If the climb to the top was tough for Kelly Pavlik, it can’t be as troublesome as managing life at the top.

There seem to be two distinct chapters in the championship life of Pavlik. One period is from his win over Jermain Taylor through his defeat of Gary “Take a knee or three” Lockett — an idyllic, storybook period.

The other period is everything that has happened since, and it’s not been as idyllic and storybook. That bumpy period continued Thursday with the announcement of a world super middleweight boxing tournament put on by Showtime that includes many of Pavlik’s peers — but not Pavlik.

For about 18 months, the tourney will deprive Pavlik of the very the top challengers he’s eyed — and the top dollars as well.

Is the situation the doing of Showtime or Pavlik?

I have a few thoughts on that, as well as what Pavlik should do next. If I was managing Pavlik, there’s only one place I’d have him on Monday.

I’ll talk more about this Sunday in my weekly column in The Vindicator.