TOP TEN PERSONAL RIVALRIES
Spread betting activity has always increased as two fierce rivals are about to go head to head.
Over the years we’ve seen rivalries go from beyond a minor grudge to something verging on hatred. In whatever sport, there will always be rivalries that capture the imagination of the spread betting public but whilst new spats are developing all the time, what are the biggest sporting rivalries ever seen?
Ali v Frazier
Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier are unquestionably two of the greatest heavyweight fighters ever to take to the ring. Their three bouts are the stuff of legend and have cemented their rivalry as the biggest boxing has ever seen or is likely to see. Frazier won the first fight at Madison Square Garden in 1971, with Ali claiming the rematch in 1974 in New York, but it was the infamous ‘Thriller in Manilla’ in 1975 in the Philippines which typified their rivalry for many. Ali eventually won, but admitted afterwards that it was the closest he had ever come to death. Every punter around the world knew there was no way the fight would stop until near the end and just as the final round was about to begin, Frazier’s trainer Eddie Futch threw in the towel.
Coe v Ovett
The early 1980’s were the golden years of middle distance running in Britain with huge rivalries between Seb Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram, but it was the Coe and Ovett battles that really captured the public’s imagination. The 1980 Olympics in Moscow witnessed some of the most titanic tussles in their long-running feud. Ovett came from nowhere to deprive Coe of the gold in the 800m, while Coe turned things on their head when he stormed to the 1500m title, with Ovett only managing bronze. Ovett struggled with injury over the next few years and Coe went on to retain his 1500m gold in the 1984 Olympics. There hasn’t been a rivalry like it since in British athletics and every time they competed against each other, they were as hard to separate in the betting market as they were on the track.
Nicklaus v Palmer
Jack Nicklaus (the Golden Bear) and Arnold Palmer (affectionately known as The King) were the two golden players of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Palmer was one of the most popular golfers ever to take to the fairways and crowds would turn up in their droves to watch him. He won a total of seven majors on both sides of the Atlantic but it was his great rival Nicklaus who will be remembered as probably the greatest ever golfer. Winning a total of 18 major tournaments, the Golden Bear was as much loved by the galleries as he was feared by his opponents. They had some truly memorable battles between them and it’s astonishing to think that their rivalry yielded 25 Major Championships.
McEnroe v Borg
These were two tennis players of the finest calibre, yet very different in style and temperament. Borg was often referred to as ‘The Ice Man’ whilst McEnroe is best remembered for his explosive personality and his infamous catchphrase, “You cannot be serious!” Borg won an astonishing 11 grand slams, six at the French Open and five in succession at Wimbledon. This is an even more amazing statistic when you consider that he retired aged only 26 in 1983. McEnroe, on the other hand, only managed to win 7 grand slams and certainly would have won a lot more if his old rival Bjorg hadn’t been around. Bjorg won his 5th consecutive title 8 -6 in the deciding set against McEnroe in what many believe to be the greatest final ever. Many fans are hoping that Federer and Nadal will be able to rekindle some of the rivalry of the early 80’s.
Evert v Navratilova
Chrissie Evert and Martina Navratilova were so dominant in the women’s game that many people thought they would be able to beat a number of the men. Evert won a total of 18 grand slams over a 12-year period and a record-breaking 7 titles at Roland Garros. Her great rival, Navratilova is many people’s idea of the greatest women’s player of all time – she won 18 grand slam singles, 31 doubles and 10 mixed-doubles. She once won 74 matches in a row which is a record in the game of tennis. Navratilova definitely had the midas touch over her rival, winning 10 grand slam finals against her, whilst Evert only managed to defeat her on four occasions in a final. Evert was virtually always the underdog with the bookies whenever the two met on grass.
Prost v Senna
Motor sport is famed for its fiery characters and the 1980’s rivalry between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna was one of the fiercest the sport has ever known. They became McLaren team-mates in 1988 and totally dominated the season winning all but one of the races. Senna lifted the title that season, but Prost reclaimed his crown in 1989. By this time the rivalry had become so intense that collisions between the two during races became a regular occurrence. Prost won a total of four world championships, claiming his last in 1993. Senna won three in the space of four years, but tragedy struck when he became the last person to die during a grand prix in the 1994 San Marino race at Imola. Many British spread betting punters during this time preferred betting on Nigel Mansell who overcame both of these dogged competitors to take the title in both 1992 and 1993.
Lewis v Johnson
Two of the fastest men on the planet, their rivalry was intense, but it was Lewis who is recognised as a great sportsman, whilst many regard Johnson as a drug-taking cheat. Lewis won nine Olympic and eight world championship gold medals during a 17-year career. He was voted sportsmen of the century in the USA and was very much the darling of American track and field. Johnson emerged as a big threat to Lewis in 1986, but it was the infamous Olympic final of 1988 in Seoul which will be remembered. Johnson shattered the world record by 0.4 seconds from 9.83 to 9.79, but when testing positive for steroids he was disqualified. Sporting Index regularly bet on the winning time of the Men’s 100 Metres Final in all major track events and over the years punters have collected as records have fallen.
Nancy Kerrigan v Sonya Harding
Theirs was the fiercest battle ever to take place in figure skating. They were both duelling to be America’s number 1 in 1994 when Harding, with the help of her ex-husband, hired a hitman to attack Kerrigan during a practice session on the ice. This led to a media storm across the US with people struggling to take in how a fellow sportswoman could be so determined that they would want to physically attack them. They were not particularly successful – neither won a gold in the world championships or the Olympics, but their rivalry will always be remembered in the States.
Alex Ferguson v Arsene Wenger
In their heyday there wasn’t a better rivalry in football. Ferguson, the longest serving manager in English football, has won the Premiership nine times, the FA Cup five times and the Champions League once at Manchester United. Arsene Wenger is widely acknowledged to have revolutionised English football since he moved to Arsenal from Nagoya Grampus Eight in 1996. He instilled a psychology and lifestyle very different from the typical English drinking and betting culture. Wenger has won the Premiership on three occasions and the FA Cup four times. Their relationship has been based around mind games for many years and although this still exists, there is undoubtedly and underlying level of respect which stems from a shared philosophy of open, attacking football.
Mike Atherton v Alan Donald
One of the world’s quickest and most successful bowlers against one of the world’s calmest and thoughtful stroke-makers was always the perfect recipe for a cricketing battle. This was intensified during one legendary spell of bowling in 1998 at Trent Bridge. Donald, spearheading the South African attack, was incensed at the way his team had folded in their final innings and also for an umpiring decision that failed to give Atherton out. He launched into a fearsome spell of bowling with balls whizzing past Atherton’s ears at over 90mph. Atherton stood his ground and England ended up winning the test by 8 wickets. The captain at the time, Hanse Cronje, was suspended from the game a few years after for his part in illegal betting rings.
