5 of the best boxing rivalries of all time

Lakers vs. Celtics. Yankees vs. Red Sox. Duke vs. North Carolina. Borg vs. McEnroe. The base of all sports is competition. Through that competitive will to win, rivalries are born.

Sometimes, rivalries are made out of attempting to achieve the same goal to prove your superiority against the other team. In team sports like basketball or baseball, whenever a rivalry becomes personal, it's usually the fanbase that has influenced that direction.

In the sport of boxing, any discord and friction can get settled with a punch to the face. Whether personal or just a matter of competition, combat sports can determine matters more conclusively than any other. Sometimes, it takes more than one fight; other times, it can take just a few rounds.

"Everyone likes a bit of rivalry; it makes for a good fight," said former heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua to The Guardian in 2016. "This is not tennis; this is a gladiatorial sport. It's flight or fight, so you're going to get it."

Throughout the history of boxing, there have been several rivalries that have ranged from a variety of circumstances. On the nationalistic level, the rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico has produced numerous unforgettable bouts based on one country having bragging rights over the other.

There have been rivalries that stemmed from fighters living in the same state or from their days as an amateur. But what truly makes a great rivalry is the passion exhibited inside the squared circle. Outside of the ring, the sizzle and genuine animosity can sold to fans and be legitimate, but its true importance can be measured inside the ropes.

A rivalry can bring out the best of fighters as competition forces you to push yourself further and provides the added motivation of the dread of losing. All fighters have to accept the possibility of defeat; however, living with losing to a rival is something harder to swallow.

Fansided MMA will look at five of the most significant rivalries in the history of the sweet science. Rivalries that held consequences outside of the ring to those that only existed inside the squared circle.