Contrasts form the backbone of compelling sporting rivalries.
Huang faced off on a warm, drizzly, Saturday morning. From the outset, the crowd was biased toward the underdog Huang. Cranston hadn't helped his cause by announcing recently that he was running off to hated Baltimore for a fat contract. The aging Huang had become the sentimental favorite because he had always fallen just short at the biggest events, and the crowd sensed that this was one of his last legitimate shots at a major title. On the other hand, Cranston had rarely tasted failure.