There has finally been movement regarding the ongoing Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez allegations of performance enhancing drug usage.
Following testing positive for elevated levels Clenbuterol on two separate tests on February 17th and February 20th.
It has been relatively quiet regarding Canelo’s future. But in a meeting on Friday between Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez, GGG’s promoter Tom Loeffler and Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Bob Bennett, a decision was made.
Lineal Ring Magazine Middleweight Champion @Canelo 100% focused in training camp. 🇲🇽👊🏼 #CaneloGGG2#TeamCanelopic.twitter.com/Fq8Q4zBATN
— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) March 19, 2018
The Nevada State Athletic Commission who of course will be sanctioning any upcoming Canelo – Golovkin rematch, have decided to temporarily suspend the Mexican 2-weight world champion pending a formal hearing 17 days from now on April 10th.
Curiously, at this moment in time, Canelo is still scheduled to lock horns with the undefeated Kazakh puncher, Gennady Golovkin in their highly anticipated rematch on the ‘Cinco De Mayo’ Mexican holiday May 5th weekend.
That fight will take place at The T-Mobile Arena and will be a HBO PPV event.
Golovkin’s promoter, Tom Loeffler caught up with The RING Magazine and stressed his fighter is still hopeful of facing Canelo on May 5th and assured fight fans that the Kazakh will remain hard at work in training camp.
He plans to fight May 5, hopefully it’s against Canelo depending on what happens April 10,” Tom Loeffler, told THE RING.
“I think they still have to go through their different procedures. We’re leaving it in the hands of the commission.”
“We only asked for a thorough and transparent investigation and from everything I’ve seen that’s what’s happened so far.”
“We’ll just wait for the outcome of the hearing.”
“Nothing is going to change on his side. Golovkin is still training.”
Nos vemos el 5 de mayo. Gracias por apoyarme ! 🇲🇽 See you on May 5, Thanks for your support #CANELOGGG2#teamcanelo pic.twitter.com/PMtZkxi6TU
— Canelo Alvarez (@Canelo) March 8, 2018
The Nevada State Athletic Commission issued a statement which read the following:
“Mr. Alvarez is temporarily suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission per the executive director for his adverse analytical findings, that being Clenbuterol, on February 17 and 20,”
“A commission hearing is scheduled for April 10, 2018 to hear from Mr. Alvarez or for Mr. Alvarez to attend.”
Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Bob Bennett detailed exactly what the goals and aims of the hearing will be on April 10th while speaking with The RING Magazine.
“That meeting is for Mr. Alvarez to be able to articulate his position to the chairman and the commissioners who actually determine what the penalty or suspension is, or if there’s no punishment,” Bennett told THE RING.
“They decide the findings, not me. I did some investigating and looked into a number of different factors that needed to be considered, now it’s up to Mr. (Anthony) Marnell and the others to make the decision.”
“It’s an open meeting, there’s no back channels or they would be in violation with the law and they would be prosecuted, so everything is above board.”
“So everything (the commission) wants to ask, they need to ask in public.
“They’ll see what the general consensus is. It’s predicated on what Mr. Alvarez says and what the facts of the case dictate.”
“He tested positive for it, whether it’s intentional or unintentional, he’s gotta be able to explain to us how that happened.”
Golden Boy Promotions are led by former 6-weight world champion Oscar De La Hoya. They handle Canelo’s affairs and they issued the following retort to the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s decision.
It’s going down!! #May5#CaneloGGG2#CincoDeMayo@hboboxing#PPV#NoJudgespic.twitter.com/nuy4BgroF0
— Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) March 15, 2018
“We respect the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s process and will vigorously present Canelo’s case throughout.”
“Over his career Canelo has tested clean more than 90 times and would never intentionally take a banned substance.”
Golden Boy’s words echo and reaffirm what they’ve been adamant about all along.
Two weeks ago they commented in a previous statement that the positive test came as a result of consuming contaminated meat.
It should be noted that Alvarez tested negative for the substance on two further tests at the beginning of March.
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