Opposed to taking money from a rival (9)
I believe the answer is:
contender
'a rival' is the definition.
('contender' can be a synonym of 'rival')
'opposed to taking money' is the wordplay.
'opposed' becomes 'con' (I've seen this before).
'to taking' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'money' becomes 'tender' (I've seen this before**).
'con'+'tender'='CONTENDER'
'from' is the link.
(Other definitions for contender that I've seen before include "Struggler in rivalry" , "One seeking title" , "Competitor, challenger" , "One who strives" , "One fighting others (for something)" .)