Real Heavyweight Champ? Wladimir Klitschko Needs to Knock Tony Thompson Out

Wladimir Klitschko is the heavyweight champion of the world, in the sense that he's putting a couple of heavyweight title belts on the line when he fights Tony Thompson in Germany tomorrow, and in the sense that he's the top-rated heavyweight according to The Ring.

But Klitschko has had so many lackluster performances -- including a lopsided but dull unanimous decision victory over Sultan Ibragimov in his last fight -- that hardly anyone is talking about his fight with Thompson, even though it's just over 24 hours away. That's why Klitschko needs not just to win, but to dominate.

The Bodog odds overwhelmingly favor Klitschko to do just that:

Wladimir Klitschko by KO,TKO, or DQ -140

Wladimir Klitschko by Decision +240

Tony Thompson by KO,TKO, or DQ +640

Tony Thompson by Decision +1900

Draw +3200

The odds strongly suggest that Klitschko should knock Thompson out, and if he doesn't, I think he's rapidly running out of time to ever garner recognition as a great heavyweight. At age 32, Klitschko could still have several years of boxing left in him, but he doesn't have much time left to make his case that he's a great fighter, and not just the biggest fish in a small heavyweight pond.

We'll be live blogging the Klitschko-Thompson fight Saturday afternoon here at FanHouse.