Joe Calzaghe’s near 11-year reign as world super-middleweight champion, believed to be the longest in any sport, appears over after it became clear that he will not box at the weight again.

Calzaghe, who moved up to light-heavyweight to beat Bernard Hopkins in April, is considering two opponents for his next bout — which could be his last — but neither would be at super-middleweight. Calzaghe, 36, favours a contest against Roy Jones Jr, a former multiple world champion at lightheavyweight. But should he decide to face Kelly Pavlik, the WBC and WBO middleweight champion, it would be a catchweight bout above the supermiddleweight limit.

“I’m not having my man kill himself to make the weight,” Frank Warren, Calzaghe’s promoter, said. “It’s a great fight, it doesn’t need the belts.” Calzaghe has boxed at super-middleweight since he turned professional in 1993. He beat Chris Eubank for the WBO title in 1997 and has since won the IBF, WBC and WBA belts to be one of only two boxers — the other being Hopkins — to have won all four recognised versions of a world title. But in recent years he has found it increasingly difficult to keep to the 12st limit.

While Warren and Bob Arum, Pavlik’s promoter, have had talks — and dates of October 18 and November 15 have been mentioned — the idea of Pavlik moving up two weight divisions could jeopardise the bout. Pavlik has an exciting alternative in Arthur Abraham, the IBF middleweight champion from Germany, who made a sensational US debut on Saturday, stopping the highly rated Edison Miranda in four rounds.

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