Going into the King of the Ring Quarterfinals, it was apparent that longtime rivals Ricochet and Samoa Joe knew each other well enough to battle to a dead heat. What was not expected, perhaps, was that the two would quite literally cancel each other out: The pair’s showstopping quarterfinal battle ended without a clear winner, as a top-rope Coquina Clutch from Joe led to a backdrop reversal by Ricochet, and what referee John Cone ruled as a double pinfall after the two landed on top of each other for a three-count.
The ending was controversial enough on its face, but given the ferocity of the fight, it seemed particularly worrisome: It was hard to even find a throughline in the Superstars’ respective plans, as they simply threw everything they had at each other — including, in Ricochet’s case, their own selves. Luckily, Cone immediately got on headset to communicate with WWE officials behind the curtain, and a ruling was later reached: The double-pin did not lead to an elimination, and both would advance to a Triple Threat Match against semifinal qualifier Baron Corbin.