Canelo faces short suspension

All had appeared quiet on the Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez allegations of performance enhancing drug usage.

Canelo tested positive for elevated levels of Clenbuterol on two separate tests on February 17th and February 20th.

However the Nevada State Athletic Commission who will be the sanctioning body for the fight with Gennady Golovkin have announced that Canelo will face a temporary suspension, pending a formal hearing on April 10th.

As of now the rematch between Canelo and GGG is still scheduled to go ahead on the traditional boxing night Cinco De Mayo, May 5th Mexican holiday weekend.

The fight is due to take place at the T–Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and will be a HBO PPV event.

Golovkin’s promoter, Tom Loeffler told The RING Magazine his fighter is still hopeful of facing Canelo on May 5th and that Golovkin will remain in an active 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.”

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 told The RING explained further the process involved.

“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 who are Canelo’s promoters issued a response.

“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 Promotion have always been adamant that the positibe test was due to Canelo having consumed contaminated Mexican meat.