History Main / UnknownRematchConclusion

* ''Film/RockyIII'': Perhaps the UrExample in all of pop culture is Rocky's third fight with Apollo Creed, which is witnessed by no one but the two fighters involved. It isn't until ''Film/{{Creed}}'' that we learn that the victor was [[spoiler:Apollo]].

* ''Series/{{Castle|2009}}: [[Recap/CastleS1E8Ghosts "Ghosts"]] sets up a poker rivalry between Beckett and Castle. In the first game, Castle has a winning hand but folds to deliberately let Beckett win because he doesn't want to embarrass her in front of her boss and coworkers. Beckett learns the truth and demands a rematch--and she winds up deliberately letting Castle win, to avoid embarrassing him in front of his friends. Then Castle learns the truth and demands another rematch. They begin one last game, this time with no spectators to make them hold back, and the episode ends before even the first hand is over.

* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'': {{Invoked|Trope}} in "My Manhood". After losing having one of his testicles removed in an operation, Turk starts acting extremely aggressive due to feeling like less of a man. Meanwhile, JD tries to be more assertive so he can be a better father figure for his son. This results in the two getting into a fight, which JD wins with a lucky hit to Turk's face and Turk becomes obsessed with beating JD in a rematch. However, they manage to reach an understanding and stop the fight. To save face, they decide to do a "Film/RockyIII freeze-frame ending" and circulate a picture of them about to punch each other. This allows them to both claim victory, without anyone knowing who really "won" the fight.

* ''WesternAnimation/HulkVs'': After their first fight gets interrupted by the Weapon X squad, Hulk and Wolverine get to go at it again at the end of the film. The winner of the fight is unrevealed and since both have very powerful healing factors, Hulk stomping on Deadpool in a post-credits scene doesn't necessarily mean Hulk won.

* ''Film/RockyIII'': Perhaps the UrExample in all of pop culture is Rocky's third fight with Apollo Creed, which is witnessed by no one but the two fighters involved. It isn't until ''Film/{{Creed}}'' that we learn that victor is [[spoiler:Apollo]].

* ''ComicBook/MightyMorphinPowerRangersTeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': In the first issue, Tommy, while undercover as a Foot ninja, knocks out Raphael. In the Turtles' second encounter with Tommy, Raphael sends Tommy through a wall. In the final issue, Raph challenges Tommy to a fight to settle their score and the final page shows the match about to begin as the story ends.

1) An EFTE's fight is interrupted within the story rather than the fight the story just cutting away from the fight and ending.

* ''Series/{{Castle}}: [[Recap/CastleS1E8Ghosts "Ghosts"]] sets up a poker rivalry between Beckett and Castle. In the first game, Castle has a winning hand but folds to deliberately let Beckett win because he doesn't want to embarrass her in front of her boss and coworkers. Beckett learns the truth and demands a rematch--and she winds up deliberately letting Castle win, to avoid embarrassing him in front of his friends. Then Castle learns the truth and demands another rematch. They begin one last game, this time with no spectators to make them hold back, and the episode ends before even the first hand is over.

* ''Anime/VariableGeo': The OVA has Yuka fighting her friend Satomi, who has been possessed by the ghost of the late Miranda Jyahana. Miranda is exorcised by Yuka defeating Satomi and the OVA ends just as the two waitresses are about to have a proper rematch to determine the winner of the "Virgin Goddess" tournament.

* ''ComicBook/XTremeXMen'': Issue #2 has the newly introduced villain Vargas defeating Rogue and Beast, and killing Psylocke. In issue #17, Rogue fights Vargas again and is poised to kill him with his own sword. Their fight is televised and commented on by a camerawoman, but the camera battery dies just as Rogue is pushing down the sword toward Vargas's body. At the end of the same issue, Rogue goes back to her teammates, but the reader is not shown any resolution to their battle.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': "The Great Wife Hope" ends with Bart and Lisa at an abandoned MMA ring deciding to resolve "that sibling rivalry we have going on." The episode ends as the two rush each other. It then gets subverted when, after the initial end credits, the scene cuts back to Lisa [[CurbStompBattle curb stomping]] Bart.

* The ''Manga/{{Splatoon}}'' manga's stamp rally arc ends with the Blue Team facing Rider's team in Arowana Mall, the same stage they battled each other in back in chapter 1. The chapter ends right as the battle begins, and the next chapter begins with the start of a new day with no mention of the rematch.
* The ''Anime/VariableGeo'' OVA saw Yuka fight her friend Satomi, who ended up possessed by the ghost of the late Miranda Jyahana, and exorcised the latter by defeating Satomi. The OVA ends just as the two waitresses are about to have a proper rematch, to determine the winner of the "Virgin Goddess" tournament.

* ''Film/DragonBallEvolution'': Goku accidentally knocks out Chi-Chi thinking she is [[TheDragon Mai]] in disguise. Chi-Chi and Goku later argue over whether or not this was a lucky punch and decide to settle it with a proper fight that begins as the movie ends.

* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'': [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] in "My Manhood". After losing having one of his testicles removed in an operation, Turk starts acting extremely aggressive due to feeling like less of a man. Meanwhile, JD tries to be more assertive so he can be a better father figure for his son. This results in the two getting into a fight, which JD wins with a lucky hit to Turk's face and Turk becomes obsessed with beating JD in a rematch. However, they manage to reach an understanding and stop the fight. To save face, they decide to do a "Film/RockyIII freeze-frame ending" and circulate a picture of them about to punch each other. This allows them to both claim victory, without anyone knowing who really "won" the fight.

* ''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".
* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': In one notorious episode, Quagmire sleeps with Cleveland's wife Loretta. After a violent confrontation between Cleveland and Quagmire that ends with Cleveland and Loretta separating and Cleveland forgiving Quagmire, the episode ends in a recreation of ''Film/RockyIII's'' final scene as the two friends have a fair bout to clear the air. Just as in the movie, it's not shown who wins.

Two characters, usually life-long rivals, have a final bout to settle their score once and for all. They charge each other to begin exchanging blows... and the scene abruptly ends. The fight is never shown and the audience never learns the outcome.

* ''ComicBook/XTremeXMen'': Issue #2 has the newly introduced villain Vargas defeating Rogue and Beast, and killing Psylocke. In issue #17, Rogue fights Vargas again and is poised to kill him with his own sword. Their fight is televised and commented on by a camerawoman, but the camera battery dies just as Rogue is pushing down the sword towards Vargas's body. At the end of the same issue, Rogue goes back to her teammates, but the reader is not shown any resolution to their battle.

* ''WesternAnimation/HulkVs'': After their first fight gets interrupted by the Weapon X squad, Hulk and Wolverine get to go at it again at the end of the film. The winner of the fight is unrevealed and since both have very powerful healing factors, Hulk stomping on Deadpool in a post credits scene doesn't necessarily mean Hulk won.

* ''Series/{{Castle}}: [[Recap/CastleS1E8Ghosts "Ghosts"]] sets up a poker rivalry between Beckett and Castle. In the first game, Castle has a winning hand, but folds to deliberately let Beckett win, because he doesn't want to embarrass her in front of her boss and coworkers. Beckett learns the truth and demands a rematch--and she winds up deliberately letting Castle win, to avoid embarrassing him in front of his friends. Then Castle learns the truth and demands another rematch. They begin one last game, this time with no spectators to make them hold back, and the episode ends before even the first hand is over.

* ''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".
* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': In one notorious episode, Quagmire sleeps with Cleveland?s wife Loretta. After a violent confrontation between Cleveland and Quagmire that ends with Cleveland and Loretta separating and Cleveland forgiving Quagmire, the episode ends in a recreation of ''Film/RockyIII's'' final scene as the two friends have a fair bout to clear the air. Just as in the movie, it?s not shown who wins.

* ''Series/{{Castle}}:'' [[Recap/CastleS1E8Ghosts "Ghosts"]] sets up a poker rivalry between Beckett and Castle. In the first game, Castle has a winning hand, but folds to deliberately let Beckett win, because he doesn't want to embarrass her in front of her boss and coworkers. Beckett learns the truth and demands a rematch--and she winds up deliberately letting Castle win, to avoid embarrassing him in front of his friends. Then Castle learns the truth and demands another rematch. They begin one last game, this time with no spectators to make them hold back, and the episode ends before even the first hand is over.

* ''Film/DragonBallEvolution'': Goku accidentally knocks out Chi-Chi thinking she is [[TheDragon Mai]] in disguise. Chi-Chi and Goku later argue over whether or not this was a lucky punch, and decide to settle it with a proper fight that begins as the movie ends.

** ''Anime/YuGiOh: Duel Monsters'': During the Battle City arc, Jonouchi (Joey) loses his Red Eyes Black Dragon card to a Rare Hunter in a duel. Yugi defeats the Hunter and wins back Red Eyes card for Jonouchi, but Jonouchi insists on Yugi keeping the card until Jonouchi can win it back from him in a duel (the 4Kids dub has Jonouchi insist Yugi keep it as a sign of their friendship). In the arc's finale, Yugi and Jonouchi have a duel to settle an unresolved one they had while Jonouchi was under Marik's control, with the winner getting the Red Eyes as the prize. The duel itself is never shown, but Jonouchi is seen using the Red Eyes in subsequent episodes, suggesting he was the victor.