History Main / EvasiveFightThreadEpisode

** Also applied to ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulkVsSuperman'', in which during a fight with [[Characters/MarvelComicsBruceBanner the Hulk]], Superman [[NoSell brushes off]] all of his attacks and removes a mind control device he found on him before the fight gets too serious.

* At the end of the Battle City arc in ''Anime/YuGiOh'', Yugi and Jonouchi begin a duel to resolve the question raised by their previously unresolved duel, which Yugi had thrown to save Jonouchi's life. They agree to wager the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. The episode ends before the first card is played, leaving it unresolved, though the fact that Jonouchi has his Red-Eyes Black Dragon back in the next arc would suggest that he indeed won.
* The UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny [[GrandFinale Series Finale]] of ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'' features Judai vs Yugi. However, the cards in play heavily suggest that [[spoiler:Judai]] lost, but on his own terms. And the important part was that he was finally having fun with the game again anyway.
* In ''Anime/YuGiOhTheDarkSideOfDimensions'', Yugi and Kaiba's duel is inconclusive, with Yugi apparently wiping him out, Kaiba somehow hanging on, and Aigami interrupting it before it can conclude. [[spoiler:The movie also ends just before Kaiba and Atem duel in the afterlife.]]
* ''Anime/VariableGeo'' builds up the long awaited showdown [[FriendlyRivalry between]] [[ChildhoodFriends Yuka and Satomi]], for the V.G. Tournament's championship bout. Except it immediately cuts the end credits right as the match begins.
* Ami and Michiru in ''Anime/SailorMoon'', who happen to have water based abilities, held a swimming race at the start of the episode. Michiru is [[IneffectualLoner is offended]] and rude when its heavily implied Ami deliberately slowed down to result in a tie. Haruka chides Michiru for being over-competitive, as Ami just wanted to be friends. The two start a new one at the end of the episode, though Michiru never does actually apologize or [[StatusQuoIsGod reference the situation ever again]].
* The entire final episode of ''Anime/{{S cry ed}}'' is a continuation of the fight between the two main characters, Kazuma and Ryuho, which had been interrupted on several different occasions. The second-to-[[DistantFinale last]] scene of the episode (and the series) has both characters severely injured. It is never explicitly stated who won the fight, although it is popularly believed that [[spoiler:Kazuma triumphed based on the fist made by the victor (which is the only thing we see, and in silhouette so that we can't be absolutely sure whether those are Kazuma's scars)]].

* Averted in the manga of ''Manga/YakitateJapan''. In the space between two [[SeriousBusiness international]] {{Cooking Duel}}s, the members of the Japanese team decide to have a practice battle between themselves. But then, a message arrives saying that the next duel has been hurried and is gonna start right away.
* This happened to Jushiro Ukitake from ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' twice. One was the battle he and Shunsui Kyoraku had against Head Captain Yamamoto. Supposedly, they were two of the first to become captains and were chosen by Yamamoto himself, but we never get to see how powerful they are in comparison because the episode ends, and by the next episode [[spoiler: Aizen's treachery is revealed, and they stop fighting each other to fight the real BigBad]]. Though, the fact that they could hold their own against the man who made Nanao faint just by ''looking'' at her is saying something. The other was when his Lieutenant Kaien Shiba was possessed by a hollow, and Ukitake said he would destroy Kaien's body to destroy the hollow inside and save Kaien's soul, but he collapsed from an attack of his illness before the first blow was exchanged. [[spoiler: It's a little different though, in that Kaien ''dies'' afterward by Rukia's hand.]]
** The Fake Karakura Town arc kind of remedies this, slightly, until Ukitake is impaled by Wonderweiss. [[TemptingFate Just]] after telling Kyoraku he's well enough to fight, and defending his mate from Starrk. Kyoraku and Yamamoto have been pulled well out of Informed Ability territory as Combat Pragmatists of differing kinds.
** The anime and manga also likes to tease at Byakuya VS. Kenpachi. Neither has had an all out battle with each other, and both are pretty much counterparts to the other. The briefly fight in a filler arc, but it's inconclusive, as Byakuya leaves. Canonically, they ALMOST fight for real, but are interrupted by Yammy, and then decide to focus on kicking the crap outta him.
* At the end of ''Manga/HoshinEngi'', [[WorldsStrongestMan Shinkohyo]] implies that he is still a match for Taikobo after he has [[spoiler: returned to being Fukki, an extremely ancient and powerful being]], but decides that since the winner [[LonelyAtTheTop would be left]] with [[VictoryIsBoring nothing left to do]] once their fight is over, he will just save it for later, leaving the issue of how a fight between them would go unanswered.

* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' appears to have one of these between Jack Rakan and Nagi Springfield, although considering that [[BoisterousBruiser Jack]] is the one telling the story, and Nagi was considered the WorldsStrongestMan, it might be a case of UnreliableNarrator.
** Negi and Kotaro seem to have one of these going: Negi narrowly defeated Kotaro in their first battle, and ever since then they've had a number of sparring and training matches, with no clear victor. [[spoiler: Although once Negi starts training in BlackMagic, Kotaro himself thinks Negi would win.]]
* ''Manga/FairyTail'':
** We're told that Erza can defeat Natsu easily. When they agree to a match, they're both prepared to give it their all, with the crowd gathered around excitedly. The match is then broken up by more powerful magicians to arrest Erza. When Natsu wants to have their battle afterwards, Erza says she's tired and doesn't want to fight. Natsu attacks her anyways. [[spoiler: She takes him out with a single punch.]]
** A rather funny version happens in a bonus chapter after a TournamentArc: the two guild's two teams that competed in the game figure they need a way to decide which is the strongest, seemingly setting up a fight between Erza and Laxus. Before ''the end of the first page'' we find out this is "decided" based on a game of rock-paper-scissors (Erza loses).

* In ''Anime/GundamBuildFighters'', heroes Sei and Reiji swear to have a decisive showdown with their {{Friendly Rival|ry}} Yuuki Tatsuya in the World Tournament. [[spoiler:This doesn't happen because the BigBad puts Yuuki (as Meijin Kawaguchi III) under MindControl for the final battle. In the final episode, Reiji says that fight didn't count, and challenges Yuuki to a real final battle -- but that fight ends inconclusively too, since the destruction of the crystal that created the Plavsky particles means the Gunpla Battle machine shuts down in the middle of the fight. More important than the actual resolution, though, is the fact that the brief fight shows that Sei's piloting skills have gone from terrible to world-class, demonstrated by the fact that he was just about to land a decisive blow on Yuuki's [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam00 Exia]] just before the machine shut down.]]
* In Toei's ''Anime/YuGiOhFirstAnimeSeries'', Yugi and Kaiba's first duel is reworked into a draw so neither side wins.
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia''. The first episode of the third Anime season features an original plot where Class 1-A gets permission to use UA's swimming pool, and the boys of the class end up getting into a swimming competition. It comes down to the three strongest members of the class -- Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki, who still have some rivalry simmering from the School Festival arc[[note]]Especially Bakugo, who's still pissed off that Torodoki didn't go all out during the school festival[[/note]]. They get ready, leap off the starting blocks...and plummet into the pool like rocks, because Aizawa-sensei used his PowerNullifier and told the kids to leave, since their time at the pool was up. The others beg him to just give them a couple more minutes to finish the race, but Aizawa very firmly says "no".
* ''Anime/{{Bakugan}}'': Episode 2 of ''New Vestroia'', after a bit of exposition, turns into a fight between Dan and Ace that never gets resolved.
* ''Manga/BakiTheGrappler'': The crossover between Baki Dou and ''Manga/KenganAshura'' ends this way. Doppo is about to fight Pa Paing in a flashback, but the chapter cuts back to the present day before a single blow is struck, and Doppo evades the question when asked "who won".

** In UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|OfComicBooks}} and UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}}, virtually every race between Characters/{{Superman|TheCharacter}} and {{Characters/{{The Flash|TheFlashes}} ended ambiguously as a draw for one reason or another. In their first race, the two deliberately tie in order to frustrate a gambling syndicate; in their second, none of the spectators can agree on the winner because it looked like a different outcome from different angles. However, the ComicBook/PostCrisis comics quickly averted the trope by having Wally West outrun Superman, a result that has stayed consistent in every race since regardless of [[LegacyCharacter which Flash]] is involved and where the characters are otherwise in terms of PowerCreepPowerSeep. The fact that the pair used to be neck-and-neck was explained by Flash with the fact that "[[IAmNotLeftHanded those races were for charity.]]"

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Thanks to an [[ContentLeak unauthorized online leak]], much anticipation surrounded the sword fight between Jet (twin tiger-head hook swords) and Prince Zuko (dual dao sabres). Before it came to a clear finish, the two were interrupted by [[SecretPolice the Dai Li]], and Jet was arrested.

-->-- '''Franchise/TheFlash''', ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'', "Speed Demons"

* Parodied in the end of an episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Undergrads}}'' where Nitz and Gimpy get into a heated war over who is better at trivia, culminating in a showdown in a trivia tournament. Their tournament gets interrupted and the episode ends with [[EverybodyLaughsEnding everyone laughing]], but just when you think the trope's going to come into play, Gimpy gets one final line:
--> '''Gimpy:''' And just so there is no confusion, I was winning the tournament when we were interrupted. So I won, and Nitz lost! Heh, loser.

** In ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'', the for-charity footrace held between Superman and the Flash gets detoured by the plot. The episode ends just as they start it over again. [[spoiler:An episode of ''Justice League Unlimited'' takes place in Coast City's Flash Museum, which has a display about the race containing a big trophy, leading to the WildMassGuess that Flash won.]] ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'''s second season episode "Eclipsed," firmly establishes that Flash can reach speeds that Superman can't -- they need to get something moving close to the speed of light, and Flash is the only one who can manage it. The charity race also happened before [[spoiler:the Speed Force event]] in ''Justice League Unlimited'', which makes it clear that [[spoiler:the Diniverse's Flash is, in the very least, ''several orders of magnitude'' faster than Superman... [[DeadlyUpgrade Though it would likely kill him to try doing it again]]]]. Averted by the versions of Superman and the Flash in ''WesternAnimation/{{Young Justice|2010}}'' according to WordOfGod. Since Superman has ComboPlatterPowers and superspeed is the Flash's only superpower, Greg Weisman says it makes the most sense to him that the latter is faster.
** Similarly, in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'', "Grudge Match", a fight between [[Characters/BatmanHuntress Huntress]] and a mind-controlled Characters/BlackCanary is interrupted when the mind-control tech is destroyed; at the end of the episode, [[LightheartedRematch they decide to go at it again]], but the episode ends before the first blow.
** In yet another ''Justice League Unlimited'' example, Superman wins via wits even though it's made fairly clear that in a straight-up fight between Superman and [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]], neither the Man of Steel nor the World's Mightiest Mortal have the upper hand. This is mostly a fan bonus legacy nod to how similar the characters were originally in the comics, though you will have nitpickers complaining the [[Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse Diniverse]] Superman is inconsistently weaker in this adaptation. It also serves as a bit of a deconstruction of the "Who would win in a fight?" concept, as it's made clear that it's [[spoiler:[[Characters/SupermanLexLuthor Lex Luthor]]]] who gains the most from two good guys pounding each other. It's also a nod to the comic ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'', where Superman fights a Luthor-manipulated Captain Marvel - especially obvious with Marvel using the magic lightning against Superman, who is vulnerable against magic. Both fights pretty much ended the same way, though.
* One ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short featured a race between WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales and [[WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner the Road Runner]]. The results were obscured when Sylvester and Wile E. Coyote, who had been chasing the duo through the whole cartoon, accidentally overtook them in a rocket car and crossed the finish line ''just'' before them in a cloud of dust. An overlap of this with DarkHorseVictory. [[spoiler:Though Speedy came in second place, beating the Road Runner in that race.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Thanks to an [[ContentLeak unauthorized online leak]], much anticipation surrounded the sword fight between Jet (twin tiger-head hook swords) and Prince Zuko (dual dao sabres). Before it came to a clear finish, the two were interrupted by [[SecretPolice the Dai Li]], and Jet was arrested.
* Subverted, of all the crazy places, in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. At the end of "The Great Wife Hope", Bart challenges Lisa to a fight to settle the bad blood between them. They jump at each other and the scene freezes and breaks to the start of the credits, [[spoiler:only to [[SubvertedTrope subvert the trope]] and unfreeze a few seconds later as Lisa lays Bart out with a single punch]].
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': "Fall Weather Friends" revolves around Applejack and Rainbow Dash competing to determine who is the better athlete between the two of them. Rainbow Dash wins the most events in an "iron pony" competition between the two of them, but after Applejack objects that Rainbow has an innate advantage in some of the events due to the latter being a {{Pegasus}}, they decide to settle the matter once and for all in a marathon footrace. [[spoiler:The race eventually devolves into the two of them pulling dirty tricks on each other, delaying them both until they wound up tying for last place.]] At the end of the episode they reconcile their grudge and decide to re-run the race fairly, but the credits roll right after they get started. Their rivalry is still going strong as of "Castle Mane-ia".
* Regardless of his speed compared to ComicBook/TheFlash, ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boW4nC1QUHo Superman in a race with Santa Claus.]] Similar to the ''Superman: The Animated Series'' version, in which the Flash and Superman's charity race was interrupted by villains, the episode ending with them racing again, the outcome never to be learned by fans. It aired ''the very same week'' as the ''Film/JusticeLeague2017'' movie's premiere (in which, after the world is saved, Flash challenges Superman to a race, the scene shifting after they run past the camera, leaving the outcome unknown.)
* The cartoon ''WesternAnimation/TheWildChase'' is about a race between [[WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadrunner the Roadrunner]] and WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales. Unfortunately, it ends shortly before the end of the race, leaving the winner uncertain.

** There was a one-shot comic entitled ''ComicBook/SpiderManVersusWolverine'' released in the eighties where the two characters fought without a clear winner (it ended in a deadlock and was broken up by bad guys). Later, a ''ComicBook/MarvelComicsPresents'' story with the same title also showed an inconclusive fight ([[Characters/MarvelComicsPeterParker Spider-Man]] attacked a person whom he thought was impersonating [[[[Characters/MarvelComicsLogan Wolverine]] and stopped after a few traded blows once Wolvie proved he was the real deal). Though, in ''ComicBook/{{Secret Wars|1984}}'' Spidey basically took on all of the ComicBook/XMen and was winning before the [[Characters/MarvelComicsProfessorX Professor X]] mindwipe (though he had ConservationOfNinjutsu on his side then).

** The fact that the duel between [[spoiler: Luffy and Usopp]] actually played out to the end was a surprising aversion, given how [[SuperWeight horribly mismatched]] [[CurbStompBattle the combatants were.]] Of course, the ''other'' surprise of the fight was that [[spoiler: Usopp]] could give his monstrously-powerful opponent a run for his money.

** Subverted in ''ComicBook/SupermanVsTheAmazingSpiderMan''. [[Characters/SupermanLexLuthor Lex Luthor]] and [[Characters/MarvelComicsOttoOctavius Doctor Octopus]] manipulate Superman and [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] into fighting each other, subtly bathing Spidey in red sun radiation to give him an edge. Spidey holds his own until it wears off, at which point he becomes utterly outmatched.

** As expected, ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' has some of its members fight or almost fight upon meeting one another. Film/IronMan fights Film/{{Thor}} who later fights Film/{{The Incredible Hulk|2008}} with no clear-cut winners. Film/{{Captain America|TheFirstAvenger}} deflects Thor's hammer when he breaks up his fight with Tony and even challenges Iron Man to a fight but nothing comes of either conflict. This is averted in the fight between ComicBook/BlackWidow and ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}} as Black Widow renders Hawkeye unconscious (although he was both under mind control and severely sleep deprived at the time...)

* ''Film/RockyIII'', at the end of the film, a private, untelevised match between Rocky and Apollo. [[spoiler: Ultimately averted years later in ''Film/{{Creed}}'' when, though the fight is still not shown, Rocky admits that Apollo won.]]

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'':
** Batman can win against many opponents, on account of him being so CrazyPrepared. Provided he knows who he's up against and he has a little time, he can almost always work out a way to beat his opponent.

** Despite at least 3 chances to have seen an outcome, we have yet to truly see who would win a fair fight between Batman and his closest ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'' equivalent in badass, [[Characters/MarvelComicsSteveRogers Captain America]][[note]]Well, technically, Batman's Marvel counterpart would be Characters/{{Daredevil|MattMurdock}}, but that's not the point.[[/note]]. See:

* There was a one-shot comic entitled ''[[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] vs. Characters/{{Wolverine|JamesLoganHowlett}}'' released in the eighties where the two characters fought without a clear winner (it ended in a deadlock and was broken up by bad guys). Later, a ''ComicBook/MarvelComicsPresents'' story with the same title also showed an inconclusive fight (Spider-Man attacked a person whom he thought was impersonating Wolverine and stopped after a few traded blows once Wolvie proved he was the real deal). Though, in ''ComicBook/{{Secret Wars|1984}}'' Spidey basically took on all of the ComicBook/XMen and was winning before the [[Characters/MarvelComicsProfessorX Professor X]] mindwipe (though he had ConservationOfNinjutsu on his side then).
** Spidey has a similar relationship with Characters/{{Daredevil|MattMurdock}} despite the two of them being close friends. They would always fight to a standstill. Often, Spider-Man would be [[DramaPreservingHandicap hindered in some way]] (mind-controlled, wounded, etc.) in order to make the fight more even since he had SuperStrength and DD didn't.

** This trope was averted in the ComicBook/XForce/ComicBook/XFactor fight during the ''Executioner's Song'' {{Crossover}}. X-Factor defeated and captured the X-Force, bringing them in for questioning on the whereabouts of Characters/{{Cable|NathanSummers}}.
* This trope is often averted when ComicBook/ThePunisher fights other heroes, perhaps due to his AntiHero status. Spider-Man, Daredevil, and [[Characters/MarvelComicsSteveRogers Captain America]] have all had clear victories over Frank Castle.
* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
** In UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|OfComicBooks}} and UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}}, virtually every race between Superman and ComicBook/TheFlash ended ambiguously as a draw for one reason or another. In their first race, the two deliberately tie in order to frustrate a gambling syndicate; in their second, none of the spectators can agree on the winner because it looked like a different outcome from different angles. However, the ComicBook/PostCrisis comics quickly averted the trope by having Wally West outrun Superman, a result that has stayed consistent in every race since regardless of [[LegacyCharacter which Flash]] is involved and where the characters are otherwise in terms of PowerCreepPowerSeep. The fact that the pair used to be neck-and-neck was explained by Flash with the fact that "[[IAmNotLeftHanded those races were for charity.]]"
** Although most of the time they are evenly matched, it was rumored for a while -by Batman himself- that Post-Crisis Characters/{{Supergirl|TheCharacter}} was more powerful than her cousin. In ''[[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 "Girl of Steel"]]'', Kara's evil clone gloats that she can defeat Superman, but Kal replies he'll win if she forces him to go all out. Dark Supergirl challenges him to test his theory, but their argument is interrupted by Batman, and the matter is left unresolved.
** In ''ComicBook/TheGreatDarknessSaga'', though, Supergirl proves to be more resilient than ComicBook/{{Superboy}} when both of them engage [[Characters/NewGodsDarkseid Darkseid]]... albeit Darkseid proved he's more powerful than either of them anyway.
** In ''Snickers'' promotional comic ''"The Fastest Women Alive"'', Supergirl and Jesse Quick race each other for charity across the world. Though, Parasite interferes with their racing, and readers never have to see who wins.
** Subverted in ''ComicBook/SupermanVsTheAmazingSpiderMan''. [[Characters/SupermanLexLuthor Lex Luthor]] and [[Characters/MarvelComicsOttoOctavius Doctor Octopus]] manipulate Superman and [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] into fighting each other, subtly bathing Spidey in red sun radiation to give him an edge. Spidey holds his own until it wears off, at which point he becomes utterly outmatched.
** Also applied to the sequel in which during a fight with the Characters/{{Incredible Hulk|BruceBanner}}, Superman [[NoSell brushes off]] all of his attacks and removes a mind control device he found on him before the fight gets too serious.
* After the first battle between [[Characters/TheMightyThorThorOdinson Thor]] and Incredible Hulk in ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' #3, Creator/StanLee felt unsatisfied with the resolution - floodwaters separate the two combatants before the fight can really get started. He later wrote an issue of ''Thor'' in which Thor comes across [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall a group of children arguing over which of the two is the strongest]]. Thor sits with them and recounts the previous battle, but now much longer and more elaborate than previously seen in the ''Avengers'', adding extra wrinkles (such as Thor deciding to battle Hulk without his hammer and Odin granting him five minutes to do so). While the fight still ends inconclusively, Thor tells the boys that the fight was not simply a question of who was the strongest, but that there were many factors that could have swung the fight in either direction. Stan himself seemed to be suggesting that this was more dramatically interesting than having a definitive winner.
* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
** In ''The Lost Adventures'' strip, "Bumi vs. Toph, Round 1", we get to see [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the fight between Bumi and Toph]] for the title of "greatest [[DishingOutDirt earthbender]] of all time". [[SpoilerTitle As the "Round 1" part of the title suggests]], the fight ends up being inconclusive. (It's stopped by their camp members since they're supposed to be hiding from the Fire Nation and the fight might give away their location.)
** {{Subverted|Trope}} in another ''The Lost Adventures'' strip, "Swordbending". Sokka challenges [[spoiler:Zuko (after his HeelFaceTurn)]] into a "Swordbending Kai" (which of course is simply [[SwordFight a duel fought with swords]]). [[CurbStompBattle Sokka loses in a matter of seconds]]. And then again... and again... [[OverlyLongGag and a couple times more]]. ''Even his last effort to throw [[spoiler:Zuko]] off focus and defeat him with a sucker punch fails.'' In the end however, Sokka proudly states that even having lost the battle of ''swords'' he won the battle of ''words''.
* In ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis2004'', as Characters/{{Deathstroke}} is tearing his way through a team assembled to help Elongated Man take down Doctor Light, he grabs ComicBook/GreenLantern's ring-bearing hand and wonders if his superior intellect could actually force the ring to work for him. The question is left unanswered after ComicBook/GreenArrow stabs him in his bad eye.
* Characters/{{Deadpool|WadeWilson}}:
** Deadpool once got into a [[YourMom Yo Momma]] fight with Spider-Man, and as he was building up to the ultimate zinger that would leave Spidey completely crushed, he left, claiming he'd achieved his goal of distracting him.
** ''ComicBook/DeadpoolVsThePunisher'': Frank is pronounced the winner of the first two issues (due to shooting Deadpool), Deadpool the winner of the next two (due to getting Frank to crack a smile), and the winner of the last issue is you, the reader!

* In ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis'', as Characters/{{Deathstroke}} is tearing his way through a team assembled to help Elongated Man take down Doctor Light, he grabs ComicBook/GreenLantern's ring-bearing hand and wonders if his superior intellect could actually force the ring to work for him. The question is left unanswered after ComicBook/GreenArrow stabs him in his bad eye.

* At the end of ''Manga/SoulHunter'', [[WorldsStrongestMan Shinkouhyou]] implies that he is still a match for Taikoubou after he have [[spoiler: returned to being Fukki, a extremely ancient and powerful being]], but decide that since the winner [[LonelyAtTheTop would be left]] with [[VictoryIsBoring nothing left to do]] once their fight is over, he will just save it for later, leaving the issue of how a fight between them would go unanswered.

* Averted in the ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' episode "Impulse", which ends with the inevitable Clark/Bart race, and at first it looks like they're evenly matched. Then Bart grins and kicks into superspeed ''from Clark's perspective''.

** The fight between Luffy and Katakuri ends with Katakuri collapsing on his back and Luffy taking his leave, though whether it's because Katakuri genuinely couldn't fight anymore or because he let Luffy win after being won over by his unrelenting spirit is not made clear.

*** We're told that Erza can defeat Natsu easily. When they agree to a match, they're both prepared to give it their all, with the crowd gathered around excitedly. The match is then broken up by more powerful magicians to arrest Erza. When Natsu wants to have their battle afterwards, Erza says she's tired and doesn't want to fight. Natsu attacks her anyways. [[spoiler: She takes him out with a single punch.]]

* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Fall Weather Friends" is all about a rivalry between Applejack and Rainbow Dash to determine who is the most athletic pony. Rainbow Dash wins the most events in an "iron pony competition" between the two of them, but after Applejack objects that Rainbow has an innate advantage in some of the events due to the latter being a pegasus, they decide to settle the matter once and for all by competing in a marathon footrace. [[spoiler:The race eventually devolves into the two of them pulling dirty tricks on each other, delaying them both until they wound up tying for last place.]] At the end of the episode they reconcile their grudge and decide to re-run the race fairly, but the credits roll right after they get started. Their rivalry is still going strong as of "Castle Mane-ia".

* An omake in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' has Mustang's team speculating as to who would win in a fight - [[PersonOfMassDestruction the Colonel]], or [[PintSizedPowerhouse Ed]]. This eventually leads to said fight, and the omake was adapted into the [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist 2003 anime]]. [[spoiler:Mustang [[AvertedTrope wipes the floor with Ed]] in both versions.]]

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'':

* Averted in the ''Series/{{Angel}}'' episode "[[Recap/AngelS05E08Destiny Destiny]]": when [[BackFromTheDead Spike]] gets his body back, it takes a matter of hours for him and Angel to come to blows (though the bad guys helped arrange it). The clear winner is [[spoiler: Spike, which doesn't much help the confidence issues Angel was going through]].

** This trope is averted in ''The Avengers'' sequel, ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron''. Iron Man, now wearing a special suit designed to fight the Hulk, actually manages to beat him in a pretty brutal match. Meanwhile, Characters/ScarletWitch manages to MindRape the entire team at one point or another, with the exception of Hawkeye, who sees her coming and electrocutes her. [[Characters/Avengers60sMembers Quicksilver]] beats Hawkeye twice with the element of surprise, but Hawkeye beats him using surprise in their third encounter.

* ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'': During the Cell arc, several videos featured the protagonists of other series showing up to battle Cell, including [[WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries Yami]] ([[spoiler:Cell managed to RulesLawyer him into {{Rage Quit}}ting]]) and [[Anime/FistOfTheNorthStar Kenshiro]] ([[spoiler:His Hokuto Hyakuretsuken managed to wipe the smug off Cell's face, but he regenerated]]). Then [[Manga/OnePunchMan Saitama and Genos]] show up. Genos goes first, [[TheWorfEffect and you can guess how that goes]], and as [[ComicallyInvincibleHero Saitama]] steps up, Cell makes the mistake of saying when the tournament takes place, prompting Saitama to realize there's a sale on that day, meaning he won't be able to make it to the fight, so he picks up Genos and leaves.

* In ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis'', as [[Characters/BatmanDeathstroke Deathstroke]] is tearing his way through a team assembled to help Elongated Man take down Doctor Light, he grabs ComicBook/GreenLantern's ring-bearing hand and wonders if his superior intellect could actually force the ring to work for him. The question is left unanswered after ComicBook/GreenArrow stabs him in his bad eye.