ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Kelly Pavlik, the homegrown son of working class America, took the mantle of middleweight king without ducking a soul.

Seven years after getting started and fresh off a dominant performance in his first title defense, stopping Gary Lockett on Saturday night in the third round at Boardwalk Hall, the slender kid nicknamed “the Ghost” threw an open challenge to just about anyone.

“If they say you’ve got to fight Godzilla tomorrow to defend your titles, I’ll probably go home and (complain) about it,” Pavlik said, “but I’ll do it.”

“My job is to go in there and fight,” he added. “If they put guys in there and tell me to go fight them, I’ll fight them.”

Indeed, the future holds big expectations and tremendous opportunities for the humble 26-year-old people’s champ, who seems to be coming into his own at a time when boxing is looking to anoint the next pound-for-pound king.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. retired again over the weekend, though nobody knows for sure whether the unbeaten welterweight will stay retired this time. The era’s most popular star, Oscar De La Hoya, is on a farewell tour and plans to fight just two more bouts, one of which was supposed to be against Mayweather. Even aging Bernard Hopkins appears to be at the end of his career.

Then there’s Joe Calzaghe, the unified 168-pound champion coming off a light heavyweight win over Hopkins. The Pride of Wales wants to retire after this year, too, and a return to the United States for a big-money pay-per-view with a young fighter who is suddenly one of the most popular and bankable stars in the sport might be the perfect closing note.

“If we can get that done, that’s going to dwarf anything you see now,” said Top Rank promoter Bob Arum. “That’s going to be a monster.”

Not quite Godzilla, but perhaps the next best thing.

Arum planned on traveling to Canastota, N.Y., on Sunday with British promoter Frank Warren, who is being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. They’ve already had several discussions about putting Calzaghe and Pavlik into the ring in what could very well be the stiffest test either of them has ever faced.

“I have to say, the talks so far have been very productive. But we’ll see. He has to consult his fighter,” Arum said. “Joe Calzaghe has never ducked anybody and we have to see if we can put it together.”

There remain issues to resolve, of course. Money is sure to be a sticking point, with Pavlik’s value skyrocketing after taking home just $2.5 million for his overwhelming destruction of Lockett, and Calzaghe already a major drawing card for fans from the U.K. who have proven plenty willing to spend money if it means following their charismatic star.

“He’s roadshow Joe,” said Warren, who also promotes Lockett. “He’s willing to go anywhere.”

Arum said Oct. 18 would be the target date for Pavlik-Calzaghe, but like any wily promoter he’s hedging his bets.

If things fall through, Pavlik will stay at middleweight and could fight anyone from Irishman John Duddy, who has a huge following in New York, to gritty Ricardo Mayorga or contender Marco Antonio Rubio, who showed up at Pavlik’s post-fight news conference Saturday night in perhaps a glimpse of things to come.

The defense of Pavlik’s WBC and WBO belts will likely come in September, meaning he could also fight again in December, perhaps trying to unify the division against either WBA champ Felix Sturm or IBF champ Arthur Abraham.

“They do got the other two belts,” Pavlik said. “I think people already recognize me as the undisputed middleweight champion, but I do want their belts. They’re nice belts. I’ll put them in my trophy case.”

Arum said that if Pavlik ends up fighting again at middleweight, one of the bouts before year’s end could take place in Ohio as a thank you to his legions of fans.

They’ve followed the young man from his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, to the boardwalk of Atlantic City, to the Las Vegas strip and back again, never wavering in their support and turning even the most menial weigh-ins into festive, impromptu pep rallies.

“I just go out there and fight,” said Pavlik, who has always stayed true to his roots. “I’ll take whatever comes next.”

Twelve inducted into boxing hall of fame

CANASTOTA, N.Y. — Larry Holmes and 11 other champions and ring personalities were inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on Sunday. Holmes headlined the 2008 induction class, which also included junior welterweight champion Eddie Perkins and late middleweight Holman Williams. All three are in the hall’s modern-era category. Middleweights Len Harvey and Frank Klaus and welterweight Harry Lewis were honored in the old-timer category, and 19th-century Irish heavyweight Dan Donnelly in the pioneer class.

A seventh-grade dropout who forged his body in eastern Pennsylvania’s steel mills and honed his boxing skills in a Police Athletic League gym, Holmes compiled a record of 69-6, with 44 knockouts. He was heavyweight champion from 1978-1985. His 20 successful title defenses were surpassed only by Joe Louis with 25. Holmes nearly matched Rocky Marciano’s perfect 49-0 mark when he was upset by Michael Spinks for his first loss.

Also inducted Sunday as non-participants or observers were trainer Bill Gore, promoters Mogens Palle and Frank Warren and journalists Dave Anderson and Joe Koizumi.

— The Associated Press