If you've followed ryanwelton.com for the entire Idol season, you'd know that I've always referred to David Archuleta as "The Kid."

Sounds like a great nickname for a boxer, right?

Well, Idol producers invoked the sweet science throughout Tuesday night's finale, complete with ringside announcer extraordinaire Michael Buffer and boxing blow-by-blow guy Jim Lampley, referencing this David vs. David finale as if it were a prize fight.

And, it is. To the winner goes the most coveted title in all of pop culture: American Idol.

However, what millions across the country witnessed tonight was more a knockout than a split decision. From the start, Archuleta went with jabs to the head of David Cook, scoring at least a knockdown with his rendition of "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me."

Genuinely, it was one of the five best performances in the show's history, although what endeared it to me was that Archuleta was clearly willing to bury his opponent early. Cook did a terrific version of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," and then Archuleta turned it up five notches, as if he had been holding it back for weeks. Or years even.

It appeared at times tonight as if Archuleta had this piece of his personal history mapped out to the extent that he was born to be clutch. Like Jordan. Like Magic.

Hell, if you'd like to invoke a reality television comparison, how about my favorite contestant of all time, Kendra Todd, from NBC's "The Apprentice." If you've read me at any length over the years, you know I always admired the way she turned from capable contestant into a blood-thirsty killer at the end of her season, willing to gut anything blocking her path.

I admire the hell out of that. Not to get on a sports rant, but nothing bugs me more than to see a potential champion, whether it be individual or team, not take the opportunity to bury the competition.

Alas, with a guy as talented as Cook, that wasn't going to be easy.

But Cook made it "easier," it seems, by picking the lesser of two original compositions and by choosing to do a lesser-known Collective Soul track he had never done before for his final choice.

Like I had suggested for weeks, Archuleta closed the show with John Lennon's "Imagine," and by the very virtue of going last combined with a superior selection as his final performance, not to mention an overall drubbing of Cook, it seems a lock that the 17-year-old from Murray, Utah, should win.

Right?

Even Simon Cowell called it a knockout. However, to stick with the boxing vernacular, technically, both singers are still standing. More than 30 minutes into voting, and Cook has a slight lead on Archuleta, according to DialIdol.com.

And not for a second do I believe Archuleta will beat the Blue Springs, Mo., native by the type of 58-42 margin of percentage by which Carrie Underwood drubbed Bo Bice three seasons ago.

Nope. Fans of each David are not only passionate, they're capable dialers and texters. I told a colleague today that whoever sang last would win, that it was that close -- so much so that performance positioning was crucial.

For the record, he has consistently picked Cook to win and I Archuleta. His response was, "How about the better singer win?"

Laughing that off as nonsense, I reminded him that this is still essentially a popularity contest. And if it is, then David Cook has a shot.

But if voters are dialing and texting based solely on performance, then Archuleta should win Season 7 by the most comfortable of margins. However, I predict he'll win by a very, very close margin.

Because for at least this one night, David Archuleta was the better fighter, er, performer by a mile.