15 Best Sports Rivalries of all Time

15 Best Sports Rivalries of all Time

Sports are a lovely pastime that brings people together. Even with such a pleasurable occupation, though, conflict and rivalry arise. And, every now and then, this competition gets out of hand.

So, today, we’ve compiled a list of some of the greatest sports rivalries of all time.

We’ve all witnessed some type of competition between two sides at some point in our lives.

It is human instinct to compete, whether in sports or at work. So far, we’ve primarily focused on sporting rivalries.

Furthermore, the rivalries we’ll be discussing today are between clubs, players, and countries.

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15. Usova and Zhulin against. Grischuk and Platov

This rivalry is between two Russian Olympic ice skating pairs.

However, this rivalry is the result of a misunderstanding in a love tale.

Grischuk and Platov were not a couple, whereas Usova and Zhulin were.

However, Usova witnessed Zhulin and Grischuk sharing a cocktail at a restaurant after the Olympics.

As a response, Usova smacked her opponent in the face.

This developed into a bitter and vicious rivalry between them.

14. Prost vs. Senna

Nobody comes close to this in terms of rivalry in Formula One racing.

They are regarded as one of the most intense sporting rivalries on a racetrack.

There was a genuine competition between Prost and Senna.

This rivalry was so strong that they forced each other off the course at Suzuka in 1989.

During this race, Senna was trailing the championship and needed to finish ahead of Prost.

As a result, Senna attempted to drive past Prost, causing their wheel to lock.

As a result, their vehicles veered off the track. Senna, on the other hand, was disqualified for this action.

13. Fischer vs. Spassky

This rivalry begins when two superpowers attempt to establish their dominance in chess.

This rivalry dates back to the 1970s, at the height of the Cold War.

With 4 million players, the Soviets dominated chess.

However, the United States had just about 35,000 players.

They did, however, have a 29-year-old Bobby Fischer, who claimed to be a significant danger to Soviet Chess domination.

As a result, the US Secretary persuaded Fischer to fly to Iceland to challenge the title in 1972.

Boris Spassky was the World Chess Champion at the time.

To the Soviets’ surprise, the 29-year-old Fisher upset Spassky 12-8 and won the title for himself.

12. Borg vs. McEnroe

Tennis has undoubtedly produced a number of fascinating rivalries.

However, this is certainly one of the game’s best sports rivalries.

This competition, however, was not between two people, considering that these two were outstanding in their own right and were top-tier players.

Nonetheless, their animosity engulfed tennis for three years.

To be more specific, they received their fourth set of tie breaks during the Wimbledon final.

McEnroe won the game 18-16 but promptly lost the title in the next set.

However, McEnroe interrupted Borg’s five-year winning streak at Wimbledon a year later.

11. Green Bay Packers against. Chicago Bears

This has been an ongoing rivalry for a long time. Yes, the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears have had a rivalry since 1921.

To explain, these two NFL teams have played around 200 games against each other, and their rivalry has yet to finish.

These two teams are the most unpredictable and have won the most championships.

Without a question, this rivalry ranks among the best in sports.

Furthermore, the fans of both opposing clubs appear to enjoy the rivalry, as they seem to enjoy every minute they share in the stadium or at home.

10. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics

The rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics has long been regarded as one of the best in the world of basketball.

In other words, these two teams have faced off in the NBA finals 12 times.

In terms of championships, these two teams are among the best (Los Angeles Lakers 16 and Boston Celtics 17).

This resulted in rivalries between players such as Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, and Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Furthermore, this rivalry is difficult to comprehend because there are some things that these two teams perform against each other that are really difficult to obtain.

9. Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali

Back in the 1970s, this was a well-known rivalry.

But back then, everyone was aware of the rivalry between two renowned boxers, Muhammad Ali and Joe Fraizer.

To summarize, Ali and Frazier had boxing contests in the past, but everything changed when Ali began to do what he was greatest at in psychological warfare.

We all know that Muhammad Ali used to psychologically traumatize his opponents with his words and actions.

Joe Frazier, on the other hand, was a silent boxer who never said anything negative.

As a result of Ali’s continual trash-talking and antics, they developed a fierce rivalry.

Frazier overcame the undefeated Ali to retain the heavyweight title.

Following that, they fought again in 1973, with Ali reclaiming his championship.

8. Michigan vs. Ohio

When it comes to college football, we all know that it’s all about rivalry.

Similarly, the most recognized and one of the top sporting rivalries is that between Ohio and Michigan.

To be clear, this inter-university rivalry appears to have been ongoing since 1918.

But, most crucially, it peaked in the 1960s and 1970s.

It was during the tenure of two renowned coaches, Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler.

Similarly, it was just a typical game for many sports viewers, but it meant a lot more to Michigan and Ohio fans.

7. The New York Yankees take on the Boston Red Sox.

Baseball’s most heated rivalry, between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, never seems to stop.

When it comes to MLB, we can all agree that the rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox is unrivaled.

When the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, their rivalry began.

To be clear, Babe Ruth was the most well-known pitcher then.

As a result of the move, Ruth hit a slew of bandy-legged home runs.

The Red Sox were deeply disappointed in their decision to sell Ruth. As a result, this became a rivalry.

6. India versus Pakistan

Without a question, this is one of, if not the, most important sporting rivalries in South Asia.

This rivalry dates all the way back to 1947.

Cricket is popular in both countries and is treated seriously.

In other words, it has become so severe that it has become political.

The most dramatic meeting between these two squads, though, occurred in 1999.

When India was on the verge of losing, 65,000 people stormed the pitch at Calcutta’s Eden Gardens stadium.

Pakistan prevailed despite a three-hour delay caused by the crowd.

5. North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Duke Blue Devils

The rivalry between these two teams, Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina cannot be complete in basketball.

Furthermore, every supporter enjoys this rivalry.

So, why wouldn’t they, two rivals competing against each other, provide the finest match? Not to add that both teams have the most insane fans in the league.

From 1988 to 2001, the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels were both in the final four.

This heightened the competitiveness and deepened the rivalry.

4. Martina Navratilova vs. Chris Evert

The rivalry between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova is the greatest tennis rivalry ever.

Furthermore, this rivalry lasted 80 games from 1973 to 1988.

These two stunning women confronted each other many times in various settings.

They each carried the women’s tennis on their shoulders by themselves.

When it came to them, Navratilova was superior on grass, while Evert was better on clay.

Similarly, Navratilova had a stronger serve and volley whereas Evert had a stronger baseline.

When it came to opposite pairings, they were like oil and water.

3. Jack Nicklaus vs. Arnold Palmer

Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus have one of the most intense and never-ending top sports rivalries in golf.

Not to mention that these two are dubbed “best rivals forever.

” Throughout the 1960s, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus dominated men’s golf.

Despite the fact that they had to confront one other, they formed an enduring relationship.

During the 1950s, Palmer was the undisputed champion.

But everything changed when Nicklaus entered the picture.

They enjoyed confronting each other on several occasions.

2. Russia vs. Canada

This is the top sporting rivalry between the two largest hockey-playing nations, if not the biggest.

Furthermore, the ice hockey rivalry that began in 1972 between Canada and the Soviet Union continues to this day.

Except it’s Russia, not the Soviets.

Aside from being labeled amateur, the Soviets took a 3-1-1 lead over Canada.

Canada, on the other hand, reclaimed their glory by winning the final three games in Moscow by a score of 4-3-1.

1. South Africa vs. New Zealand

Finally, we have New Zealand and South Africa at the top of today’s list.

The rivalry between these two countries is regarded as the world’s greatest sporting rivalry.

To elaborate, this rivalry occurred on the rugby field between the Springboks of South Africa and the All Blacks of New Zealand.

But, above all, these two sides are the most dominant in international rugby.

Their rivalry dates back to 1921, and neither team has fared well on the other’s home ground since.

However, because of political unrest in South Africa, they were unable to compete in international rugby events for some time.

South Africa, however, returned to the game after Nelson Mandela was elected president.

To everyone’s surprise, they won the World Cup on their first visit by defeating New Zealand.

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Conclusion

All of the rivalries were engulfed in their own drama.

Some have settled their differences, while others remain.

But, as spectators, don’t we enjoy rivalries?

So, which was your favorite rivalry? Please share your thoughts in the comments box below.