We’re not typically so pugilistic, but this year’s Best of WNC brawls were truly fierce. Thousands of residents voted — more than double the tally of previous years. Some battles were decided by a handful of blows, and some rivalries will last longer than these two issues.

That’s right, two issues. Call it thunder and lightning, call it bob and weave, call it Round One and Round Two (yeah, let’s go with that), but we couldn’t cram all the Best into just one issue. WNC has grown and the readers’ poll keeps getting bigger — and that means more fame, more glory. A one-two combo of awesomeness is what we present to you this week and the next.

Congratulations to this year’s winners, who jabbed, slugged and hit the heavy bag all the way to championship status. Or, maybe we just set them up in photos like that. They’re probably not really so ferocious. Are they?

Enjoy the haymaking, and stay tuned for Round Two…