Sports domain brims with incredible and gifted talents competing against each other to attain glory and excellence. The display of beastly spirit to excel on the field spawns a fierce rivalry, which sometimes borders on positivity and sometimes negativity. This type of rivalry is not only restricted to sports personalities as it exists among countries as well. So, let us look at some of the interesting yet deadly sporting rivalries over the years.
India V/S Pakistan
In the Asian subcontinent, there is simply no match for the face-off between two neighbours with mercurial bilateral ties. Thanks to the scars of partition in the aftermath of India’s independence, a sporting encounter between the two countries does not remain in the realm of a game or a competition as it becomes an emotion, a frenzy and a moment to enjoy, cry and swear as well. Irrespective of the sport, cricket, hockey etc, the clash between the arch-rivals brings diverse people with diametrically opposite views together in both the countries. However, a defeat is a strict no over here as there will be violent repercussions in both countries if results go in favour of the rival team.
The Ashes Between England & Australia
Similar to several matchups in sports, this rivalry on the cricket field between England and Australia has only intensified over the years. Not only the men even women also compete with each other to get the urn. The story goes back to 1882 when England lost to Australia at home and a newspaper published a story with a sardonic tone titled “Death of English Cricket”. When the English side went to the Oz next time, there were ashes in real as a pair of bails were burned till it turned the black particles, which was put in the urn. This urn gets handed over to the victorious team each time every year. Not many players have survived setbacks at the Ashes. If you need proof simply ask Kevin Peterson.
Pete Sampras V/S Andre Agassi
Two Americans were at the peak of their careers in the ’90s and the one-upmanship involved in their mutual games often brought them marginally closer to the altar of Borg-McEnroe. Sampras remained the numero uno for 286 weeks and Agassi stayed at the top for 101 weeks. They always produced a riveting and electrifying contest when they clashed in 34 games during 1989-2002. They both were poles apart with regard to demeanor as well with Sampras being as cool as cucumber and Agassi too hot to handle.
Jimmy Connors V/S John McEnroe
They were considered rebels without a cause in the world of tennis. They locked horns for the first time at Grand Prix Masters ’79 when Connors was a superstar and McEnroe a fresh prodigy on the block. McEnroe had the better of his American counterpart in the game and the result did not sit well with the then high-flying Connors. This usually provided enough fodder for the media to spice up their publications regularly and the bitter fight continued till Connors decided to call it quits. But, it is worth noting that McEnroe had a significant edge of 20 wins over Connors in the 33 matches between the two. And this does not impact the greatness of Connors in any way.
Mike Tyson V/S Evander Holyfield
These were the two deadly warriors in the brutal world of the boxing ring. They clashed for the first time in the 1984 Olympics when an amateur Holyfield beat Tyson to add the ninth Gold medal to the US kitty in boxing. This created a heated rivalry in the combat sport and as professional
heavyweights, they met in 1996 which again was won by Holyfield. The outcome was not taken in the right spirit by the hot-headed Tyson and in a rematch, Holyfield ended up with a bloodied ear as Tyson added to his notoriety as a bad and pathetic loser.
Real Madrid V/S Barcelona
Their rivalry is a part of football folklore and diverse political ideologies force them to unleash their animal instincts whenever they cross swords. To add fuel to the fire, the fans of these two immensely successful Spanish clubs also have an aversion towards a defeat and go crazy the moment their respective team loses. Their encounters are also studded with stunning performances and individual brilliance in the endeavor to succeed at any cost. In fact, it won’t be wrong to say the square-off between the two is something very precious that viewers across the world would not mind giving their prized assets to catch the riveting action.
Sports domain brims with incredible and gifted talents competing against each other to attain glory and excellence. The display of beastly spirit to excel on the field spawns a fierce rivalry, which sometimes borders on positivity and sometimes negativity. This type of rivalry is not only restricted to sports personalities as it exists among countries as well. So, let us look at some of the interesting yet deadly sporting rivalries over the years.
