Is rival a proper noun

Answer 1

No, the noun 'rival' is a common noun, a word for any rival of any kind, of anyone.

A proper noun is the name of a specific person, place, thing, or a title; for example:

• Dr. Jan Rival MD, Internal Medicine, Detroit, MI
• Rival Court, East Hartford, CT or Rival Street, Kareela, NSW Australia
• Rival Crockpot (product of Sunbeam Products, Inc. dba Jarden Consumer Solutions)
• Rival Dog Food
• "Rival", a novel by Sara Bennett Wealer