Canelo Álvarez News: Boxer Maintains Contaminated Meat Caused Failed Drug Test; Rematch vs. Gennady Golovkin Still On
Professional boxer Canelo Álvarez maintains he is innocent and that eating contaminated meat was what caused his failed drug test results. Meanwhile, his anticipated rematch against Gennady Golovkin is still on the table.
With still months ahead of the rematch, Álvarez participated in a voluntary testing programme that his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, said the boxer "insisted" he would do. However, when the results came back, they concluded that traces of clenbuterol had been found in the boxer's system.
Álvarez's test was conducted by the SMRTL lab accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
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Clenbuterol is a bronchodilator or medicinal aid given to those with breathing disorders such as asthma. However, it is one of the banned drugs among athletes for its known anabolic effects that help anyone taking it to build leaner muscles in an unnatural way. For this reason, there are also practices of injecting the clenbuterol onto meats for human consumption, which is highly prohibited by the Food and Drugs Administration.
In the same statement, Golden Boy Promotions maintained that Álvarez's failed drug test due to clenbuterol was "consistent with meat contamination that has impacted dozens of athletes in Mexico over the last years."
SMRTL Director Daniel Eichner also said: "These values are all within the range of what is expected from meat contamination."
Meanwhile, the agencies concerned are yet to officially rule that the failed drug test was only due to meat contamination. But, as of this writing, it appears that the result has not yet affected the Álvarez-Golovkin rematch.
As for Álvarez, the Mexican boxer maintains that he has respect for the sport. "This surprises me and bothers me because it had never happened to me. I will submit to all the tests that require me to clarify this embarrassing situation, and I trust that at the end the truth will prevail," the Guadalajara native added.
Álvarez and Golovkin first fought in the ring last September 2017. However, the game ended up in a split decision. This paved the way for a rematch on May 5 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
