Fight #10: Beltre vs Ovechkin

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The Matchup: Adrian Beltre vs Alex Ovechkin.

Size: Both of these guys hit the scale at 220 lbs. However, Ovechkin stands at 6'1", two inches larger than Beltre's 5'11" frame. Advantage Ovechkin.

Speed: This is tricky for a fight. Ovechkin is the easy answer for better speed. Dude flies. But he's always on skates. We never see him on foot. And Beltre plays the hot corner at third. Does that make his speed better in a fight? We're talking about reaction here. Not straightaway speed. I think Beltre can react quicker to punches than Ovechkin can. Advantage Beltre.

Power: Beltre is a beast. I've said it a million times. Probably my favorite Red Sox player on this year's roster. But he doesn't ever get the chance to exert that power physically onto another person. Ovechkin does... a lot. He injures guys with crazy hits pretty regularly. Broke a dude's collarbone this year and got suspended for it. He doesn't screw around. Gotta give this one to him. Advantage Ovechkin.

Smarts: Both of these guys are very intelligent in their sports. It's tough to say which one translates better into a fight. But Ovechkin strikes me as a wild and crazy type of guy. Beltre seems more methodical to me. I think he'd have the tactics down better than Ovechkin would. Baseball is the thinking man's game, as they say. So I'll give yet another close category to him. Advantage Beltre.

Intangibles: The biggest intangible factor is the crazy factor. Ovechkin is a crazy bastard and he'll go nuts in the octagon. However, there is a catch. If you touch the top of Adrian Beltre's head, you will pay a price. That is as simple as it gets. If Ovechkin touches the top of Beltre's head, he's in trouble. That's the biggest intangible to be aware of. So I'd say the intangibles dangerously favor the Sox third baseman. Advantage Beltre.

Toughness: Both of these guys are tough as nails. That is fact. Beltre gets pissed off when he has to take a day off. He's a warrior. He wants to be out there giving every ounce of blood and sweat during every second of every game. Same thing with Ovechkin. When it's time to break the tie between their toughness factors, you have to consider what they do each day. Beltre perseveres everything and more over there at the hot corner of Fenway, but Ovechkin lays it on the line in a completely different way. He'll sacrifice a few teeth. Take a black eye. Whatever needs to be done. It's the mindset of a hockey player that separates the two. Advantage Ovechkin.

The Decision: Damn. This is such a tough fight to call. Tied 3-3. Both absolute beasts. Beltre might be a little more ripped than Ovechkin, but hockey players are strong bastards. Ovechkin's slight size advantage might put him over the edge when you couple it with the fact that he's got a crazy mindset and looks the way he does. I think he'd just go wild, and as a baseball player, Beltre may not know how to handle it. I hate to send Adrian home already because he's such a beast, but Ovechkin is one crazy dude. Alex Ovechkin wins a split decision that goes the distance against Adrian Beltre. It's one of those fights where the crowd gives a standing ovation and both fighters embrace each other at the end because they know that was one hell of a fight.

Do you think Beltre would take down Ovechkin? I definitely feel ya if you do... it was one of the toughest ones for me to call so far. We've had a lot of close calls. But if you all start voicing your opinion, maybe we'll start sending these fights to a vote for the second round. But only if people start talking! Anyway, we've got a matchup that brings a tear to your eye tomorrow when Doc Rivers faces Glen Davis. They would never fight each other, but that's how the drawing ended up. So we'll see what happens.