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25 of the best “this was my Heated Rivalry” memes

WORDS BY JORDAN ROBLEDO

7th January 2026

Heated Rivalry has produced another viral moment, and it’s our favourite one yet.

Over the last month, pop culture enthusiasts worldwide have been engrossed in the passionate and NSFW gay hockey romance series.

Created by Jacob Tierney and based on Rachel Reid’s book of the same name, the gay hockey romance series follows Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), two elite professional hockey players who embark on a passionate, secret romance while maintaining a fierce rivalry on the ice.

Since its two-episode premiere, Heated Rivalry has dominated every corner of the internet, with praise directed toward Tierney’s writing/direction, its faithfulness to Rachel Reid’s source material, and the electric chemistry between Williams and Storrie.

The series has also gone viral numerous times, most recently with the “this was my Heated Rivalry” memes.

Under the iconic new trend, which has primarily taken off on X/Twitter, fans share their favourite queer couples from other LGBTQIA+ inclusive media who exude major Shane and Ilya energy.

From Buffy and Faith in Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Ryan and Chad in High School Musical, here are 25 of the best “this was my Heated Rivalry” memes. Check them out below.

Fortunately, our Heated Rivalry obsession is only beginning. Back in December, Crave and the show’s US distributor HBO Max greenlit the series for a second season.

Following the season one finale, Tierney shared some exciting news with Entertainment Weekly about the premiere window for the show’s highly anticipated second season.

“It’s not gonna be two years. It’s not even gonna be 18 months, I don’t think. So we’re gonna go as fast as we can, while ensuring that we’re doing as good a job as we possibly can,” Tierney explained.

“There’s only so fast a track to go down when the show is written and directed by one person. I haven’t started writing yet. I’m going to. We are aware. We want to get the season out as soon as we can, as well, while also making sure that we give people a good second season.”

Stay tuned for more Heated Rivalry, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams updates.

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