Mexican boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez suspended for six months for doping violations, eligible to return in September.
Alvarez was slated to face Golovkin for his unified middleweight title on May 5 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but the fight was off the table following a pair of failed drug tests, received six-month on Wednesday during a Nevada Athletic Commission hearing in Las Vegas.
Alvarez and members of Golden Boy Promotions were not present at the hearing, but the boxer denied over the phone intentionally taking the banned substance clenbuterol.
Alvarez blamed the positive test on tainted meat from his native Mexico.
Golden Boy Promotions issued the following statement on the settlement:
“As we have maintained all along, the trace amounts of clenbuterol found in Canelo’s system in February came from meat contamination, and we provided the Nevada State Athletic Commission with a great deal of evidence to support those facts.”
Although most professional sports, international anti-doping agencies and United States boxing commissions treat meat contamination differently from other positive tests, Nevada does not. Canelo and Golden Boy Promotions respect the rules of Nevada and are therefore satisfied with the settlement agreement reached today.
“Canelo looks forward to returning to the ring in September for Mexican Independence Day weekend to represent Mexico and boxing in what will be the sport’s biggest event of the year. He is ready to continue his remarkable record of fighting at the highest level.”
Canelo’s ban will be lifted on Aug. 17, six months from Feb. 17, the date of his first positive drug test.
In addition to the ban, Canelo will have to pass drug tests prior to his next fight in Nevada. He did not receive any fine, because his fight with Golovkin didn’t happen, so there was no purse. But he must pay for and provide NAC with negative test results, both in and out of competition, before his next fight in Nevada.
Golovkin remained steadfast in wanting to keep his May 5 fighting date is now set to fight Vanes Martirosyan at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.
