Dancing with the Stars 2011 lineup: Will Sugar Ray Leonard knock out the Karate Kid?

It’s March, and another roster for “Dancing with the Stars” has been announced. Where did the time go? It seems like yesterday when we actually worried that the wildly popular but less-talented Bristol Palin might snatch the crown from fleet-footed Jennifer Grey. (She didn't.)

This time around it’s a male battle that has tongues wagging. With two fighters in the ring (legendary boxer Sugar Ray Leonard and wrestler Chris Jericho) as well as a movieland warrior (Ralph Macchio in the 1984 ‘The Karate Kid’), it’s anyone’s guess who will be victorious.

The fun of DWTS is the element of surprise, watching to see who will play against type and bust some bold dance moves. It may seem counterintuitive for a football player to trip the light fantastic, but Pittsburgh Steeler and Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward is in good company with former contestants ex-NFL star Jerry Rice, who took second place in Season 2, and Emmitt Smith, who won Season 3.

Rapper Romeo, aside from his rhythmic abilities, is said to be handy with a basketball, which may give him a graceful advantage. Mike “Psycho Mike” Catherwood, co-host of the national call-in radio show “Loveline,” reportedly is intimidated by the prospect of competing on the dance floor. But he has faced down drug addiction, so learning to fox trot should be a cinch.

As for the ladies, there’s a stunning Sports Illustrated swimsuit model (Petra Nemcova), a young Disney star (Chelsea Kane of the TV show ‘Jonas L.A.’), a brash talk show host (Wendy Williams), a reality show phenomenon with a Playboy pedigree (Kendra Wilkinson), and a famous actress (Kirstie Alley, who until now has turned down repeated requests to be on the show).

Between Ms. Alley and Ms. Williams there should be more than enough 'tude on tap to keep things interesting. And, as always, all eyes will be on the flamboyant costume changes.

May the best cha-cha-cha win.