Canelo Alvarez blames contaminated meat for failed drugs test

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and his promoters have blamed contaminated meat after the Mexican boxing star tested positive for trace levels of the banned drug clenbuterol.

Alvarez attended a voluntary drugs test ahead of his 5 May rematch with middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.

After the test returned positive, his promoters Golden Boy Promotions announced that the amount was “consistent” with meat contamination cases in Mexico, the Daily Telegraph reports.

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In a statement published by The Guardian, Golden Boy Promotions said: “As part of the voluntary testing programme that Canelo Alvarez insisted on ahead of his 5 May fight, one of his results came back positive for trace levels of clenbuterol, consistent with meat contamination that has impacted dozens of athletes in Mexico over the last years.

“Upon receiving this information, Golden Boy immediately notified the Nevada State Athletic Commission and Golovkin’s promoter, Tom Loeffler.”

ESPN reports that as part of the Golovkin-Alvarez contract terms, both fighters agreed to be randomly tested by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association. Daniel Eichner, director at a World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory that conducted the tests, told the BBC: “These values are all within the range of what is expected from meat contamination.”

Alvarez says he is surprised by the test results but believes the “truth will prevail”. He said: “I am an athlete who respects the sport and 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.”

Despite the positive drugs test, the Golovkin vs. Alvarez rematch is expected to go ahead in Las Vegas on 5 May. Golden Boy Promotions also revealed that Alvarez’s training camp will immediately be moved from Mexico to the United States.

Golovkin’s promoter Loeffler said: “We would like the fight to continue if there is any way for that to happen. Triple G always has wanted to undergo testing because he hits so hard and is so well-conditioned, he didn’t want there to be any questions on his side. He had wanted both fighters to undergo testing to make for a level playing field as much as possible.”