official said.

   1987 March 28, “Reagan Imposes 100% Tariffs on Japan Goods Retaliatory Sanctions...”, in Los Angeles Times

   2 more examples

   The naval battle which cost the Japanese 23 ships off Guadalcanal November 13 was a gigantic "barroom brawl with all lights out and every body swinging," Captain Edward Parker related today.

   1942 December 19, “Guadalcanal's Great Naval Battle Barroom Brawl, Says Commander”, in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

   But in a pair of debates this week, the campaign escalated into a barroom brawl, as a number of top candidates began throwing verbal punches at each other.

   1993 March 12, “LA MAYOR Personal Attacks Begin to Turn Race Into Brawl”, in Los Angeles Times

3. An inferior boxing match.