Anthony Evans ‘Ain’t Got’ Nothin’ on Jesse Campbell During Epic Battle on ‘The Voice’

On tonight's (March 5) battle round of 'The Voice,' coach Christina Aguilera had Jesse Campbell, the singer for whom all the coaches turned their chairs around during the blind auditions, go against preacher's son Anthony Evans. It was a classic David vs. Goliath, favorite vs. underdog showdown for two gospel-style vocalists as they belted out Alicia Keys' 'If I Ain't Got You.' So who slayed who? Jesse took it, but only in the 15th round. It was that close.

In the pre-performance mentoring sessions, Lionel Richie warned Campbell not to outdo himself and reminded him that you eat an elephant one bite at a time. In essence: Don't overdo it and try to win in one fell swoop by outshining himself. Campbell knows a thing or two about struggle, since his wife left him and his daughter homeless, living in a car. He wasn't not scared.

Evans noted that his partner was trying to show off and intimated that he was perhaps a little too confident, which further upped his motivation to do better. Nothing inspires an underdog more than being dismissed without reason. Mentor Jewel advised him to make sure that every note meant something and that there were no ego fills or excess runs during his performance.

The men were complimentary through most of the epic battle and both of 'em were killing it. But the end of the song was a true locking of vocal horns, with the singers obviously trying to outdo one another. Uh, it sucked to be Xtina, but she ended up choosing Campbell.

Watch Anthony Evans and Jesse Campbell Perform 'If I Ain't Got You' on 'The Voice'