12 Rematches We Still Want to See Happen (Since 2000)
The rematch has become a staple in the world of sports. Sometimes when something is good, we need a generous second helping.
We've seen a ton of great battles go down since the year 2000 across all walks of sports. Sadly, some of these classics never got the chance to be replayed. And that's a shame.
Digging through the crates like an '80s b-boy, we constructed a list consisting of 12 rematches that should have went down. We touched on football, soccer, boxing, professional wrestling and more to give you the cream of the crop.
Here's what we came up with.
Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
1 of 12
Fair being fair, the build up to WWE's annual WrestleMania event this past year was disappointing. Putting an unproven commodity like Roman Reigns against the beast that is Brock Lesnar didn't feel natural at the time.
Little did we know that Reigns would endure a beating from Lesnar, fight back and give the fans one of the best main events in recent time. The Reigns vs. Lesnar showdown was an engagement of brutality that ended with Seth Rollins cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase and stealing the WWE title from both men.
Hopefully, as Reigns continues to build his reputation, he will meet up with Lesnar for a punishing rematch—this time without Seth Rollins.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat
2 of 12
Prior to the Golden State Warriors winning the NBA title this past season, the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs collided two years in a row during the NBA Finals, producing some of the most exciting basketball we've ever seen.
The Spurs' fluid style versus the Heat's "Big Three" made for a riveting duel of championship-caliber teams.
We probably won't ever see a rematch of these teams due to the fact that the Spurs are aging and the "Big Three" have been split up. But man, wouldn't that rematch be entertaining?
Floyd Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya
3 of 12
Floyd Mayweather has managed to make easy work out of the majority of men he's fought over his 19-year career. But when he lined up with Oscar De La Hoya, Mayweather was given a solid fight.
De La Hoya wasn't the better, cleaner puncher. Where he scored points was in the ring generalship area. Backing Mayweather down at times and pressing the action, "The Golden Boy" was relentless in his pursuit of ending perfection.
At the end of the fight, the judges awarded a split decision to Mayweather on that faithful night in May of 2007, leaving everyone begging for more.
A rematch didn't seem realistic until the 42-year-old De La Hoya hinted he may come out of retirement, per Joe Nguyen of the Denver Post. Now there actually seems to be a slight chance that these two boxing legends might go at it one last time.
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Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks
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The NFC is filled with a ton of great teams. And last season during the playoffs, two of those teams collided in Seattle.
Aaron Rodgers and his Green Bay Packers flew up to CenturyLink Field to take on the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. NFL fans know that playing in Seattle is a daunting assignment. The crowd continuously shatters eardrums, making for an unpleasant environment.
Thankfully, Green Bay responded to the pressure beautifully. The Packers put the screws to the defending champs—at the time—forcing the game into overtime behind Rodgers' arm and Eddie Lacy on the ground.
Seattle eventually walked away with a 28-22 win in OT, but the game itself turned out to be a classic. Hopefully next season we get to see a rematch of these two NFC powerhouses.
Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko
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Lennox Lewis' last fight was one of his most challenging. Facing then-challenger Vitali Klitschko, Lewis was outworked at nearly every turn early on.
Had it not been for a graphic cut he opened up above Klitschko's eye, there's a good chance Lewis would have been dropped by the Ukrainian brute.
An immediate rematch should have happened. Seeing Lewis battered by another heavyweight gave the division a shot of energy. But it wasn't meant to be. Lewis retired, leaving the world to wonder what the outcome of this heavyweight clash would have been.
The Rock vs. John Cena
6 of 12
Right now, The Rock is off doing his thing in Hollywood and John Cena is carrying around the United States title. But a few years ago, these two WWE stars were headlining back-to-back WrestleManias.
As you'd expect, Cena and The Rock split their two matches. Both were engaging contests filled with great work and stunning turnarounds. Cena may get a ton of flack now for a "tired" gimmick, but the guy is one heck of a wrestler.
His style made for a perfect collision with The People's Champ. This wasn't Sting vs. Triple H. Cena and The Rock were both in elite shape and performed admirably on wrestling's biggest stage.
Maybe in the next year or so the creative heads at WWE will give us one final chapter between these two living legends.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors
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Ladies and gentlemen, the Golden State Warriors are your 2014-15 NBA champions. Behind Stephen Curry, Finals MVP Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson, the Warriors took the Cleveland Cavaliers down in six games.
Even with LeBron James going all triple-double on dudes, the matchup wasn't a flawless one. Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving went down with a knee injury in Game 1, and stretch forward Kevin Love didn't suit up all series.
We don't know how the Finals would have turned out even if those guys wound up playing. But the notion of a healthy Cavaliers team versus a healthy Warriors team warrants a rematch.
Anytime you put LeBron James and Stephen Curry on the same court, greatness is bound to transpire.
New York Giants vs. New England Patriots
8 of 12
Anytime Tom Brady and Eli Manning get together, drama ensues. Usually it goes something like this: Brady works hard, puts his team ahead and sits back on the bench. After that, Manning goes out and threads a perfect pass that somehow gets plucked out of the air.
In two Super Bowl battles, Manning's New York Giants have walked away victorious. The "Helmet Catch" was born during this feud, as well as Mario Manningham's golden moment.
A third installment between the Patriots and Giants would be welcomed with open arms. Brady's chance for redemption is a tale we all have to see. It would be big for ratings and would put the whole New York vs. New England rivalry back on track.
The Undertaker vs. CM Punk
9 of 12
Before Brock Lesnar ended The Undertaker's WrestleMania winning streak, the "Deadman" was on a tear. There have been so many classics during "The Streak," but one that stood out was the battle with CM Punk.
Punk and Taker's in-ring styles were completely different. And that's what made for such a beautiful contest. The brawl was one of Taker's best fights, which left fans pleading for a rematch.
That didn't happen on the biggest stage—WrestleMania—leaving many fans wanting more. With Punk out of the WWE and Taker fighting on a limited basis, we probably won't ever see these two competitors go at it again.
New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks
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The New England Patriots' second appearance on this list stems from Super Bowl XLIX. Their battle with the Seattle Seahawks was a Super Bowl for the ages.
Pitting Tom Brady against Russell Wilson was a fantastic way to see two of the game's top signal-callers on the grandest platform of them all.
A back-and-forth affair filled with drama left football fans gasping for air. When the smoke finally cleared, the Patriots walked away with a 28-24 win after a game-ending interception.
The teams may look a little different—Darrelle Revis departed from New England this past offseason—but they both are still contenders.
If all goes well, maybe we'll get that rematch.
Liverpool vs. AC Milan
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Liverpool and AC Milan's epic 2005 UEFA Champions League final was one for the ages.
After going down 3-0, Liverpool somehow scrapped and fought their way back in the second half of play to even the score. Behind Steven Gerrard and other warriors, Liverpool's three goals sent the game into penalty kicks.
It was there where The Reds somehow won the Champions League. There aren't many games like the Liverpool vs. AC Milan classic. It's been 10 years, but soccer fans still want a rematch—when both teams get better.
Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe
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Bernard Hopkins versus Joe Calzaghe was one of the most complex fights since 2000.
The match pitted two fantastic, all-time greats against each other after years of talk. Hopkins—the elder statesman of the fight—used veteran tactics to push the younger Calzaghe.
He knocked down the "Pride of Wales" in the first round and continued to work late into the fight without tiring. For his part, Calzaghe was his usual aggressive self. Bullying Hopkins was the plan, and it worked to his advantage.
The fight went the distance, leaving it up to the judges. Calzaghe wound up winning a controversial split-decision.
There should have been a rematch right away. But that never took place. Hopkins and Calzaghe both moved on, leaving any sort of closure on the table.
All statistics and game information via Sports-Reference.com, unless noted otherwise. All boxing info and results via BoxRec.com, unless noted otherwise.
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