In corner one, we have Dapper David Archuleta. In corner two, we have Sexy Syesha Mercado. And in corner three, we have the Determined David Cook. Let's get ready to rumble, ladies and gents...and the crowd roars!!!!!!

Round 1 (Judges' Choice)

Archuleta kicks off the show with ''And So It Goes.'' There's enough reverb on that mic to get lost in a sea of sound. His voice is absolutely beautiful. Gaining points with memorable a capella moments. Happy to see him in attire that is geared for his age. Simon said it was predictable — well, if predictable means consistently good, so be it.

Mercado hits back with ''If I Ain't Got You.'' She glows this evening. It was great to see her let loose and allow her personality to shine through. She did a great job on this tune, though I agree with Simon: This is not a song I would have chosen for her. Mercado looked so stunning tonight that she could have sung ''Mary Had a Little Lamb'' and it still would have been gravy!

Cook quakes the ring with an uppercut with ''The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.'' This guy is BAD TO THE BONE! Round 1 goes to Cook.

Round 2 (Contestants' Choice)

Archuleta is energized and a little out of breath hittin' the highs in ''With You.'' I was thrilled to see him sing something of the now, and yet, I didn't believe the performance.

Mercado hits with a brutal blow to the midsection. This is more like it! The crowd is loving it! Nice touch with Ricky Minor on bass. She is HOT tonight, ladies and gentlemen. Her dress was one made from my heart :) No pail of water is going to cool down this ''Fever.''

Cook threatens his competitors, but realizes that while "Dare You to Move" may have been in his element, it was not his best performance.

Rooooouuuund 2 goes to Mercadoooo.

Round 3 (Producers' Choice)

''Longer'' starts off strong for Archuleta. It seems like his melodious voice can do no wrong. Coach Cowell pushes him into the finals with his comment: ''You have done more than enough to secure yourself in the final 2.''

Mercado comes in swingin' with "Hit Me Up." It's modern, it's today, I dig it. The judges were not pleased by the producers' choice for Mercado and points have been deducted. Their problem wasn't how she sang it, but rather the choice of song. How do you penalize a contestant for the producers' choice, if the vocal was not the issue?

Cook bellows ''I Don't Want to Miss a Thing,'' fooling his competitors into thinking he'd gone soft with the violins. He comes in with the knockout punch on his last note. The crowd is on its feet.

Round 3, and the night, goes to Cook!

See you at the finale...

Nadia Turner placed 8th on season 4 of American Idol. Since then, she's guest-hosted The View; appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Tonight Show, and EW.com's Idolatry; and starred in the feature film Lord Help Us. Currently, she's featured on Hot Tracks, a free CD distributed by Dreyer's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream with performances by previous Idol contestants from Justin Guarini to Chris Richardson. You can find more information about it, her clothing line Knodic Apparel, and her new album on her website and MySpace page.