Pirates' Bell: Joc-Vlad Jr. showdown was like 'Tyson and Holyfield'

When Vladimir Guerrero Sr. won the Home Run Derby in 2007, he hit a grand total of 17 home runs. On Monday night, the Hall of Famer's son and Joc Pederson each hit more than double that number during the second round alone in an epic showdown that left fans and fellow competitors in awe.

"That was one of the craziest back-and-forths I've ever seen," Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Josh Bell told Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. claimed victory over Pederson with 40 homers in the penultimate round. Bell, who also participated in the event, fell in the first round to Atlanta Braves phenom Ronald Acuna Jr.

"That was like Mike Tyson and (Evander) Holyfield. Two heavy hitters," added Bell. "I didn't know who was going to take it. Joc put on a show, and Vlad took the cake. To be right there on the field and hear the balls off the bat and feel the crowd was great."

Tyson and Holyfield memorably had two bouts for the heavyweight belt, with Holyfield winning the first by TKO in 1996 in one of the most famous upsets in boxing history. The 1997 rematch, which Holyfield also won, infamously became known as "The Bite Fight" after Tyson bit his opponent's ear twice during the match.

Guerrero Jr. opened the second round by hitting 29 dingers, matching the single-round Home Run Derby record he himself set in the opening round while dispatching Matt Chapman.

Pederson came to the plate facing a seemingly impossible task - and matched Guerrero Jr.'s total with two seconds left on the clock.

With each slugger getting an additional one-minute tiebreaker round, Guerrero Jr. padded his second-round count with eight more homers for a total of 37. Once again, the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder was equal to the task, hitting eight of his own in dramatic fashion.

Following the one-minute tiebreaker, the Home Run Derby rules switch to a different format, allowing the participants three swings each; Guerrero Jr. hit one home run, which Pederson matched.

In the fourth and final round, the Toronto Blue Jays rookie hit two more for an overall total of 40. Pederson only managed one.

While Pederson admitted he was "toast" after the clash of titans, Guerrero Jr. had to face New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso in the final. He hit 22 homers, setting a new Home Run Derby record with a grand total of 91 - 30 more than the previous record set by Giancarlo Stanton in 2016. Alonso hit 23 to win the event.

"The way (Pederson) came back, that's just mental fortitude right there," said Alonso.

"I couldn't imagine three rounds of that," Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman added. "I was gassed after two minutes of it."