"World of Dance" Recap: It's a Duel, Duel Summer

Oh man. This is getting ROUGH.

Last night marked the second round of head-to-head duels on “World of Dance.” Once again, we were feeling real pity for the judges—and it takes a lot for us to pity J. Lo—because we’ve reached a point in the competition where there aren’t any clear winners. Everyone’s insanely good. And yesterday’s showdowns paired acts that were so unalike, comparing them felt a little unfair.

So, who emerged from these cruel duels victorious?

Les Twins vs. Kyle Van Newkirk

Actually, OK: We did call this one. We had a feeling that our favorite Parisians, who earned the highest score in the qualifying round, would continue their leaderboard domination, and their creepily mesmerizing routine didn’t disappoint. That said, tapper Van Newkirk gave the twins a run for their money with his hip-hop-meets-old-Hollywood solo.

Winner: Les Twins

Diana Pombo vs. The Posse

Sometimes we feel weird about large groups competing against solo acts. But tiny Diana Pombo’s warrior-princess routine had more emotional juice than The Posse’s clean but comparatively dry number.

Winner: Diana Pombo

Super Cr3w vs. Royal Flux

This competition’s arena-style setting definitely gives high-energy hip-hop acts an edge. While Royal Flux’s contemporary routine featured gorgeously intricate lifts and knotty formations, Super Cr3w’s world-class b-boy tricks just played better on the “WOD” stage.

Winner: Super Cr3w

The Lab vs. Boys of Temecula

This was one of the tightest races of the night, mostly because the dueling acts—both large groups of hip-hop kids—had so much in common (for once). Ultimately, The Lab’s boxing-themed routine packed a bigger punch (sorry) than Boys of Temecula’s sweet but one-note number.

Winner: The Lab

The next “WOD” episode (the show returns July 11, following the Independence Day holiday) features the third and final round of duels—which, apparently, includes a three-way battle. Color us intrigued!