History Main / AlwaysSomeoneBetter

* Wrestling/CodyRhodes proved to be this to Wrestling/SethRollins in his first feud after returning to WWE in 2022. Rollins lost to Cody in three straight PPV matches, including a Wrestling/HellInACell match where Cody was suffering from a ''torn pectoral muscle''. The last one infuriated him so much that he (InUniverse) took Cody out for the rest of the year in retaliation.

* In ''WebOriginal/YouCouldMakeALife'', David resents Jake for being a more successful and popular hockey player than him. This continues even after he admits to himself that Jake is a genuinely nice guy he ''wants'' to be close to.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Foxtrot}}'': Jason is normally far and away the smartest ([[GeniusDitz if not necessarily wisest]]) member of his class... with the exception of Eileen, the one girl who consistently gets higher grades than he does and beats him in everything they compete in. Part of this is just her being slightly smarter, but Jason will also sometimes try to sabotage her efforts, which [[LaserGuidedKarma inevitably blows up in his face.]] Even in situations which come down to pure luck, Jason never comes out on top — one strip has him find a four-leaf clover and boast about it meaning he'll ace the upcoming test, only for Eileen to present him with a ''five''-leaf one. Eileen started out unaware of Jason's envy, but as CharacterDevelopment set in, she started deliberately {{troll}}ing Jason with it more often.

** And since they're [[AlternateUniverse the same person]], Davesprite has the same problem. He saved Alpha John from death, gave Dave a bunch of power-ups, and even dueled with the BigBad, yet he still can't help feeling like a [[CloningBlues cheap knock-off]] of the "real" Dave.
** And then there's the Alpha timeline, in which Dirk feels this way about having ''Dave'' as ''his'' older Bro and guardian. [[spoiler: Even though [[MindScrew Dave died hundreds of years before Dirk showed up]].]]

* AlwaysSomeoneBetter/RealLife

* In the CONCACAF Champions League, Mexican clubs tend to be this to other North American clubs, especially [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer MLS]] (USA and Canada) clubs. Before Seattle Sounders FC won the 2022 edition, the last time a non-Mexican club won the tournament was in 2005, when Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa won the title with a 3–2 aggregate win over Mexico's UNAM Pumas in the final. Back then it was still called the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.

* Elway's Broncos proved to be this to the Cleveland Browns. In all 3 of Elway's Super Bowl losses, he beat the Browns in the AFCCG game each time in order to get to the Super Bowl. Some of these losses were notable, such as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fumble The Fumble]], where halfback Earnest Byner, who was having the game of his life, fumbled the ball at the three yard line, preventing them from tying the contest, and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Drive The Drive]], where in the span of just over 5 minutes, Elway led a 98 yard touchdown drive to tie the game, then won in overtime. The Cleveland Browns have still yet to reach the Super Bowl.
* And the cycle continues, as back in the days of the All American Football Conference, the Browns were this to the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers, within their time in the AAFC, had always managed to have respectable records, but because they shared a division with the dominant Browns, and because this was back in the era where only the division winner made the playoffs, missed the postseason. This was most notable in the 1948 season, where the 12-2 49ers missed the playoffs because the Browns had a perfect season of 14-0. The 49ers only losses were to the Browns. The 1949 season gave them a chance, because with the collapse of one of the teams, the divisions were uneven and, instead, the top 4 teams would be in a playoff tournament to determine the champion. The 49ers finally reached the playoffs, as the number 2 seed. [[note]]Cleveland was the number 1 seed.[[/note]] And after beating the New York Yankees ([[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas not to be confused with the Yankees of baseball]]), they made it to the championship, where they lost... to the Cleveland Browns. Fortunately for the 49ers, when the AAFC collapsed, the 49ers' successful records allowed them to be admitted to the NFL, alongside the Browns, and the old [Baltimore Colts team which folded the next year. The 49ers have had far more success within the NFL.

* New college athletes often run face-first into this, especially recruits for big-name sport schools (think FSU, Clemson, or Alabama for football, Kentucky or Louisville for basketball). They were the best in their league, but find out in college that they are competing for playing time against other people who were ''also'' best in their league, and it was a much bigger and tougher league than theirs. Very humbling. Also true for college stars trying to move up to the pros, as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Leaf Ryan Leaf]] and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Tebow Tim Tebow]] can attest.

** Wally Pipp was a decent first baseman for the New York Yankees in the early 1920s, until he had to sit out a game with a bad migraine. His replacement — CreatorLouGehrig, who would play 2,130 consecutive games for the Yankees, a record that stood for about 60 years.

* In the 2022–23 National League, the fifth level of English football and the top level of "non-league" football,[[note]](i.e., outside the [[UsefulNotes/EnglishPremierLeague Premier League]] and the three-level English Football League)[[/note]] Notts County had a spectacular season in its bid to return to EFL League Two after a four-season absence, earning ''107 points'', which broke the previous league record. In any other season, this would have given the Magpies the one automatic promotion place from the National League. Not this time. There was this certain team from Wales that had dropped into non-league 15 years earlier and was gunning for promotion behind its [[Creatpr/RobMcElhenney celebrity]] [[Creator/RyanReynolds owners]]. As you probably guessed, it was [[Series/WelcomeToWrexham Wrexham]], which picked up ''111 points''. Fortunately for the Magpies, they [[EarnYourHappyEnding got their happy ending]] by winning the playoffs for the second promotion place.

* In the CONCACAF Champions League, Mexican clubs tend to be this to other North American clubs, especially MLS (USA and Canada) clubs. In fact the last time a non-Mexican club won the tournament was in 2005, when Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa won the title with a 3–2 aggregate win over Mexico's UNAM Pumas in the final. Back then it was still called the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.

** Wally Pipp was a decent first baseman for the New York Yankees in the early 1920s, until he had to sit out a game with a bad migraine. His replacement - Lou Gehrig, who would play 2,130 consecutive games for the Yankees, a record that stood for about 60 years.

* The Minnesota Vikings reached the Super Bowl four times in eight years (IV, VIII, IX, and XI) and lost each time (to the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Oakland Raiders, respectively). They and the Bills are tied for the most Super Bowl losses in league history without winning one. The Denver Broncos matched this record, losing four Super Bowls (three under John Elway), until finally winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998.

* Every wide receiver who ever played the game of football, with the possible exception of Don Hutson[[note]]He invented the position and the very concept of route running, after all.[[/note]] lives in the shadow of Jerry Rice, the consensus best wide receiver of all time. Most notably, Rice not only holds damn near every career receiving record in the books, but those records are so far out of reach as to be functionally untouchable.

* Is happening very rapidly in ladies figure skating the last few years. Where before a top level skater could be a strong contender for years, skaters tend to dominate only for a season or two now. Not because their skills are necessarily recessing, but because there is a tech revolution with multiple female skaters now learning a variety of quadruple jumps.

** Andy Murray is generally considered to be the fourth member of the "Big Four" of the era, together with Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, but has been consistently outshone by the other three throughout his career. Of the eleven Grand Slam finals Murray has reached, he's won just three - losing three to Federer and five to Djokovic - whereas the other members of the Big Four are already in double figures in terms of Grand Slam wins. Some have even questioned whether Murray ''belongs'' in the Big Four in the first place, especially with the emergence of Stan Wawrinka, who's already won three Grand Slams himself. However, in 2016 Murray finally ''became'' the "someone better", winning almost every tournament he entered (including Wimbledon) and becoming the first person to win back-to-back Olympic singles titles, before finally reaching World No.1 after seven-and-a-half years of playing second-fiddle to the other Big Four members. Though the following year saw him develop chronic hip problems that nearly ended his career.
** On the women's side, Maria Sharapova suffers from this when it comes to her extremely one-sided "rivalry" with Serena Williams. She's one of the fiercest and toughest competitors who can outgrit almost anyone on court and is the active player with the most Grand Slam titles outside of the Williams sisters, but she hasn't been able to beat Serena since 2004 which keeps her stuck in permanent second-fiddle role to her (and later, to Victoria Azarenka too).

* In UsefulNotes/{{Cricket}}, referring to a batsman as someone's "bunny" means that they consistently get out to that particular bowler [[note]]however, if they are simply a "bunny" or "rabbit" without the possessive, that just means they are a poor batsman.[[/note]] - the most famous case of this was probably Daryl Cullinan as Shane Warne's bunny - Warne's domination was so great that Cullinan ended up ''in therapy''. [[http://www.alloutcricket.com/cricket/features/the-ten-bunnies This article has some more examples.]]

* In the world of Track and Field, Justin Gatlin, America's top 100 and 200 meter runner, only beat the Jamaican Juggernaut, Usain Bolt, once during both Olympic and World Championship Games after over a decade of competing. Gatlin finally got a second win against Bolt during the 2017 World Championships, but Bolt, already heading into retirement, was clearly past his prime at this point and left the games with a hamstring injury during the final team relay race.
* Many basketball greats back in the 90's like Karl Malone and Charles Barkley have led their respective teams to the [=NBA=] playoffs multiple times, with these two players going all the way to the finals. The last hurdle that they had to face for a championship trophy was a guy named UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan, and this guy proved to be an insurmountable hurdle for both players.

* While much of Peyton Manning's NFL career could be this in comparison to his greatest rival Tom Brady, even in college he experienced this when it came to one particular team. Manning finished his collegiate career with 11,201 passing yards and 89 touchdowns and had a 39-6 record as a starter, but there was one team he could never get past: The University of Florida Gators. After taking over as starting QB, Manning and his Tennessee Volunteers would fall to the Gators all three times they played from 1995-1997, losing by scores of 62-37[[labelnote:*]](where the Gators erupted for 41 points in the second half)[[/labelnote]], 35-29[[labelnote:*]](a close loss where Manning threw four interceptions)[[/labelnote]], and 33-20; in the case of '95 and '97, those were the only regular season losses for Tennessee.[[labelnote:*]]For their part, Florida would go on to play in the national championship game in '95 and '96, winning the title after the '96 season.[[/labelnote]] What's more, even after losing to Florida during the '97 season, Tennessee still had a chance to win a championship with a victory over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl and a loss by Michigan in the Rose Bowl; neither happened, as the Volunteers gave up over 400 rushing yards in a 42-17 loss and Michigan held off Washington State. The final insult? The season ''after'' Manning got drafted to the NFL, Tennessee would not only beat Florida, they would go all the way, defeating Florida State in the first-ever BCS National Championship game to win the title.

** This fear was a large part of the reason that Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre holds the record for the longest number of consecutive starts by a quarterback (he made his first start for the Packers in Week 4 of the 1992 season and wouldn't miss a start after that until late in the 2010 season); Favre had initially earned the starting job while filling in for the Packers' original starter after the latter was injured, and feared that if he ever missed a game, the player who started in his place might supplant him.[[note]]Although it's largely thanks to the era in which he played that this was up to him; had he played in a later era with more stringent injury regulations, particularly in relation to head injuries (which Favre had more than a few of over the course of his career), the decision would have been taken out of his hands on multiple occasions.[[/note]]

[[folder:Films — Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys'': The only thief better than the titular gang is the legendary Crimson Paw, considered the best in the world before their disappearance. And while they failed to steal the Golden Dolphin trophy, they also managed to escape without being caught, unlike any criminal that's tried before or since. Mr. Wolf sees his gang's chance of stealing the Golden Dolphin as the perfect opportunity to usurp the Crimson Paw as the best criminals of all time, and also to [[ItsPersonal stick it to the Governor]].

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]

** ''Film/IronMan2'': Tony for Justin Hammer, who just barely hides his resentment about always being second-best compared to Stark behind his faux grin.

* And the cycle continues, as back in the days of the All American Football Conference, the Browns were this to the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers, within their time in the AAFC, had always managed to have respectable records, but because they shared a division with the dominant Browns, and because this was back in the era where only the division winner made the playoffs, missed the postseason. This was most notable in the 1948 season, where the 12-2 49ers missed the playoffs because the Browns had a perfect season of 14-0. The 49ers only losses were to the Browns. The 1949 season gave them a chance, because with the collapse of one of the teams, the divisions were uneven and, instead, the top 4 teams would be in a playoff tournament to determine the champion. The 49ers finally reached the playoffs, as the number 2 seed. [[note]]Cleveland was the number 1 seed.[[/note]] And after beating the New York Yankees ([[NamestheSame not to be confused with the Yankees of baseball]]), they made it to the championship, where they lost... to the Cleveland Browns. Fortunately for the 49ers, when the AAFC collapsed, the 49ers' successful records allowed them to be admitted to the NFL, alongside the Browns, and the old [[NamestheSame Baltimore Colts]] team which folded the next year. The 49ers have had far more success within the NFL.

* Wrestling/TripleH was forced to realize that ''Wrestling/{{Batista}}'' was this to him in 2005 after Triple H lost 3 straight ppv matches to him, even handing Triple H his first pinfall loss inside the Hell in a Cell (he had been in 5 before that, winning 4, and was not involved in the winning decision of the other).

* Wrestling/CMPunk was this to Wrestling/ChrisJericho. From the end of his second WWE run to Punk's retirement, Jericho was ''never'' able to beat Punk in a one-on-one match. It was to the point that, when asking Wrestling/PaulHeyman for another match with Punk at ''Payback 2013'', he outright admitted he ''needed'' to beat Punk, and after he failed with that match, he finally stopped trying, conceding that Punk was simply better than him.

* In ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'', Agent Texas constantly showed Agent Carolina up at every turn, winning the Director's favor, which Carolina desperately wanted. Eventually, Carolina admits that Texas is just better than her, and accepts the Reds and Blues' help.

* In ''Film/{{Daliland}}'', this sentiment is expressed by Creator/SalvadorDali of all people. Compared to his contemporaries, [[ItsAllAboutMe naturally he's the best of the best]]. Compared to [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Art/LasMeninas Diego Velasquez]], however? Not even close.

* Jermaine performs this function for Lester in ''WebVideo/{{Awkward}}''. He knows it, revels in it, and lampshades it constantly.

* In ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'', fights between characters with a certain ability that defines them can come down to who can do so better

* Woody and Buzz in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory''; Buzz appears to be better at Woody in everything when he first arrives. Though only because he's an upgraded toy while Woody is considered a relic. It's notably inverted in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'' where it's ultimately revealed Buzz is an overproduced common toy (the shelves are ''overflowing'' with them), while Woody is a nearly one-of-a-kind invaluable collector's item.