Mr. Panettiere, Err, Klitschko Fights for Respect

Wladimir Klitschko is the Heavyweight Champion of the World. Really, I'm serious.

I don't know what is more pathetic. The fact that almost no one even knew the best heavyweight in the world was fighting last weekend or the fact that he's bigger news walking behind his TV actress girlfriend as she visits a Japanese town known for killing Flipper and his friends.

The sad thing is that Wladimir isn't a bad boxer. He's actually has a lot of similarities to the last true heavyweight champ, Lennox Lewis.

He's big, strong, and he has a jab that will put almost any fighter to sleep over the course of a championship fight.

The problem is he puts fight fans to sleep just as easily. 

Worse yet, there isn't anyone in the whole division who can give Wladimir a decent fight. He's that much better than everyone else.

That's why so many fight fans are rooting hard for someone, anyone with a little excitement to show up in the Heavyweight Division. 

It's why some people tried to get excited about Chris Arreola. An LA kid with a little punching power and a whole lot of personality.

If only he could fight a little.

A lot of people think American football is one of the main reasons for the decline in the heavyweight ranks. They say all the best athletes play football now instead of going into boxing.

But with 6 billion people on the planet, and humans getting bigger in size every year you'd think there would be a least a couple guys over the cruiserweight limit who can box a little.

But you would be wrong. 

I had hope for Sam Peter a couple of years ago but he now seems determined to eat himself out of boxing faster than James Toney, and that's saying something.

I held out hope that Vitali Klitschko would finally get fed up with playing second fiddle to his younger brother and agree to a fight between the brothers.

That fight would have at least had some drama to it. Cain and Abel squaring off in the squared circle. 

Now Vitali is talking retirement again. Meaning that fight will most likely never happen.

Unless, of course, Hayden catches the elder Klitschko eating non-dolphin-safe tuna.

All I know is I looked at the top 50 Heavyweights on Boxing Record a few minutes ago and it was a who's who of has beens, never was's and never ever will be's.

The only upcoming fight that I found remotely interesting was David Tua's fight next week against Friday Ahunanya. 

I'm don't know if that's because I like Tua's devastating power or the fact that he's fighting Friday on a Wednesday. Third base!

The point is the Heavyweight Division has historically been the pillar upon which boxing the sport rests. In good times and bad.

Right now the division is the worst I've ever seen it, and it doesn't look to change any time soon. 

That can't be good for the sport. Or for Klitschko.