Calzaghe says he wants Jones Jr., not Pavlik, for next bout

Who will be Kelly Pavlik’s next opponent?

How many names of fighters will pop up over the summer as a possible opponent for the undefeated WBC/WBO middleweight champion from Youngstown, who retained his title with a knockout of Gary Lockett June 7 in Atlantic City?

The game of musical chairs continued this week when Joe Calzaghe of Wales, who had been Pavlik’s top preference as his next opponent in September, ended his relationship with long-time promoter Frank Warren.

Warren, considered the top promoter in the United Kingdom, had been pushing for a Calzaghe-Pavlik fight.

Calzaghe, the light heavyweight and super middleweight champion, announced to his hometown newspaper, the South Wales Argus, that from now on he will serve as his own manager.

And that means, “I am not in negotiations with Kelly Pavlik, despite reports to the contrary. My intention is to fight Roy Jones Jr., a four-weight world champion fighter.”

Pavlik had hoped to jump up to the super middleweight to challenge Calzaghe.

But with Calzaghe out of the picture, it didn’t take long for another possible Pavlik opponent to surface. He’s Sergio Mora, the first-season winner of “The Contender,” who won the junior middleweight title by upending Vernon Forrest on June 7.