Tapu Misa: Election debate

We were poised for the final round.

In the red corner, the reigning champion, a little bruised after a week of tussling with stroppy right-wing students and the Ombudsman.

In the blue corner, the challenger, looking remarkably fresh and perky for someone so ... well, not fresh.

Would there be a killer blow from Bossy Helen, or a knockout punch from Gentleman Don, who'd suddenly become a serious contender, according to Centrebet bookies, when he should have been out for the count?

Neither, really. It was a draw.

These two were boxing for the gallery.

All smiles and charm.

Don ducked the punches over nuclear policy, and was only really on the ropes when John Campbell asked him whether National would have to borrow if it weren't for the tax cuts.

It was Helen who let him off the hook. Sometimes, Helen, it's better to shut up.

And despite the absence of any peripheral vision, Don managed to dodge the uppercuts on mainstream New Zealanders and the Maori seats.

Helen looked most exposed on her own party's reaction to Orewa One. She never really fended off that question about adopting Don's Orewa vision.

So no killer punch. It was even stevens.