As Young & Restless’ Phyllis and Sally Take Their Feud to ‘Splashy’ New Heights, We Revisit 20 of the Most Intense Rivalries in the Show’s History in a New Photo Gallery
Thursday, September 2nd, 2021
Look back on the foes that gave us some of the most memorable catfights and confrontations in Genoa City.
Today’s the big day when we finally get something of a catfight between Young & Restless’ Phyllis and Sally, who have been at each other’s throats for months now. First over Jack, and then over Sally scheming to get Summer out of Genoa City. The ‘battle of the redheads’ is one we keenly hoped for back when Sally first arrived on the scene and took an interest in Phyllis’ ex, and with it all coming to fruition, we couldn’t help but think back on the best rivalries from the past…
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The Young and the Restless is practically synonymous with the rivalry of Victor Newman and Jack Abbott, who have done each other dirty for decades. If not competing for the attentions of Nikki, they were battling in business or butting heads over their children and relatives. Jack’s friendship with Adam, for example, was a real kicker for The Mustache.
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But many fans would also call Katherine and Jill’s epic rivalry the most legendary in the number one daytime sudser’s past. Those bickering boss ladies were everything — and they didn’t just trade insults — their run-ins quite often became physical!
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And yet, there were so many others of note. The early days had the likes of Lorie and her sister Leslie, while more recently we saw Summer and Lola go head-to-head for the affections of Kyle. The aforementioned Phyllis… well, let’s just say we could do a whole feature on her rivalries alone. From Cricket to Sharon to Abby, she’s had enemies galore and they’ve all been memorable for one reason or another.
As we anticipate the fun upcoming scenes between Phyllis and Sally, join us for a look back at Young & Restless’ most memorable rivalries complete with confrontations and catfights, in the gallery below.
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Image: CBS/Everett Collection
1/21
<p>Lorie and Leslie, the Brooks sisters, were also rivals. Lorie plotted against her older sister to win the affections of Brad Elliot, and Leslie wound up having a breakdown. Lorie later took up with Lance Prentiss, who, incidentally, was played by <em>Bold & Beautiful’s</em> John McCook (Eric Forrester) — but he got her sister pregnant!</p>
Image: Bernard Boudreau/TV Guide/CBS/Everett Collection
2/21
<p>Ashley and Nikki competed over mega mogul Victor Newman more than once over the decades. Ashley also had to deal with animosity from Nikki and Victor’s daughter, Victoria, who made it clear she wasn’t in favor of the interloper in her father’s life.</p>
Image: CBS/Everett Collection
3/21
<p>Traci, who suffered from self-esteem issues found herself competing with firecracker Lauren over not one, but two men. The stress of dealing with Lauren, the original mean girl, as well as her mother’s arrival in town, caused Traci to take up diet pills. Upon learning that Lauren and Danny were engaged, Traci crashed her car. The pair later vied for the attentions of Brad, who married Traci, but also romanced her sister Ashley.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
4/21
<p>Things got ugly between Paul and Brad over a woman. Paul fell in love with Cassandra, but she drugged Brad and manipulated him into a quickie marriage. Brad extricated himself from the union and Cassandra told Paul he was the man she loved before she died. Paul was named her sole heir, but unfortunately, the divorce decree hadn’t been signed and Brad inherited Cassandra’s wealth, which he happily accepted much to Paul’s chagrin. </p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
5/21
<p>This rivalry needs no introduction as it has acheived legendary status. Sheila terrorized Lauren in a multitude of ways, with and without accomplices, over the years, from going after her husband to stealing her child and trying to kill her. Lauren now believes Sheila to be dead, but alas, on sister soap <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>, she’s alive and well!</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
6/21
<p>Although they worked together to stage a takeover of Newman Enterprises, Brad and Jack were foes from way back. The two competed in business circles from the time John replaced his wayward son Jack with Brad in Jabot’s sales department. But they also clashed over Brad’s relationships with Jack’s sisters.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
7/21
<p>Another legendary soap opera rivalry, Katherine hated Jill the manicurist from the moment she set her sights on her husband, Phillip. The women went on to battle over other men and family members, with memorable catfights including the one in the Chancellor Estate’s attic and the cake fight pictured. The pair, who believed they were mother and daughter for a time, bickered until their long-standing love-hate relationship <em>seemed</em> to end with Katherine’s death, which devastated Jil. But of course, Katherine found a way to continue aggravating Jill from beyond the grave by leaving her a mystery to solve.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
8/21
<p>Perhaps the best-known rivalry on soaps is that of Victor and Jack who loathed one another completely and often went to extraordinary lengths to prove it. While the twosome have mellowed toward one another, and there’s a grudging respect between them, their past clashes were ones for the ages, and included Jack conspiring to frame Victor for murder, and Victor having Jack taken captive and swapping him out with a doppelganger. They’ve saved each other’s lives, but they’ve also considered leaving each other for dead — seriously!</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
9/21
<p>Another rivalry for the <em>Young and Restless</em> history books is that of Sharon and Phyllis. The two women hated each other from the time that Phyllis moved in on Nick when he and Sharon were grieving the loss of Cassie. Nick went back and forth between the women for eons, which only exacerbated the situation between them. While Sharon and Phyllis tolerate each other now, their history involves catfights, DNA swaps, and a fall down the stairs that landed Phyllis in a coma.</p>
Image: Brian Lowe/JPI
10/21
<p>Malcolm and Neil were brothers, but they were like oil and water. When Mal showed up in Genoa City, it quickly became clear that Neil had no use for the sibling he never got along with when they were youngsters. The duo clashed over women and Malcolm even got Neil’s wife Drucilla pregnant, which resulted in the birth of Lily. Deep down they loved one another, and Malcolm was devastated by Neil’s sudden death, but there’s no denying their volatile history.</p>
Image: Howard wise/JPI
11/21
<p>When Nick fell for Sharon, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, his mother Nikki decided she wasn’t good enough for her son, and that, as they say, was that. Nikki meddled in Sharon and Nick’s affairs as soap mothers are wont to do, and <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/gallery/photos-nikki-sharon-yr-rivalry/" target="_blank">the pair had numerous catfights</a> — by the pool and in the stables. Sharon married Nikki’s husband Victor and burned down their ranch during a particularly dark period. Fond of reminding Nikki of her days on the stripper pole, Sharon and La Newman’s relationship became warmer when Sharon faced breast cancer. Nikki even recently admitted she preferred Sharon to Phyllis.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
12/21
<p>No one gets under Phyllis’ skin quite like ‘the Bug’! Christine, aka Cricket, became a thorn in Phyllis’ side when she schemed to pull the wool over Danny’s eyes and pass off Daniel as his biological son so he’d stay with her. Rivals for Danny’s attention, Phyllis once ran down Christine with a car! Though their animosity cooled, they still trade insults whenever they cross paths.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
13/21
<p>Believing that ‘screw up’ Billy Boy Abbott was not good enough for his daughter, Victoria, Victor went to great lengths to come between the two. His meddling in the relationship even resulted in Victoria suffering a miscarriage. Though Victoria and Billy split, The Mustache continues to gun for Billy, who published an article about his nemesis, Victor’s son Adam, and has vowed to take him down along with his company, Chancellor Communications.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
14/21
<p>Sharon never had a rival for Adam’s affections until Chelsea showed up in Genoa City and bonded with the Newman over being town pariahs. Sharon and Chelsea have gone head-to-head a few times over Adam, and Chelsea once knocked Sharon out cold as she skipped town. The two recently went another round when Adam enlisted Sharon’s help trying to motivate a paralysed Chelsea to start talking again. Chelsea learned Sharon and Adam had shared a kiss and blamed the blonde when she ended up in a mental facility after trying to frame Adam for poisoning Sharon’s husband Rey.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
15/21
<p>Billy and Cane became rivals when Chloe duped Cane into believing he was the father of her child, when it was actually Billy. Billy was also protective when it came to the Aussie romancing Lily, and the two were never able to get along even when it was thought that they were half-brothers. In fact, they ended up in physical confrontations a few times. They went on to rub each other the wrong way whilst working together on Brash & Sassy and it was Billy who put the final nail in the coffin of Cane’s marriage to Lily by telling her he had kissed Victoria.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
16/21
<p>Lily couldn’t stand Hilary, who blew into town seeking revenge on her father, Neil, for his role in her mother Rose’s death, and drugged her husband, Cane. Lily’s loathing only intensified as Hilary got involved with Neil, and then Devon. Hilary and Devon having an affair behind Neil’s back after he went blind, didn’t help matters. Lily infamously threw water on Hilary more than once. Despite Devon’s best efforts, Lily and Hilary never got on the same page, and they were arguing when Lily ran a red light. The car was hit by a truck and Hilary and her unborn child died afterward.</p>
Image: CBS screenshot
17/21
<p>Honestly, Phyllis could have her own section when it comes to rivalries between her dust-ups with Christine, Diane, Patty, Sharon, Nikki, and more recently, Victoria and Abby. Her newest foe, however, shows a lot of promise. Phyllis took exception to Sally trying to land her ex-husband Jack, but when Sally messed with Summer it was game over. Phyllis exposed Sally, who is trying to resist the urge to retaliate. We say, “Bring on the battle of the redheads!”</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
18/21
<p>Billy’s loathing for Adam stems from the tragic hit-and-run accident that killed Billy’s daughter Delia. Billy had left Delia in the car with her puppy, which she chased across the road in the dark. Adam hit the child but thought he hit the dog. Unable to see it, he carried on, only to realize he hit Delia later. Adam covered it up so his son Connor would receive Delia’s cornea in a transplant. When it all came out, Billy held Adam at gunpoint. Though Billy once said he forgave Adam, it’s not the case, and the two have become enemies as the friction has gone out of control, spilling into all aspects of their lives.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
19/21
<p>Nikki and Diane clashed as rivals over Victor’s affections… and that was long before Diane set up Nikki to take the fall for murder when she faked her death! To say there was bitterness on La Newman’s side of things when Diane strolled back into town would be an understatement. Catfight mode was most definitely “on” again!</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
20/21
<p>While the writers never really let this become the full-fledged rivalry it might have been, Summer and Lola certainly vied for Kyle’s attentions and there was some nastiness. Both women married him, with Summer even bargaining to get him to the altar by agreeing to donate a portion of her liver to save Lola’s life. Lola struggled to move on with Theo, who had also been with Summer, when Kyle chose his childhood sweetheart.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
21/21
