Sporting rivalries can often be as absorbing to watch as the sports themselves and usually occur as a result of two teams or individuals competing to be the ultimate champion. However other factors can come into the equation such as locality, religion and politics. Combining these volatile ingredients can result in explosive sporting encounters, which more often than not provide the sporting world with the ultimate spectacle!

These are my top 5 sporting rivalries:

Boxing: Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier

Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier are two of the greatest heavyweight fighters in boxing history and they enthralled sports fans throughout the 70s with their ferocious rivalry. Despite sharing the same sport the two boxing titans couldn’t have been any different. Ali was a fast talking, quick witted and flamboyant anti-war Muslim where as Frazier was a reserved, working class patriot.

The two first came to blows in Madison Square Garden in 1971. Ali had previously been the Heavy Weight champion but had been stripped of his title after refusing to serve in the US army. He was exiled from the boxing world and faced a long and arduous court battle. Eventually his license was reinstated but during his absence Frazier had emerged as the new heavy weight champion. Ali was hungry to reclaim the title and Frazier was keen to establish himself as the undisputed champion of the world. Both men were also protecting undefeated records but something had to give.

For 15 rounds the two heavy weights slogged it out, trading blows and shedding blood and sweat until eventually Frazier achieved victory thanks to a unanimous judge’s vote. Both men spent the following week in hospital but it would not be the last time they engaged in such a battle.

 In 1974 Ali exacted his revenge in New York by winning a 12-round non title bout through another unanimous decision but it was the fight a year later that they would be remembered for.

The infamous 1975 ‘Thriller in Manilla’ has gone down as one of the most momentous occasions in sporting history. Ali had spent much of the build up taunting and ridiculing his rival with a series of insults and poems. This only served to increase the hostilities between the two and significantly raised the profile of the fight (if it actually needed any more raising!). 

Ali successfully managed to enrage Frazier with his constant barrage of abuse and when the two eventually came to blows in the ring they nearly ended up killing each other. Ali eventually won after Frazier’s trainer conceded defeat before the beginning of the final round. Frazier’s eyes were so swollen he couldn’t see and Ali admitted that it was the closest he had ever come to death.

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See the two in action below:

 

Tennis: McEnroe vs. Borg

Tennis has included some of the most famous rivalries in sporting history but none quite compare with McEnroe/Borg encounters that dominated the late 70s and early 80s. Bjorn Borg was a cool customer who dominated his opponents with his strong baseline play and unflappable temperament. John McEnroe was the complete opposite possessing a brash and aggressive personality, using his flawless technique to pick opponents apart.

For three years their rivalry dominated the tennis world with the highlight undoubtedly coming in the 1980 Wimbledon final. Borg was leading McEnroe two sets to one when the fourth set entered a dramatic tiebreaker. The rivalry was so competitive that neither wanted to sacrifice a single point and both players were desperately tearing around the court in a bid to win the upper hand. Borg eventually made the breakthrough but McEnroe somehow managed to save five championship points to win the set 18-16!

Locked at two sets a piece they entered the final set where Borg eventually triumphed 8-6 to take his fifth Wimbledon crown. Nearly four hours of tennis had passed and the quality and effort displayed was so high that both were regarded as champions.

A year later their epic final was relived and McEnroe exacted his revenge by ending Borg's streak of five Wimbledon titles in a row. However shortly after this defeat Borg cut short this scintillating rivalry by announcing his retirement at just 25 years old. 

Borg had robbed sports fans of not only his talents but the continuation of one of the greatest rivalries in sporting history.

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Experience a glimpse into this rivalry below:

 

Football: Boca Juniors vs. River Plate

The footballing world is littered with fierce rivalries ranging from domestic to international and if you ask any supporter or player involved they will tell you that theirs is the biggest. However the rivalry between Argentinean sides Boca Juniors and River Plate includes all the necessary ingredients to be regarded as the biggest football rivalry in the world.

Location: The two teams are from Buenos Aires and are separated by just 7km. This has provoked a fierce territorial standoff between the two clubs.

Class: Boca Juniors are traditionally supported by the countries working class whereas River Plate is followed by the more upper-classes. This has created an intense class divided rivalry with the two clubs linked to specific professions and social status. The result of this class divide has resulted in both sides creating a derogatory nickname for the other. Boca are known as ‘the pigs’ due to their stadium being located in a poor area and supposedly smelling. River are known as ‘the chickens’ because Boca believe they are scared of everything.

Head to head: Unlike many of the world’s footballing rivalries the head to head record between the two sides is extremely close with Boca edging their overall meetings 116-104. With only 12 victories separating the two sides there is an added incentive to win each time they meet.

Size: The combined fan base of the two sides is enormous. 70% of Argentinean football supporters reportedly follow either Boca or River. This takes the rivalry to a national scale meaning every time they play nearly the whole country will be supporting one of the two teams.

Atmosphere: It truly is a football carnival with songs, chants, masses of colour and even fireworks. At times violence plays an unfortunate and ugly side to the rivalry with items such as fireworks, rolls of paper and other missiles thrown between the two sets of fans. Sometimes this escalates into flag burning and rioting which makes the atmosphere even more intimidating.

The rivalry is so famous that people from around the world visit Argentina in a bid to experience a Boca-River match. For many fans and players in Argentina the game is seen as a battle between the rich and poor, the upper and lower classes and as a result there is often more riding on their meetings than simply a game of football.

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Check out the atmosphere at a Boca-River game below:

Cricket- India vs. Pakistan

India vs. Pakistan is a volatile cocktail of politics, religion and sport which makes their encounters all the more intense.  Since the creation of Pakistan in 1947 a fierce rivalry has existed between the two nations and as cricket is regarded as the national sport of both countries defeat against the other side is regarded as a national failure.

The repercussions of a defeat can often involve players receiving public condemnation and so both sides enter this game a little more desperate to win than normal. This naturally creates tension as neither side wishes to be the subject of public outcry. In some cases of defeat players have been pelted by missiles and had their effigies burnt in public.

Matches between the two sides often provide a spectacle and a test match between the two sides in 1999 was no different. The match was taking place in Calcutta and Pakistan were comfortably leading India. Indian fans, unhappy at the score line, proceeded to invade the pitch in protest holding up play for a number of hours. Eventually they were removed but the game was force to conclude in an empty stadium with Pakistan running out winners.

In 1997 Pakistan and India were facing each other in a one-day tournament in Toronto, Canada. Indian fan Shiv Kumar Thind had somehow smuggled a megaphone into the stadium and was directing a torrent of abuse at Pakistani player Inzamam-ul-Haq. The abuse had reportedly lasted for over two days and eventually Inzamam cracked. In a fit of rage he marched into the crowd, armed with a bat, with the intention of knocking Thind for six.  Luckily for all parties involved Inzamam was restrained by security and sent to the pavilion.

Due to the temperamental relationship that exists between the two sides the pressure can cause both fans and players to act in unusual ways producing quite an unpredictable atmosphere.

Experience this unique rivalry below:

Ice Skating: Kerrigan vs. Harding

The Kerrigan-Harding saga is one of the most controversial in sporting history and was so jam packed full of incident that it was turned into a movie (albeit a very poor one!).

In January 1994 both skaters were competing in the US Figure Skating Championships in a bid to qualify for the Winter Olympics. The top two skaters of the competition would automatically win a place in the US team travelling to Norway in February. Kerrigan had previously won the championships in 1993 and was strongly favoured to reclaim her title.

However on January 6th, following a practice session, Kerrigan was attacked and brutally struck in the knee. The injury sustained forced her to withdraw from the competition and as a result Tonya Harding and Michelle Kwan finished in the top two. The attack was premeditated and viscous but fortunately Kerrigan was not left with any long lasting or permanent damage. As a result the US Figure Skating Committee ruled that she would be allowed to compete in the Olympics as it was only through a criminal act that she did not qualify.

Only a week later things took a dramatic turn as police caught Kerrigan’s attacker, Shane Stant. Stant made a startling confession accusing Tonya Harding and her husband Jeff Gillooly of employing him to injure Nancy Kerrigan. The media coverage exploded and Gillooly was immediately found guilty.

Harding, who desperately pleaded her innocence, was not formally charged with a crime and so the US Olympic Committee reluctantly allowed her to compete. However Harding endured a disappointing tournament and finished eighth where as Kerrigan recovered from her injury to produce a near flawless performance to win the silver medal.

Following the conclusion of the games Harding pleaded guilty to covering up the details of the attack and as a result received community service, a hefty fine and a life time ban from figure skating.