Calzaghe announces Warren split

Joe Calzaghe has announced he has split from Frank Warren, his promoter of 12 years, as he prepares to negotiate for what he says will be the final fight of his glittering career.

Calzaghe has declared himself a free agent and reiterated his intention to fight just one more time – ideally against American great Roy Jones – before quitting his sport for good.

Calzaghe told the South Wales Argus: “I am now a free agent with no contract and intend to be self-managed from now on.

“I am the only person who can make negotiations for my next fight. Regarding that fight, I am not in negotiations with Kelly Pavlik, despite reports to the contrary.

“My intention is to fight Roy Jones Jnr, a four-weight world champion fighter.

“That would be a special event for me against a legend of the sport. There are issues to be resolved with my former promoter Frank Warren and I hope they can be done so amicably.”

Calzaghe’s contract with Warren expired after his win over Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas in April but he had been widely presumed to be ready to agree a deal to end his fighting days with Warren’s Sports Network group.

The Welshman’s first fight for Warren was a second round stoppage of Carlos Christie at the Whitchurch Leisure Centre in Bristol in January 1997.

Under Warren’s guidance, Calzaghe claimed the WBO super-middleweight title which he held for over a decade before moving up to replace Hopkins as the pre-eminent fighter at light-heavyweight.

Warren had indicated after that win that Calzaghe could join him in a promotional role once his ring career ended.

But now Calzaghe appears to have followed the examples set by fellow British fighters Ricky Hatton and David Haye, and take control of his promotional affairs.