slugfest

[ sluhg-fest ]

/ ˈslʌgˌfɛst /

a baseball game in which both teams make many runs and extra-base hits.

a boxing bout in which the boxers exchange powerful blows vigorously and aggressively with little care for defense.

an intense conflict or combat.

Origin of slugfest

First recorded in 1915–20; slug² + fest

sludgy, slue, sluff, slug, slugabed, slugfest, sluggard, sluggardly, slugger, slugging average, sluggish

But if Gingrich heads to the showers, a Romney-Santorum slugfest could go all the way to Tampa.

Can Newt Gingrich Hang On After Alabama and Mississippi Primaries? |Howard Kurtz |March 13, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
After all, the Fox News faceoff has all the elements needed for a slugfest.

South Carolina Showdown as GOP Candidates Face Off in Fox Debate |Howard Kurtz |January 16, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
“It was encouraging,” Bob Schuman, of an independent committee called Americans for Rick Perry, said of the two-hour GOP slugfest.

The Scene From the Spin Room |Jill Lawrence |August 12, 2011 |DAILY BEAST
The Wall Street Journal launched its New York section today, sparking a slugfest with The New York Times.

Newspaper War! |Harold Evans |April 26, 2010 |DAILY BEAST

Pundits have mused about the Eisenhower-Petraeus comparison before, but the Afghanistan slugfest gives it new relevance.

Petraeus for President? |Peter Beinart |October 12, 2009 |DAILY BEAST

slugfest

/ (ˈslʌɡˌfɛst) /

a boxing match in which opponents trade heavy blows

any sporting contest between powerful and evenly matched opponents