The backstories and controversies that have ignited feuds involving athletes
The greatest feuds in sporting history
At the very core of sports at just about every level is competition and rivalry.
Barcelona and Real Madrid, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali - the list goes on.
But they're by no means all of them. Wide World of Sports will take you on a deep dive into some of the other great sports feuds.
Kane Cornes unleashes on Nick Kyrgios
Kane Cornes has become the latest former athlete to take a swipe at Nick Kyrgios, labelling him "the greatest waste of talent we've ever seen".
Speaking on SEN radio, Cornes was talking about how US sports talk shows often discuss legacies the most popular sports stars leave on their games.
"What legacy are you leaving behind? What's the conversation gonna be in 10 years' time about you? What's Kyrgios' legacy gonna be?" Cornes posed.
"Is he the immature brat who never grew up? The guy that's always looking for an easy way out. When things get tough, he quits?
"OnlyFans – yeah, great payday, well done. You're a brand ambassador for OnlyFans.
"But he's probably the greatest waste of talent that we've ever seen."
But Cornes wasn't finished.
"He's not coming back now. He's not playing at the (2024) Australian Open. He doesn't have a ranking," he said.
"I just think it is one of the great wastes because he hasn't been prepared to dig in and do the hard work and fight like others before him.
"His legacy in 10 years' time is going to be non-existent.
"He said when he joined OnlyFans you get to see him game, you get to see his tattoos, his intimate side, it's all on the table. 'I'll be bringing fans along for the ride.'
"You know what fans want to come along for the ride, Nick? They wanna see you win and they wanna see you win big tennis matches in front of big crowds in Melbourne, not what tattoo you've got or what PlayStation game you're playing on OnlyFans.
"How embarrassing."
Mitchell Johnson vs David Warner
The 2023/2024 Australian summer of cricket hadn't even started when former Test quick Mitchell Johnson took a swipe at David Warner seemingly out of the blue.
Warner had made it clear he intended the three-Test series against Pakistan to be his last.
But in a column for the West Australian, Johnson suggested Warner's form was undeserving of a swansong.
Johnson argued Warner's career should have ended either by selectors dropping him, or that he should've retired earlier and taken the decision out of the selectors' hands.
"Does this really warrant a swansong, a last hurrah against Pakistan that was forecast a year in advance as if he was bigger than the game and the Australian cricket team?" he wrote, adding he felt Warner had never owned up to his role in the ball-tampering saga.
"Now the way he is going out is underpinned by more of the same arrogance and disrespect to our country."
Reaction to Johnson's column was swift and from all corners – former coach Justin Langer described him as "stubborn" and that he'd "broken an unwritten rule", while Cricket Australia also dropped him from several speaking engagements.
Warner responded in emphatic fashion, scoring 164 in the first innings of the Pakistan series.
He even made a shushing motion to the crowd as he celebrated, although he would later insist it wasn't aimed at anyone in particular.
Johnson even doubled down after that ton, writing Warner "did what he was paid to do".
Novak Djokovic v Rafael Nadal
While the Big Three of men's tennis – Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer – all have an immense respect for each other, there is no doubt the bonds shared by the three are incredibly different.
While Nadal and Federer are close friends, there has always been a simmering tension between the Spaniard and the Serb.
In December, Djokovic recalled a time the pair shared a Roland-Garros locker room, and the intensity of Nadal's warm-up – which he said included blaring loud music – "pissed me off".
Nadal told Spanish publication El Pais this week that it was "never, never, never my intention" to intimidate Djokovic, before knocking Djokovic down amid the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate.
"Since I have a memory of tennis, [Roger Federer] is the player who has impressed me the most, the one who has entertained me the most, the one who has moved me the most," said Nadal, whose prickly relationship with Djokovic is contrasted by his deeply special bond with Federer.
"Watching Federer play has moved me more than Djokovic, and in the end, tennis is about emotion. It's the emotion that draws you to it."
Ange Postecoglou fires up
It was New Years Eve, and big Ange's Spurs – which had to that point endured a horror run with injuries in the 2023-2024 Premier League season – were hosting Bournemouth.
Up 3-1 in injury time, Spurs substitute Alejo Veliz suffered a suspected knee injury, and was repeatedly told by Postecoglou to stay down to receive treatment.
The Aussie then engaged in a heated verbal exchange with Bournemouth's first-team coach Shaun Cooper, and eventually had to be restrained and pushed away from the scuffle.
As the fracas died down, the referee gave a yellow card to Postecoglou, Cooper, and also Spurs midfielder Giovani Lo Celso.
Post-game, Postecoglou joked he and Cooper "were just wishing each other happy new year".
Mickelson takes aim at LIV critic
LIV's most outspoken star Phil Mickelson and the breakaway league's vocal critic Brandel Chamblee are, obviously, not on good terms.
Chamblee, an analyst working for Golf Channel, has never taken a backward step in criticising the Saudi-backed organisation and the professional players who have signed lucrative contracts.
"As I have said many times, LIV Golf is not so much a sports entity as it is MBS / Saudi Arabia trying to hide their atrocities and launder its reputation by buying sports stars. Any yielding to or agreement with them is a deal with a murderous dictator," Chamblee tweeted in his most recent take on LIV.
Mickelson took the opportunity to hit back as he tweet quoted a golf podcast that claimed, "Brandel Chamblee is a nasty bully, and worse".
"Unfortunately, I can't take credit for this quote," Mickelson wrote with laughing emojis.
"His obsession with LIV (and me) borders on the psychotic, at least I never had to work with him. Wow."
'Cheating' claim sparks frosty handshake
Greek star and world No.7 Maria Sakkari was embroiled in a "cheating" controversy after defeating Karolina Pliskova during their last 16 clash at Indian Wells.
During the eighth game of the third set, Pliskova said Sakkari's racquet touched the ball at the net as a forehand sailed long.
But the chair umpire did not see it, and Sakkari denied the ball ever touched her racquet and was awarded the point. Pliskova won that game, but it was the Greek player who prevailed in the end, winning 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in two hours and 45 minutes.
As both players came to the net to shake, Pliskova was clearly upset and chose not to look at Sakkari as she delivered one of the coldest handshakes of all time.
Tennis reporter Jose Morgado wrote on Twitter: "Sakkari survives, 2h45, into the QFs in Indian Wells. No look handshake from Pliskova, who thinks Maria cheated later in the 3rd. Kaja says Sakkari touched a ball at the net, umpire didn't see, Maria denies it."
Sakkari did not address the incident in her post match press conference.
Kyrgios throws jab in tennis spat
Stan Wawrinka's heated net exchange with Holger Rune following the three-time Grand Slam champion's upset victory at Indian Wells has been the talk of the tennis world.
Wawrinka defeated the 19-year-old seventh seed and had a frosty exchange at the net after Rune won their previous meeting in November.
Wawrinka imparted some words of wisdom on Rune at the net following a loss in that meeting.
"My advice to you is that you stop acting like a baby on the court, OK?" Wawrinka was overhead saying by on-court microphones.
So when Wawrinka won this clash with Rune, the latter asked, after shaking hands at the net.
"You've got nothing to say now?" Rune was overheard saying.
Wawrinka was taken aback before responding: "What do you want me to say?"
The two continued to exchange words before they each went their own way.
Kyrgios joined the conversation on social media on Tuesday night, taking a swipe at Wawrinka.
"Hahahahaha yeah all good when you win... typical," Kyrgios wrote on his Instagram stories while sharing a Tennis TV clip of the net exchange.
"@holgerrune with you my brother."
Kyrgios and Wawrinka have history, with the Aussie infamously making comments about his then girlfriend Donna Vekic during a match in 2015.
Super Bowl star turns Valentine's Day troll
It was the most controversial call of Super Bowl LVII and Chiefs wide-receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster couldn't help himself just days after the big game.
The defensive holding call by Philadelphia's James Bradbury on Smith-Schuster allowed the Chiefs to run the clock down to eight seconds and kick a game-winning field goal.
Bradberry took responsibility for the penalty after the match but Smith-Schuster wasn't about to let him off the hook.
He tweeted at Bradberry on Valentine's Day, with a card that read: "I'll hold you when it matters most" above a picture of the Eagles cornerback.
"Happy Valentine's Day, everybody," Smith-Schuster wrote with a heart emoji.
Bradbury's teammate, Eagles star A.J. Brown hit back at Smith-Schuster on Twitter.
"First off congratulations. Y'all deserve it. This is lame. You was on the way out the league before Mahomes resurrected your career on your 1 year deal Tik-Tok boy. He admitted that he grabbed you but don't act like your like that or ever was. But congratulations again!"
The Chiefs and Eagles are set to face each other in Kansas City next season. Both Smith-Schuster and Bradberry are pending free agents.
Bitter AFL feud reignites with text
The long-running feud between former Port Adelaide 300-gamer Kane Cornes and ex-Adelaide captain Taylor Walker was reignited with one foul-mouthed text message, according to the former.
The bitter back-and-forth began around the 2017 grand final when Walker took exception to public comments by Cornes, and it has barely let up since.
It reached a tipping point in 2019 when Cornes revealed he had received numerous prank calls, and claimed they came from Walker and his friends.
"If you've got Taylor Walker and his mates prank calling me on New Year's Eve, that is how far I am in this guy's head, to the point where he is mentally fragile.," Cornes told Nine at the time.
Now it is alleged Walker has reignited the beef with a text sent to Cornes, which was received while the latter was sitting in his car with his children.
"My phone beeped, it was sitting in the car holder. We looked at it and it read: 'You are a weak c---'," Cornes said on SEN radio.
"I thought, I'm going to call it - and the boys thought it was hilarious, so I did."
Cornes claims he reached Walker's message bank, and upon further investigation confirmed to himself that it was Walker's phone who sent the text.
Former foes to cash in on infamous moment
Boxing legends and former fierce rivals Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield have teamed up to launch a line of cannabis-infused edibles called "Holy Ears."
The new partnership was announced this week and ironically comes 25 years after the pair's infamous heavyweight championship clash in Las Vegas, which saw Tyson disqualified for biting a chunk off Holyfield's ear.
The former foes have started a new company, Carma Holdings, which also has Tyson 2.0, Tyson's existing cannabis company.
That company already sells cannabis-infused products called Mike Bites, which are shaped like ears with a bite mark.
The newly formed company plans to release Holyfield's own cannabis line in 2023.
"Mike and I have a long history of competition and respect for one another. And that night changed both of our lives. Back then, we didn't realise that even as power athletes, we were also in a lot of pain," Holyfield said in a statement. "Now, nearly 20 years later, we have the opportunity to share the medicine we really needed throughout our careers."
Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen
Red Bull Racing is staring down the barrel of another team orders row after their star driver Max Verstappen ignored orders to allow teammate Sergio Perez past at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Perez had earlier been overtaken by Verstappen, who set off up the road in chase of Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc.
Perez was told at the time if Verstappen couldn't find a way past, he would be instructed to fall back behind the Mexican, who is locked in a fight for second in the championship with Leclerc.
But despite being ordered multiple times on the last lap to do so, Verstappen ignored the orders and crossed the line about half a second behind Alonso and four seconds up the road from Perez, who gave his race engineer an honest character reference on the cool down lap.
"It shows who he really is," he said.
When asked why he didn't concede the position, having already won the drivers championship, Verstappen replied: "I told you already last time, you guys don't ask that again to me, OK? Are we clear about that? I gave my reasons and I stand by it."
It's unclear exactly what Verstappen was referring to - and he refused to elaborate further when asked by media later on - but the comments could be in reference to qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix, where Perez crashed late in Q3 while on provisional pole. The subsequent red flag ruined Verstappen's chances of clinching pole.
At last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Perez's staunch defence against Lewis Hamilton to assist in Verstappen's charge to the World Championship was lauded by fans and drivers alike.
It's not the first time Red Bull have had to diffuse tensions in their own garage. Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel came to blows on track several times throughout their time as teammates - most notably after their collision in Turkey in 2010, and the 'Multi-21' scandal at the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Bernard Tomic and Nick Kygrios
The rift between former Davis Cup teammates Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic has again been thrust into the spotlight with Kyrgios taking a swipe at Tomic.
The match of insults was reignited when Kyrgios was asked in a live Instagram video this week whether an exhibition clash with Tomic was on the cards.
"TBH (to be honest), don't think I wanna make him relevant anymore. I'm not gonna bother with someone [ranked] 800 in the world. But all the best," he said.
In response, Tomic fired back a warning shot to this year's Wimbledon runner-up.
"Just a matter of time before I see you Nicky boy. #obsessed #scared," he replied.
Tomic responded to a fan who asked how long it would be before he returns to the top 100 in the singles rankings, saying: "Momentum's coming my way. Not long now. Done it before. Will do it again".
In May, Tomic poked Kyrgios by declaring the Australian Open doubles champion was "in my shadows growing up".
Biting back, Kyrgios labelled Tomic "the most HATED athlete in Australia".
Kyrgios has also previously claimed Tomic's tennis ability and money have both evaporated.
Leonard Fournette vs Micah Parsons
After going down 19-3 to the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Bucaneers, Dallas Cowboys fans were left stewing over the health of quarterback Dak Prescott, who left the field with a broken thumb.
Yet the Cowboys' other superstar, Micah Parsons, was focused on something completely different.
Parsons took his frustrations to social media after vision of a hit he copped from Bucs running back Leonard Fournette spread online.
Parsons was coming off the left edge of the Buccaneers' offensive line when he attempted to run over the top of tackle Josh Wells.
Fournette waited for Parsons to become engaged before he lowered his right shoulder into Parsons' chest, sending him backward and onto the turf.
When Pro Football Focus tweeted a replay of the video, Parsons called out Fournette.
"Now go watch the tape! And see what happened [sic] when it was me and him one on one!!! You hit someone not looking you straight p---- !! Stop hyping this weak ass shit it's football!!" the Cowboys linebacker tweeted, adding laughing emojis.
Fournette hit back with a GIF of the Crying Jordan meme.
Buffalo Bills pass rusher Von Miller also chimed in, throwing his support behind Parsons.
"This block must be taken out the game!" Miller tweeted. "This is the future and we are just letting the offense tee off on our marquee pass rushers! You can get the job done without this much contact!"
Unfortunately for Parsons the Cowboys and Bucs aren't scheduled to play again this year and will only face off if both sides make the playoffs.
Teammate's move ignites NASCAR spat
Kyle Larson has just two wins this season and both came at the expense of teammate Chase Elliott.
The relationship between NASCAR's last two Cup champions seemed precarious at Watkins Glen International as Larson celebrated in victory lane while Elliott sought out team leadership for what appeared to be an animated conversation.
The 2020 Cup champion and NASCAR's most popular driver had just clinched the regular-season title, but Elliott had dominated the race and might have picked up his fifth win of the year had Larson not muscled his way past his teammate on the final restart.
Larson forced Elliott to miss the corner and slide back into traffic, all while Larson skirted away to his first victory since February at Fontana. He ran Elliott into the wall to win that race.
"I am not proud of it," Larson said upon climbing from his car Sunday. "I don't like to do that. But in that moment, that was my only shot to win. I haven't won a lot this year. I felt like I did what I had to do to benefit our playoffs."
Elliott, meanwhile, was locked into a conversation with Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick and vice chairman Jeff Gordon. Elliott appeared to do most of the talking, and after he walked away, he had little to offer in interviews about the finish of the race or his regular-season title.
"Just a huge congratulations to Kyle and everybody on the 5 team. Congratulations to everybody at Hendrick Motorsports for getting another win," was Elliott's first response.
Larson said he expected a conversation between the two at the Hendrick competition meeting. What would Elliott have to say?
"Congratulations. He did a great job. Seriously, they deserve it," Elliott said. "Looking forward to going to Bristol next week and trying to get one for our team."
And what about Rick Hendrick, did he offer any words of consolation as one of his drivers celebrated and the other stewed? Elliott refused to bite.
"Like I said, always good to see HMS win," Elliott said. "The boss deserves all the wins, all the great things that go on with this company. Proud of that. Looking forward to next week."
Fred Couples and Greg Norman
Golfing great Fred Couples has once again weighed in on the LIV Golf series, speaking earnestly about his icy relationship with the rebel league's CEO and commissioner Greg Norman.
Responding to the antitrust lawsuit filed by eleven LIV golfers against the PGA Tour for their right to compete in the organisation's post-season, Couples assumed who was behind the "heartbreaking" appeal.
"I have a funny feeling I know where it's coming [out of] and it's coming from their leader, who no one's liked for 25 years. And that's not being mean, that's just — that's the truth," Couples told reporters at the Shaw Charity Classic.
"He's not a friend of mine, but he never would be because we don't get along. But he's running a tour that he thinks is incredible."
In 1994, Norman tried to take on the PGA Tour by launching a breakaway global league.
It appears Couples was not amused by Norman's bold move then and shares the same scathing opinion now.
Wayne Carey and Anthony Stevens
It is the bitter feud that Kangaroos games record-holder Brent Harvey says set the club back "four or five years".
Anthony Stevens and Wayne Carey were the two pillars a dominant North Melbourne side was built around throughout a successful run during the 1990s.
Both men arrived at the club in 1989 and soon established themselves as mainstays in coach Denis Pagan's side.
Carey was the Kangaroos' skipper while his best mate, Stevens, was the vice-captain for North's two premierships in 1996 and 1999 before things turned extremely sour.
In the back end of 2001, Carey and begun an affair with Stevens' wife, Kelli, an affair that would eventually tear apart the club.
According to Carey, the flirting started in November 2001 when he, Kelli Stevens and his wife, Sally, found themselves in a hotel room after his brother's wedding in Wagga.
"We were sitting in chairs near the bed where Sally was asleep, just talking and drinking.
"It was then, very late at night, that our conversation suddenly developed a distinctly sexual connotation.
"I can't remember exactly what was said but there was no mistaking the tone. It was suggestive, and we found we were flirting with each other.
"That night of Sam's wedding triggered something. We became more flirtatious from then on. After having been just friends for so long, suddenly this suggestive, sexual teasing entered the relationship."
According to Carey, the pair first hooked up in January 2002 after Stevens came to his apartment when his wife wasn't present.
"Sally and I were in the process of moving apartments in January and one day Kelli came over when Sally wasn't there," he said.
"That was the first time we kissed. It was only brief. But straight away I thought to myself, "F---, what the hell have I done?"
"We both knew that it was wrong. She knew and I knew, because we had talked about the ramifications.
"Despite all of that, within a couple of weeks we ended up sleeping together. In the new apartment owned by Sally and me."
Carey and Stevens thought they were past the affair when the Kangaroos skipper had said they needed to move on before things came to a head at teammate Glenn Archer's house a few weeks later.
The affair was essentially made public when Stevens followed Carey into the bathroom during the party.
"I couldn't believe she'd do that. Walk into a bathroom after me in front of 20 or 30 people," he said.
"Was she completely mad? Didn't she understand what she'd just done? It was only when I reflected on it later that I thought maybe she wanted people to know about us.
"I decide there was nothing to do other than go out and face the music. So I unlocked the door and walked out, as innocently as I possibly could. I walked back to where I had been standing and picked up my beer. As I started drinking it, I thought: "Bloody hell, maybe no one saw what happened." For a brief moment, I felt relief.
"Then Arch walked up with a grim look on his face and said: "Duck, what the hell's going on? Something's happened, come with me."
"So I followed him as he took me down to the garage where Stevo and Kelli were having an argument. I could see Stevo was furious. He'd seen his wife follow me into the toilet and that, I guess, had confirmed all his worst fears and suspicions. When he saw me he said: "What the f--- do you think you're doing?"
"Then Sally rushed down from the party and wanted to know what had happened. I tried to explain but she burst into tears. She said she knew this was happening all along, she could tell something wasn't right.
"The party started to degenerate into pandemonium: Sally was crying, Kelli was crying, Stevo was upset, there was shouting and tears."
The affair resulted in Carey quitting North Melbourne prior to the 2002 season, with Stevens awarded Kangaroos' captaincy.
Archer, Stevens and Carey briefly threatened to come to blows when Carey first faced North Melbourne in Adelaide colours during his comeback season in 2003 season.
Stevens and Carey mended fences in the years since the affair, meeting ahead of the 20-year reunion of the Kangaroos' 1996 premiership win in 2016, before the relationship hit the rocks once again.
Twenty years after the affair, the pair clashed at a Kangaroos premiership reunion when Carey accused Stevens of talking about him behind his back and acting "two-faced".
The clash reportedly left Stevens "shattered", and he did not take part in the club's motorcade around Marvel Stadium along with the other premiership greats from the 1996 team as a result.
Nick Kyrgios vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas
Nick Kyrgios took a subtle swipe at rival Stefanos Tsitsipas ahead of his first round match at the Atlanta Open.
The pair have enjoyed a love-hate relationship over the years, going from throwing shade at each other on social media to pairing up in doubles together.
Their feud bubbled over during Kyrgios' third round win at Wimbledon, which led the Greek star to label the Aussie a bully.
"Maybe he should figure out how to beat me a couple more times first and then get to that," Kyrgios said.
"The circus was all him today, I actually felt great. He's making that match about me. He's got some serious issues.
"I'm good in the locker room, I've got many friends, I'm actually one of the most liked... he's not liked. Let's just put that there.
"He was the one that was hitting balls at me. He was the one who hit a spectator.
"Apart from going back and forth with the umpire, I did nothing disrespectful towards him."
The beef between the pair started when Tsitsipas shared a photo of himself in New York in 2018, with the caption: "It's amazing how many sounds you can hear while walking in NYC. Just close your eyes and absorb." The Aussie replied in the comments section with a simple, "Da fuq" poking fun at him for his quirky take.
Tsitsipas later hit back, saying: "It's not sitting in my room playing video games, Fortnite like someone does. It's better going outside and creating something rather than just sitting inside playing video games for the whole day, which I did before and now see no point in doing."
They then surprised tennis fans a year later when they teamed up in doubles together in Washington, after Kyrgios said he'd like to play alongside the Greek during an appearance on the No Challenges Remaining podcast earlier in 2019. Their doubles campaign didn't get past the first round but it was their singles clash that highlighted the peculiarities of their relationship.
The Aussie delivered Tsitsipas' shoes to him from his player box and presented them crouched down in front of him before going on to win the match in three sets. He went on to win the title.
Less than three weeks before their round three clash at the All England Club this year, they played an intense round-of-16 match at the Halle Open, which saw Kyrgios smash his racquet, rant to the umpire and receive a warning.
Speaking during an Instagram Live interview with Citi Open, who run the Atlanta and Washington tournaments he will play in before heading to New York for the US Open in late August, Kyrgios confirmed that he'll pair with American Jack Sock in the doubles in Washington, before taking a poke at Tsitsipas.
"I've had Stefanos as a partner there [in Washington] so it can't get much worse than that," Kyrgios said.
Brandel Chamblee vs Greg Norman.
Leading golf analyst Brandel Chamblee has been a fierce critic of Greg Norman's LIV Golf tour, calling the players "puppets" who are willing to help legitimise the "murderous regime" in Saudi Arabia.
Norman responded by calling Chamblee a "paid talking bobblehead" and a "jerk" in an interview with The Palm Beach Post.
That prompted a furious response from Chamblee, who tweeted old text messages he claims to have received from Norman, which he says highlights the Australian's hypocrisy.
"Keep being you and call it the way you see," one of the messages reads.
"Refreshing."
Chamblee added: "Funny how when I 'call it like I see it' about LIV, it's not so refreshing to Greg."
F1 vs Aussie race director Michael Masi
The Australian race director responsible for the shambolic conclusion to the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has left the FIA.
Michael Masi infamously allowed several lapped cars to overtake leader Lewis Hamilton after a late-race safety car triggered by a crash for Williams driver Nicholas Latifi.
Hamilton had dominated the race, but Masi's decision meant Verstappen restarted the race on Hamilton's tail with brand new tyres. Hamilton stood no chance.
Masi was removed as race director ahead of the 2022 season, and replaced with two directors who alternate.
In July 2022, the FIA released a short statement confirming Masi had left the organisation to return to Australia.
"The FIA thanks him for his commitment and wishes him the best for the future."
Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson
The relationship between golf legends Phil Mickelson and Fred Couples goes back three decades, but it appears to be well and truly over.
Couples, the 1992 Masters champion, took aim at Mickelson over the controversial LIV Golf tour.
"These guys — you've seen their interviews, right?" Couples said. "Have you ever seen Phil [Mickelson] look so stupid in his life? They know it's a joke."
"I don't think I'll ever to talk to him again. What for? I'm not in the same boat as him anymore, and probably never will play golf with him again."
"They're all saying they want to change golf, they're doing it for the better of golf.
"No one has said, 'Hey, when I look back 50 years from now … we'll have made this tour [what it is].' No one has said that. You know why? Because they're not going to be around in three years."
Nick Faldo reignites Norman beef
Greg Norman and Nick Faldo enjoyed one of golf's great rivalries, going head to head on the course on several occasions throughout their glittering professional careers. The highlight - or lowlight, for Norman fans - was the 1996 Masters, where the Aussie blew a lead to lose to Faldo by five shots at Augusta.
But things are fairly frosty these days, and the rivalry has taken a nasty turn in the wake of Norman heading up the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf league.
Faldo announced his retirement last week from commentating for CBS. That news sparked rumours he was set to jump ship and join Norman at LIV, although as a commentator. But Faldo took to social media this week to clear that up.
"One little thing that's been talked about a lot is of course the 54 tour (LIV)," Faldo said, referring to the limited fields and alternate format on offer in Norman's league. "And I thought I would just say; No.1, I am retiring because of travel, I don't want to travel. No.2, if I do call anything, I would like to call championship golf. And No.3, do you think Greg wants to see my boat race — my face — around for about 10 weeks a year or more? I don't think so, so I'll give you that clue."
Klitschko calls out fellow Hall-of-Famer
The 2022 International Boxing Hall-of-Fame induction saw several greats of the squared circle elevated to legend status due to a backlog because of the pandemic, with the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Roy Jones jr, Wladimir Klitschko, Andre Ward, Bernard Hopkins and a host of others honoured for their contributions to the sport.
While one of the highlights was Mayweather breaking down with tears of joy over his inclusion, Klitschko's not so subtle call out of arguably the greatest boxer of the 1990s - Jones jr - surprised those in attendance.
The Ukrainian former champion, who remained in his country to fight off the Russian invasion, released videos online to formally accept the honour, and after thanking his fans and supporters, he took aim at Jones for his association with the Russian government and Vladimir Putin.
"I am super happy to be able to address all of you tonight. Well, almost all of you. There is one person for whom I have a real question [for]. One person broke Ukrainian law by going to the occupied peninsula of Crimea through Russian territory," Klitschko said in a Twitter video.
"That person is Roy Jones. So Roy, whose side are you on? On the side of the aggressor, or on the side of the defender of its right to live. I respect you as a fighter, but I really question your moral compass."
Former four-weight world champion Jones officially became a Russian citizen in 2015 after President Putin accepted his request.
The boxing legend told Putin he wanted to open a gym and start a business in Russia and that being a citizen of the country would make that easier.
Jones has previously defended the Russian president and praised him for his lifestyle.
Jones insisted Putin is a "man of his word", telling the UFC Unfiltered podcast: "To me, he is a man's man. He does things that men are really highly engaged in.
"He'll fish, he hunts, he boxes. He does taekwondo, Aikido — things that men love. That is just who he is and he is a man of his word. The problem people have with him is that if he says he is going to do something, there ain't no question that he's going to do it.
"I have nothing but love and respect for a person like that because that is the way life should be. That is what I like about Mr. Putin. If he says he is going to do something, he is going to do it. 'Look, you want to be a Russian citizen? Bam. I can make that happen.' It is just that simple."
In a separate interview, Jones jr said 95 per cent of the Russian population knows who he is and that he feels appreciated in the country.
"After my arrival in Russia, I saw that there is a large community of boxers. I also felt appreciated in Russia," Jones told Gazeta.ru.
"Maybe even a lot more than I was valued and appreciated in my own country."
Old friends Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman are becoming foes
Aussie golf icon Greg Norman once considered Jack Nicklaus to be his mentor. The pair famously duelled it out at the 1986 Masters when Nicklaus beat Norman in a thrilling final round.
But their relationship has taken a sour turn in the wake of Norman partnering with Saudi Arabia to launch the rebel LIV Golf invitational series, which begins this week in England.
Nicklaus last week claimed he had been approached by the Saudis to organise the controversial league, but turned down the offer, before Norman took it on. Nicklaus claimed he only took a meeting with them out of courtesy.
Norman hit back in an interview with the Washington Post, claiming Nicklaus had given the LIV league his blessing.
"One hundred per cent truth? Jack's a hypocrite,'' Norman said. "When he came out with those comments, I'm thinking: Jack must have a short memory.'
"Quote-unquote, he said: 'This is good for our game. If it's good for the game of golf, it's good by me'... So you want the facts? You've got the facts. Know what you said before you open your mouth.''
Kevin Na vs Grayson Murray
A feud that started on social media has a new chapter with PGA Tour players Kevin Na and Grayson Murray again taking to Twitter to air their grievances.
On Sunday, Na posted a letter to his Twitter account announcing he will leave the PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed rebel league.
Na said the decision to commit to the LIV Golf Invitational series was a difficult one, but he hoped his fans would continue to support him wherever he chose to play.
Murray replied to the statement on Monday, taking a swipe at Na on his way out.
"Like I said on the range in Mexico. You won't be missed," he wrote.
"PGA Tour our rounds just got 20 min faster!"
Na and Murray were involved in a heated exchange ahead of the Mexican Open in April, with Murray saying only the threat of suspension stopped him from decking Na.
The feud's origins go back to the Sony Open in January when Na was walking after his putts before they'd dropped, known as walking in.
That prompted a tweet from SiriusXM's Chantel McCabe, who wrote, "Kevin Na walking in putts does not get old."
Na is infamous for being one of the slowest players on tour, prompting Murray to reply, "Kevin Na taking 3 minutes to putt them does get old."
Na replied that "u missing the cut is getting old!" and that seemed to be the end of it until the pair came face-to-face on the practice range in Mexico.
"I was hitting balls on the range and sure enough, I hear someone yelling and cussing at me," Murray told the Stripe Show podcast.
"I won't repeat every word he said, but basically, there was a lot of profanity involved, and calling me a not-so-nice word about how I should have said it to his face in person. I'm not afraid to go at him.
"I went right up to his face and held my ground, and I told him, if I wasn't going to get suspended right now I'd drop his arse right there on the range.
"I'm living rent-free in his head right now. I told him, if he goes and plays in the Saudi League, no one's going to miss him on this tour."
Lewis Hamilton vs the FIA
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has found himself at loggerheads with the FIA over a proposed jewellery ban.
It even saw the seven-time world champion threaten to sit out the Miami Grand Prix, after the sport's governing body announced it would enforce a rule, long ignored, that bans drivers for wearing jewellery whilst on-track.
That's because of the risk of injury in accident, especially where fire is involved.
"I feel they are personal things," Hamilton said.
"You should be able to be who you are. There's stuff that I can't move.
"They're literally welded on so I'd have to get them chopped off or something.
"So they'll be staying."
The irony of Hamilton's stance is that his Mercedes team spent all summer complaining that the FIA's race director, Michael Masi, failed to follow the rules during a controversial finish to the 2021 season, allowing Max Verstappen to claim the world title.
That ultimately cost Masi his job. Now, just months later, Mercedes' star driver finds himself unwilling to follow the rules.
Hamilton was given a two-race grace period to remove his piercings, with the FIA accepting that surgery would be required. This weekend's Spanish Grand Prix is the second of those races, meaning his participation in next week's Monaco Grand Prix theoretically depends on the 37-year-old complying with the rules.
Ayrton Senna (left) and Alain Prost
Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost fell out spectacularly when they were teammates at McLaren in 1988 and 1989, with the feud continuing even after Prost left to join Ferrari.
Twice the world championship was decided by collisions between the two, firstly in 1989 and again the following year (pictured).
The 1990 race is regarded as one of the ugliest moments in F1 history, as Senna deliberately collided with Prost at the opening corner, eliminating both drivers from the race and settling the world title in the Brazilian's favour.
Senna believed that organisers had put pole position on the wrong side of the track, giving Prost, who qualified second, the advantage of the clean racing line.
"This is really s--t, you know," Senna later said, when talking of his mindset after the decision.
"I said to myself: 'OK, you try to work cleanly and do the job properly and you get f---ed by stupid people. If on Sunday, at the start, because I'm in the wrong place, Prost beats me off the line, at the first corner I will go for it, and he better not turn in because he is not going to make it.'"
The move made Senna world champion, but the condemnation was swift.
"If everybody wants to drive in this way, then the sport is finished," Prost said immediately after the race.
"Senna is completely opposite in character to what he wants people to believe. He is the opposite of honest.
"Motor racing is sport, not war. Losing this way is disgusting. We were not even side by side.
"This man has no value."
The pair reconciled after Prost retired from the sport at the end of 1993, with the Frenchman serving as a pallbearer at Senna's funeral in 1994.
Former Australian cricketers Steve Waugh and Shane Warne
Two of the greatest cricketers of their era in one of the most dominant teams of all-time, Steve Waugh and Shane Warne started out as good friends but played the back ends of their career together under a cloud of mistrust and simmering anger.
And it all stemmed from one act that the pair saw very differently. The 1999 Test tour of the West Indies was the first in which Waugh was captain and Warne was his deputy, immediately following the retirement of long-term skipper Mark Taylor.
Warne, coming off a serious shoulder injury, struggled for form in the first three Tests and was being played alongside fellow legspinner Stuart MacGill. Carrying the weight of selection duties, Waugh made the huge call to axe his vice-captain for the fourth and final Test, which Australia needed to win to square the series – a feat they duly achieved without their iconic bowling star.
While the pragmatic and hard-nosed Waugh saw it as a difficult but fair team-first decision, Warne viewed it as the ultimate act of betrayal from a mate. He has held a grudge ever since and isn't shy of talking about it.
Gorden Tallis and Wayne Bennett
As captain and coach of a side that dominated the NRL, Gorden Tallis and Wayne Bennett were the heart and soul of the Broncos in the early 2000s and had a father-son type relationship to match.
Yet one act right at the end of the Raging Bull's legendary career has tainted their relationship since, with the pair who won three premierships together as player-coach (1997 Super League, 1998, 2000) going long periods without talking and slinging barbs at one another through the media.
It all started back in 2004, Tallis' last season in the NRL, when as captain of the club he was benched for a semi-final clash with the Cowboys that ended up being the last game of his career. Tallis, then 33, played a total of 21 games through the season and started them all bar that final. The Broncos lost the match 10-0 and were eliminated. Tallis felt embarrassed and disrespected. Hailing from Townsville, he had bought 70 extra tickets to the game for family and friends, then had to start on the sideline, due to a Bennett decision.
In his first year in retirement he penned a column that put the blowtorch squarely on Bennett and his position as head coach at the club and he has often used his position in the media since to criticise the master coach. On the other side of the fence Bennett hasn't been shy to throw a few haymakers of his own, most famously after Tallis criticised his decision to make Adam Blair captain of the Broncos.
Mack Horton of Australia Sun Yang of China in 2019.
Swimmer Mack Horton famously called-out Sun as a "drugs cheat" before the Rio 2016 Olympics, backing up his bold anti-drugs stance by beating his Chinese rival to the 400m freestyle gold medal.
"It definitely felt good. I didn't leave me with much of a choice [but to win], I don't think. It came down to that last 50," Horton said.
The feud went to a whole new level at the 2019 world championships, when the Australian refused to share a podium with Sun after the Chinese champion relegated him to silver in the 400m.
A much anticipated rematch at the Tokyo Olympics never eventuated, after Horton failed to qualify in the 400m, while Sun was banned for four years, after being accused of having vials of his blood smashed during a standoff with doping officials in 2018.
Sun claimed the doping agents weren't properly accredited. His initial eight year ban was cut in half, meaning he'll be eligible for the Paris Olympics in 2024, when he and Horton could potentially face off again.
'Disrespectful' Beverley savages fallen great
This one has been bubbling for years.
When Chris Paul's Phoenix Suns were eliminated from the 2022 NBA playoffs in the conference semi-finals after having the best record in the league all year, Patrick Beverley was first in line to lay the boot in.
"Ain't nobody worried about Chris Paul and the Suns," said Beverley on ESPN's First Take.
"Don't get it twisted. He can't guard. He can't and everyone knows that… CP can't guard anybody, man, everybody in the NBA know that," he said, before comparing Paul to a practice cone.
"You know what you do with cones, in the summer time you got a cone, you make a move. What does the cone do? Nothing. He's a cone. Everyone knows that, it's just that y'all don't want to accept that. Give him the Ben Simmons slander."
ESPN host Stephen A. Smith was taken aback by Beverley's take, and told him to "watch himself."
The comment sparked heated reaction from current and former NBA players, with Matt Barnes labelling Beverley's take as "completely disrespectful and out of the line."
Beverley pushed Paul in the back during game six of the Western Conference finals last postseason and says the rivalry between the two began many years ago.
"Me and Chris, what we have has been going on since high school," Beverley added. "A lot of people don't understand the backstory, but me and Chris, we definitely understand the backstory. I got invited to a LeBron James camp, the big Nike LeBron James camp, when we was in college... Chris Paul was there. I killed him. Destroyed him... Then I see him in the NBA, so of course, that energy is gonna roll over to the NBA."
Jay Monahan and Greg Norman.
Jay Monahan is the enormously powerful boss of the PGA Tour, a position that has placed him at odds with two-time Open Championship winner Greg Norman, who is the head of the Saudi-backed rebel LIV Golf tour.
Monahan has put the LIV Tour on notice, denying a release for any member of the PGA Tour to compete in the LIV Tour's inaugural event outside London in June.
Norman branded that an "illegal" move, calling it "anti-golfer, anti-fan, and anti-competitive."
Monahan's decision to restrict PGA Tour players from competing in Norman's events is highly likely to result in an expensive court battle, with golfers, who are independent contractors, expected to argue they should be free to choose where they play.
In a way, Monahan's decision was something of a surprise, given the PGA Tour usually grants a release for tournaments outside the USA.
Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia are amongst the big names who've confirmed publicly they sought a release from the PGA Tour.
Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic may very well be the best male tennis player of all-time but unlike his statesman peers Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal he's never really won over the general tennis public and has plenty of detractors who have publicly criticised him.
However, no one he's shared a locker room with has shown him utter disdain like brash Aussie star Nick Kyrgios, who in 2009 rolled a grenade that would explode across the tennis world via a podcast with American journalist Ben Rothenberg.
On that now infamous podcast, Kyrgios gave his honest opinion about each of the big three, slinging barbs at Nadal as well as Djokovic but he saved his most savage feedback for the Serbian ace.
"I just feel like he has a sick obsession with wanting to be liked. He just wants to be like Roger. For me personally - I don't care right now, I've come this far - I feel like he just wants to be liked so much that I just can't stand him." Kyrgios also panned Djokovic's famous boob throwing celebration as "cringe-worthy" and said the world No.1 could never surpass Federer as the GOAT because the Serbian star had played Kyrgios twice and lost both times.
Kyrgios has also been one of Djokovic's most vocal critics during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Serbian sharing controversial views on vaccination and famously holding a disastrous tournament in his native Serbia at the peak of the health catastrophe, which was a super-spreader event within the tennis fraternity.
Djokovic has never returned fire with the same level of spite but gave one pointed retort ahead of this year's Australian Open: "Off the court I don't have much respect for him, to be honest. That's where I'll close it. I don't really have any further comments for him and his own comments for me or anything else he's trying to do."
Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield
The "Bite Fight" is arguably the most infamous bout of all time - but truth be known Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield's rivalry began long before that memorable June night in 1997.
Tyson was a 17-year-old hoping to make the Olympics in 1984, while 21-year-old Holyfield also had the same aspirations albeit at a lower weight class.
With the same goal in mind, the pair ultimately crossed paths and spent time together at the US Olympic Training Centre.
Tyson and Holyfield were cordial with each other and even struck up a friendship while trying to realise the same dream. They never viewed each other as a threat because they were fighting at different weights, until a fateful sparring incident and a clash during a game of pool set them on a different path.
The ferocious Tyson was a rising star within the sport, bludgeoning sparring partners with his menacing style, leading to a shortage of combatants one session.
Holyfield offered to jump in with the feared teenager. Tyson told him he didn't want to hurt him because they were friends,
"I was kinda offended because he was 17, I'm 21," Holyfield told BoxNation. "I'm a grown man. I said, 'What are you talking about? You hurting me?'"
Both fighters jumped into the ring with headgear and 16-ounce gloves and went at it.
"They told him, 'Use your left hand only.' Holfield told the LA Times.
"But I said, 'No way, use both hands.'
"He hit me with one right hand on the arm and near knocked me across the ring, but every time he stopped punching I'd get my combinations off on him.
"I know I threw more punches at him than anybody else who sparred with him."
The session was abandoned at 1 min 30 into the round with an Olympic coach bringing it to a halt because of fears someone was going to get hurt.
"Mike was telling people, 'Wow, he's skinny but he's strong,'" Holyfield told DAZN.
"At that time I had him in the corner and he couldn't get out. I knew I wasn't going to get hurt."
Not long after the sparring session, the pair reportedly also clashed over a game of pool while training at the Olympic centre.
Boxers were competing in "a winner stays on" game, where the loser would give up the table. Tyson reportedly lost but refused to leave.
It was Holyfield's turn to play next, but Tyson apparently tried to stand over the Alabama native. According to reports, Holyfield walked up to Tyson and grabbed the pool cue from his hand without saying a word. Tyson reportedly left the room and wasn't seen for the rest of the night.
Author George Willis wrote in his book 'The Bite Fight: "To this day, Tyson says he has no recollection of their showdown over a pool table.
"'I don't know nothing about that,' he said.
Holyfield said he felt he'd scored a huge psychological victory during their earlier years, sowing the seeds to victory some 12 years later.
When preparing for the first fight in 1996, seven months before their sequel which resulted in Tyson chewing Holyfield's ear, the heavyweight champion referred to that famous spar.
"I whooped his ass. He ain't ever forgot that and I ain't ever forgot that."
Bryson DeChambeau (left) and Brooks Koepka at the Ryder Cup opening ceremony.
The feud between Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka has captivated the golf world since it first exploded back in 2019.
In January of that year, Koepka made comments about the slow pace of play at the Dubai Desert Classic, which didn't specifically mention DeChambeau, although most concluded that was who he was taking aim at.
DeChambeau certainly had that impression, approaching Koepka's caddie later that year to sort it out.
"I thought it was just interesting when [DeChambeau] walked up to my caddie and told Ricky (Elliott) that if I had something to say, to say it to his face," Koepka said ahead of this week's Travelers Championship. "I thought that was kind of odd, don't walk up to my face, say it to my caddie."
The pair spoke before the final round of that tournament, apparently agreeing to a truce.
"When we had that conversation (in 2019), we agreed on something and he went back on it," Koepka said. "So, you know, if you're going to go back on your word I don't have much respect for that."
But photographs of a naked Koepka in ESPN's Body Issue in early 2020 took their feud to a whole new level, after DeChambeau, who has packed on more than 20kg following a insane workout schedule, took aim at Koepka's physique.
"He didn't even have any abs, I can tell you that. I got some abs," he said.
It took Koepka less than a day to respond, tweeting a photo of the trophies from his four major championships.
"You were right @b_dechambeau I am 2 short of a 6 pack!" he wrote.
At the 2021 PGA Championship, Koepka was seen rolling his eyes as DeChambeau passed behind him during a television interview.
As DeChambeau muttered something under his breath, Koepka stopped.
"I lost my train of thought, hearing that bulls--t. F--king Christ," he said.
The pair also traded barbs when it was announced DeChambeau would partner NFL legend Aaron Rodgers in a match against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady.
"Sorry bro @AaronRodgers12," Koepka tweeted, presumably sympathising with Rodgers for having to be paired with DeChambeau.
The reigning US Open champion returned serve with a tweet of his own.
"It's nice to be living rent free in your head!" DeChambeau wrote.
'Super petty' LeBron looks for revenge
Hell hath no fury like a peeved LeBron James.
Former ESPN presenter Michelle Beadle revealed the NBA legend wanted her fired from the company because of criticism levelled at the megastar when he announced that he would be leaving Cleveland for Miami in 2011, on a one-off TV special called 'The Decision'.
While appearing on The Sessions podcast with Renee Paquette, Beadle said the bizarre saga started via a direct message on social media from the star.
"I made fun of 'The Decision,' and I was one of about a bazillion people that did," Beadle said. "This was a long time ago, I guess when I followed him, and I got a DM that was, 'Why are you so mean to me on television?' And I just sort of laughed it off, I didn't even think about it."
However, it soon became clear that James was making moves behind the scenes in an effort to have her contract with ESPN terminated.
"Of course I took it personally, it was personal, he wanted me fired, he tried to do that," she added. "But then I found out after the fact, when all of this sort of came out, I would get messages or texts or videos from people being like, that kind of shit was happening to them too.
"He was super petty and he would try to have some sort of an effect, whether it would be small or whatever, just an effect."
Liz Cambage and Andrew Bogut
Liz Cambage and Andrew Bogut's feud dates back to 2016 when a Twitter spat occurred.
Cambage took offence to comments made by Bogut when she attended a Black Lives Matter rally in Melbourne.
The NBA centre changed his tune days after his original comments and admitted he "did some research" on the matter, but the feud continued.
Bogut once mocked Cambage over her DJ-ing, and hit back at her strong stance against a Tokyo Olympics photo shoot that she said lacked diversity.
In return, the Opal has called the former Golden State Warrior "washed up" and "disrespectful".
In 2021, Bogut said the pair's back and forth exchanges were an attempt by both to "light a little firecracker in the media" and in fact they were "really close".
Those comments only rattled Cambage who replied on Twitter: "This obsession is just f---ing weird. And my name still in your mouth... get a f---ing life."
In May 2022, Bogut joined fellow Australian great Andrew Gaze in denouncing Cambage's reported slur to a Nigerian opponent during the Tokyo warm-up games. That controversy ignited after Cambage's ex-teammate Jenna O'Hea confirmed to ABC's Offsiders program that Cambage had told Nigerian players to "go back to your third-world country" in a pre-Tokyo Olympics scrimmage that turned ugly.
Bogut claimed there was even more to it than that.
"It was beyond despicable," Bogut said of that rumoured incident.
"There are some other words that you can never repeat, that I'd never even say, to be honest with you."
Cambage, a current superstar in the WNBA, pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics citing mental health reasons.
Dominic Perrottet and Jai Arrow.
The Wests Tigers edged out Souths 23-22 in round seven of the NRL, kicking off a social media spat between Jai Arrow and New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet.
Arrow's 78th minute field goal attempt was, by his own admission, a shocker.
"I went for my moment of glory and stuffed up," Arrow told The Sydney Morning Herald.
"I panicked a bit. I knew it was the last tackle, and I don't know what I was thinking.
"I hesitated and should have kicked it as soon as I got the ball. That was the dumbest thing I could have done. I was pretty shattered after the game."
Perrottet, a Tigers fan, retweeted a post of Arrow's failed attempt, accompanied by music from the Titanic soundtrack, along with the message "I could listen to this all day."
Arrow saw the funny side of Perrottet's jibe, although he took his chance to take a shot at the NSW Premier.
"The Premier's job can be serious, so it's good he can have a laugh. I don't even know his name. I wouldn't have a clue. I do know he's a fan of the Tigers. I'd love to see him get out there and bloody do it," Arrow said.
The relationship that ruined Billy Brownless' friendship with Garry Lyon
Former AFL stars Billy Brownless and Garry Lyon were the closest of mates following their respective playing careers.
The pair were former co-hosts of Nine's AFL Footy Show before a massive scandal that made headlines around the nation broke.
After Brownless and wife Nicky separated in 2015, it was revealed months later that Garry Lyon was now in a relationship with Brownless' ex-wife.
"I just couldn't believe it, I have found out three or four months ago that something was happening, I did some investigation myself and she told me herself," Brownless told the Footy Show in 2016.
"My initial feelings were like anyone else out there.
"I got angry… you're headless…and it's fair to say that I went home that night and shot off a few texts to Garry and Nicky which you wouldn't want to repeat on this show.
"Then after a couple of days, you get embarrassed because it's bloody hard to talk about.
"We've been very good mates for a long time and that's what hurts you the most because there's a bit of lying that's gone on there and there's a bit of behind the back stuff and that's what hurts you the most, being untruthful."
Recently, it appears Brownless and Lyon are on talking terms at least.
Brownless' family which included his ex-wife and Lyon, spent last Christmas together.
"It's been four or five years, I've come around and everyone is in a good spot to be honest. Garry and Nicky are — that's fine — and the kids are," Brownless said in 2020.
"That was the other big problem (at the time). Young Maxy was about 10, Oscar was about 14, the girls (Lucy and Ruby) were 16, 17.
"It was so public that was the biggest problem. It was so public. On TV, in the papers, front page of the Geelong Addy.
"It was hard at the time because it was so public. I'd walk into a coffee shop and I'd swear everyone was looking at me and talking about it and they weren't."
Khabib v McGregor
Early on in their careers Khabib and Conor shared a mutual respect and even expressed such admiration for each other, nobody could expect their rivalry would go on to become one of the most fierce in UFC history.
When the Irishman was a featherweight, both men exchanged pleasantries on Twitter before meeting up and taking a picture after McGregor's win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 178 in 2014.
But that all changed amidst a hurricane of verbal abuse from McGregor after Khabib and his team confronted Artem Lobov, a friend and training partner of McGregor.
That led to McGregor's infamous attack at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn during the UFC 223 media day.
The Irish fighter hurled a metal trolley at a bus Khabib was travelling in, which resulted in two fighters pulling out from their fights due to injuries from smashed glass.
Khabib won the lightweight title at UFC 223 and a few months later, a date with McGregor in the Octagon was set.
In the lead up to the fight McGregor went all out to insult Khabib's religion and family as attacks became more personal, further fuelling the hate.
At the pre-fight press conference, McGregor even went after Khabib's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, bringing his son, Noah, into it.
He also laughed off his so-called friendship with Khabib and the respect they once had.
"I'm going to put a beating on him and his glass jaw. He bought t-shirts to support my cause, a fanboy."
McGregor tapped out in the fourth round of their heavily publicised clash and the fight remains the UFC's highest-ever selling pay-per-view.
However, what transpired after the fight was arguably more memorable than what took place inside the cage.
Khabib jumped into the crowd and attacked Dillion Danis, a McGregor teammate who had been insulting Khabib all night. McGregor was also jumped by several of Khabib's teammates inside the octagon.
"I do not understand how some of you can talk about what I did at the end of the fight," Khabib said afterwards.
"Before, McGregor had talked about my religion, about my country, and about my father. He came to Brooklyn and he almost killed a couple of people, why do they have to talk about what I did today? I do not understand it."
Khabib retired from the sport after defeating Justin Gaethje and moving to 29-0.
Since his retirement, it appears "The Eagle" has mellowed, leaving the door open for friendship with McGregor.
"Everything is possible," said the Dagestani fighter turned promoter.
"You know, the way we quarrelled, the same way we can reconcile. I think it is possible, maybe not just now. Let's see, time will tell.
"I did my job. I responded to him in the cage. How else can I explain to him? I can't speak with the words he speaks. I don't talk that dirty language.
"I told him I will show him everything on 6 October. But about friendship, it is possible. Who are we to not forgive each other when God forgives us? I can't tell you what is impossible, but right now it is what it is."
Muhammad Ali v Joe Frazier
When Muhammad Ali was stripped of his boxing licence because of his refusal to fight in the Vietnam war, Joe Frazier helped "The Greatest" in his quest to fight again by speaking directly to President Richard Nixon about Ali's reinstatement.
Even though Frazier stood to gain financially from a clash with the loud-mouthed star, the act of support was appreciated by Ali privately, but when a crowd was around he was a different beast.
Ali famously shocked the world by unseating Sonny Liston to claim the heavyweight title in 1964, and then went on to make nine successful defences on the way to a record of 29-0.
But his staunch opposition to the Vietnam war saw him stripped of his belt, leading to his exile from the sport.
In his absence, Frazier took over as champion and was the heavyweight champion. And while they would go on to become arch-enemies, there was a time when both men were close.
"He'd come to the gym and call me on the telephone," Frazier later explained, "He just wanted to work with me for the publicity so he could get his licence back.
"One time, after the [Jimmy] Ellis fight, I drove him from Philadelphia to New York City in my car. Me and him.
"We talked about how much we were going to make out of our fight. We were laughing and having fun. We were friends, we were great friends.
"I said, 'Why not? Come on, man, let's do it.' He was a brother."
Ali returned to boxing after more than three years out of the ring with a pair of comeback bouts in 1970, before signing on for the 'Fight of the Century' with Frazier a year later.
And that's when it all turned.
Frazier refused to acknowledge Ali's name change, while Ali called him "ugly," "a gorilla," and an "Uncle Tom."
Frazier won their first fight by unanimous decision after knocking down Ali in the 15th round.
They would fight again three years later, appearing on the Dick Cavett Show to promote the sequel, only to get into a scuffle on stage when Frazier stood up, over a seated Ali, and clenched his fist in front of his face.
Ali handed Frazier, who lost his belt to Georg Foreman, his second defeat in their rematch, outboxing him over 12 rounds.
Their third fight, the "Thriller in Manilla" Manila, produced one of boxing's most brutal ever battles.
Ali won the fight after Frazier was pulled out by his trainer in the 14th round.
Ali later refused to watch the fight back, telling a friend: "I'll show you any other fight, but not that one. I don't want to see hell again."
Years later Frazier still voiced his contempt for Ali over the way he was treated.
Even when Ali, stricken by Parkinson's disease, lit the Olympic flame at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, Frazier said he would have liked to have "pushed him in."
"Spudd" vs "Chief"
These days, Mark "Spudd" Carroll and Paul "Chief" Harragon are mates – but in the mid-1990's their rivalry sparked several on field stoushes that became etched into rugby league folklore.
The front-row stars were teammates for NSW in seven Origins, however Carroll took Harragon's spot from the Australian Test side during the 1995 season deepening the rivalry between the two enforcers.
Their most famous battle came during that season, when Carroll's Manly travelled to Marathon Stadium to play the Knights in Friday night football.
Both players traded verbal jousts throughout proceedings and were lining each other up in defence, pulling off massive hits like it was a game of 1-on-1.
The game was only a tackle old when Newcastle hooker Robbie McCormack dummied to Harragon, who was running as a decoy first off the ruck.
Carroll already had eyes on "Chief" and both players made contact even though the Novocastrian didn't touch the ball. A brawl ensued within seconds, with both men throwing haymakers as teammates came in to break it up.
Referee David Manson addressed both men over their behaviour, yet the players continued taunting each other before Harragon was sent to the sin bin and Carroll went to the blood bin due to a cut above his right eye. But that was just the beginning.
When Newcastle kicked off to begin the second half, Harragon only had one thing in mind – to make mush of Carroll.
As the ball sailed over Manly fullback Shannon Nevin's head, Carroll took it on the full and hit the ball up at full speed into the defensive line. Out of nowhere, Harragon hit the Manly prop with a shoulder charge from his blindside, knocking himself unconscious in the process.
Carroll popped back up from the hit and stood over Harragon's limp body unloading a pile of verbal trash.
According to Knights players on the field Carroll was heard saying: "You're my prey, I am going to eat you".
Carroll confirmed something was said in his autobiography Spudd: The Mark Carroll Story.
"I was standing over him like my prey. He pulled me up at a grand final once and I told him I did say something, and I apologised but back then, bugger it," Carroll said.
Luis Suarez-Patrice Evra racism saga
During a heated 1-1 draw between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield in 2011, fans couldn't help but notice a series of spicy moments between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra.
It was revealed after the game that Evra lodged a complaint, claiming he was racially abused by Suarez.
After FA opened up an investigation, Suarez was found guilty and handed an eight-match ban and fined just over $70,000.
FA claimed they charge him with "abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour contrary to FA rules", also adding that "a reference to the ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race of Patrice Evra".
Only a few months later, Suarez was again involved in another incident with Evra.
Having just completed his ban, when Liverpool and Manchester United faced off again that season, Suarez avoided shaking Evra's hand during the pre-game meet on the field.
United manager at the time, Sir Alex Ferguson, slammed Suarez over the incident.
"Suarez is a disgrace to Liverpool Football Club," he said.
"He should not be allowed to play for Liverpool again. He could have caused a riot."
Nathan Buckley vs Adam Treloar
Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has admitted he is "yet to speak" with traded star Adam Treloar after his shock departure from the Pies.
In a last-minute deal during the turbulent 2020 trade period, Treloar was moved to the Western Bulldogs, a decision that fractured the 28-year-old's relationship with Buckley.
Speaking on SEN Breakfast, Buckley said he had reached out to Treloar several times but the pair were yet to make amends for the situation.
"I've dropped him a line a couple of times. We're still yet to speak," Buckley said.
"I had a coffee with Tom Phillips, he reached out and said, 'G'day, I've been thinking about you a little bit', and we sat down and had a coffee last week.
"A very similar situation. He still had a year to run on his contract and [we] had to have those conversations with him and he moved on to Hawthorn.
"I still haven't been able to sit down with Ads (Treloar). Now that may or may not happen. I'd be up for it, but it needs to be something that he's comfortable with as well.
"He's got a full life, a young family, and [is] at a new club full of football commitments. If and when the time is right. I'd love to connect with Ads again."
Buckley stepped down from his role as head coach at Collingwood midway through the 2021 season.
Michael Jordan vs Scottie Pippen
One of the greatest on-court basketball relationships of all time has taken a spectacular nosedive in recent months.
Scottie Pippen has all but frozen out former teammate Michael Jordan - the man he won multiple NBA championships with at the Chicago Bulls during the 90s.
Fans were given an incredible look behind the scenes of the 1997-98 championship run in Netflix documentary "The Last Dance", which aired in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The documentary, while generally about the Bulls as a team, focused heavily on Jordan - considered by most as the greatest basketballer of all time. Jordan was given editorial control of the series by Netflix and was reportedly paid $10 million.
Pippen says he, and the rest of the former Bulls involved, didn't receive a cent. In his recent autobiography, Unguarded, Pippen takes aim at Jordan and reveals why he has essentially stopped talking to his one-time teammate.
"I couldn't believe my eyes. Even in the second episode, which focused for a while on my difficult upbringing and unlikely path to the NBA, the narrative returned to MJ and his determination to win. I was nothing more than a prop," Pippen writes.
"His 'best teammate of all time' he called me. He couldn't have been more condescending if he tried.
"On second thought, I could believe my eyes. I spent a lot of time around the man. I knew what made him tick. How naive I was to expect anything else."
Pippen did not attend the recent NBA 75 celebrations and it was speculated his decision was in order to avoid crossing paths with Jordan, who was there.
Nick Kyrgios vs Michael Venus
It was the Australian Open feud no one saw coming. And yet, knowing Nick Kyrgios like we all do, it wasn't entirely surprising when it did.
When Kyrgios and his doubles partner Thanasi Kokkinakis knocked New Zealand player Michael Venus and his teammate Tim Putz out of the men's draw, the Kiwi decided to pick a fight with Australia's most polarising tennis star.
Venus took exception to Kyrgios' antics during their match, with the Aussie constantly winding the crowd up and at times whipping them into a frenzy. Kyrgios also whacked a dead ball which bounced up into the crowd and hit a young fan.
"On the maturity side, you see why he's never fulfilled his potential and probably never will," Venus said of Kyrgios. "His maturity level, it's probably being generous to about a 10-year-old, it's at about that level.
"He's an absolute knob."
Kyrgios was given the chance to respond following his next doubles match.
"As to Michael Venus, I'm not going to destroy him in this media conference room right now," he said.
"But (semi final opponents) [Horacio] Zeballos and [Marcel] Granollers are singles players. They've had great careers.
"I respect them a lot more than I respect Michael Venus."
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.
Serena Williams was the undisputed GOAT of her era, with few peers to challenge her, but there was a time when Maria Sharapova was right on top of her game that a genuine rivalry was born and it was fuelled as much by their intense dislike for each other off the court as it was by their fiercely contested duels on it.
As a 17-year-old Sharapova famously won a Wimbledon final over Williams in a huge boilover, before repeating the dose in the season-ending WTA Finals to establish herself as tennis' next megastar, with the model looks to match.
Yet if she respected her on-court ability, Williams made it clear she had no time for Sharapova off the court and their clash of personalities came to a head in the form of a love triangle of sorts that fuelled a slanging match in the media.
Serena once dated Bulgarian tennis star Grigor Dimitrov, who later started a relationship with Sharapova. Williams only ever spoke about her romance with Dimitrov cryptically but once told Rolling Stone magazine; "hey, if she (Sharapova) wants to be with the guy with the black heart, go for it."
Sharapova couldn't wait to strike back, hinting that Williams was dating her coach Patrick Mouratoglou: "If she wants to talk about something personal, maybe she should talk about her relationship and her boyfriend that was married and is getting a divorce and has kids. … Talk about other things, but not draw attention to other things. She has so much in her life, many positives, and I think that's what it should be about."
That was back in 2013, and the two never shied away from a spar, on or off the court from then on, for as long as their careers would cross.
Anthony Watmough and Daly Cherry-Evans
Usually a premiership brings teammates together, but for the Manly Sea Eagles it was quite the opposite.
Manly legend Anthony Watmough had already won an NRL title in 2008 in a resounding 40-0 victory over the club's arch-nemesis Melbourne.
Following the side's grand final revenge on the Storm, individuals on the team had taken pay cuts to stay together to increase their chances of winning again. They struck gold in 2011 over the New Zealand Warriors to give Manly a second premiership in four years but things were never to be same just a season later.
Daly Cherry Evans made his debut for the club during their 2011 premiership winning season, and scored a try in the grand final victory and was named Dally M Rookie of the year.
He became the first rookie halfback to lead his team to premiership success since Steve Morris won with St George in 1979. And with that significant milestone in mind, wanted a pay bump after a remarkable first year in the top grade.
That didn't sit well with Watmough. He along with fellow local juniors Glenn and Brett Stewart sacrificed big contracts in the past but Cherry-Evans never bought into that culture after winning a premiership.
Cherry-Evans held the club to ransom over a pay rise and eventually went from being on $50,000 a season to $500,000, leading to the break up of Manly's two time premiership winning squad in 2012.
Glenn Stewart was reported to have been forced out of the club to free up more money to re-sign Daly Cherry-Evans.
Watmough opened old wounds in 2018 when he told his side of the story about why the Sea Eagles broke up.
"They (the board) really took a liking to Cherry-Evans. So after 2011, Dessie (coach Des Hasler) left and so I sort of heard whispers, well it wasn't whispers, it was on the back page of the f---ing paper (DCE demanding more money),' Watmough claimed on the podcast.
"We had a team meeting, I told Chezza to stay back and I said, 'Mate, what's this we hear about what I'm reading in the papers?' 'I said, 'Mate, you just signed a f---ing four-year deal, you turn up to training.' He goes, 'Nup. My manager told me not to.
"I said your time will come and he just looked me straight in the eye and went, 'Nah, not turning up.' So I just went, 'F--- you,'" Watmough said.
"So I've walked out and went to Tooves (then coach Geoff Toovey) and said 'don't give him any money. You've got him by the balls. If he doesn't turn up to training, fine him'.
"And Tooves just succumbed to the board, next thing we know he's up around the $500,000 mark after being on $50,000. So that's where Tooves stopped worrying about the players and started worrying about his own back. Tooves chose one side of the board over the players and that's where he lost me."
Quade Cooper vs All Blacks
Wallabies five-eighth Quade Cooper became a target for Kiwi rugby fans following his on-field skirmishes with beloved All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.
Cooper was perceived as being disrespectful to New Zealand's hero in 2010 when he pushed the flanker in the head during a try celebration in Hong Kong.
There was a rematch at Suncorp Stadium in 2011 when NZ-born Cooper kneed McCaw in the head and he was subsequently booed mercilessly during that year's Rugby World Cup.
"He gets maligned a bit over here because of a few incidents with Richie and we're not too forgiving of people who pick on Rich — I'm talking about fans — but within the team he's well respected," All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said at the time.
In 2011, Cooper claimed he enjoyed the notoriety.
"I don't mind being public enemy No.1. It's going to come with the territory.
"I actually enjoy it. I get a buzz all the time.
"Reading my Twitter there is a lot of guys who have their own opinions, some not necessarily nice. I like reading through them and getting back to most of them."
But in 2014, McCaw said he was over the Cooper drama.
"It is all in the past. We have chats after games now. I never had an issue with him. There were a couple of things in games but that's rugby. Quade Cooper's a decent bloke.
"We have had beers in the change rooms together."
Tonya Harding v Nancy Kerrigan
Ahead of the 1994 Winter Olympics American figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was the victim of an attack in which her knee was clubbed by an unknown assailant.
In her absence, her rival and former roommate, Tonya Harding, described as a "scrappy girl from the trailer parks" went on to win the U.S. championships for which Kerrigan had been practicing at the time of the assault.
Kerrigan was viewed as the darling of the sport in the US, and the incident became headline news around the country, seldom seen for the sport of figure skating.
Recounting the attack, she said: "He hit me very hard, just once, then kept running. Fortunately, I guess his aim was bad.
"The doctors said that if the bar had hit me one finger-width lower, my kneecap would have been smashed and I might never have walked again."
It wasn't too long before the FBI got wind of who was behind the plot and it was later discovered Tonya's husband Jeff Gillooly was mastermind. He paid a friend Shane Stant to carry out the attack.
Tonya has always fiercely denied knowing anything about the attack until after it was carried out. She said he used to beat her and she was afraid of him.
Despite the assault, Kerrigan went on to win silver at the Lillehammer Games while Harding came eighth.
A month after the games, Gillooly was sentenced to two years in prison and Stant 18 months.
While Harding was handed 500 hours community service and a huge fine for hindering the prosecution.
The incident inspired the movie I, Tonya.
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