By Keith Idec
Canelo Alvarez adamantly denied Tuesday that he did anything wrong leading up to his two failed performance-enhancing drug tests in February.
Alvarez insisted during a press conference/conference call in Los Angeles that he is a clean fighter and always has been clean. The Mexican superstar emphasized that he doesn’t use PEDs after announcing that he has withdrawn from his high-profile rematch against Gennady Golovkin, which was scheduled for May 5 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The 27-year-old Alvarez and his handlers repeatedly stated Tuesday that clenbuterol turned up his system due to meat contamination, a common problem in Mexico. Alvarez was living and training in his native Guadalajara when he failed two Voluntary Anti-Doping Association tests February 17 and February 20.
This PED ordeal has tarnished Alvarez’s reputation inside the boxing industry and among some fans, but he continually claimed he is innocent Tuesday.
“I am truly shocked by what has happened and I lament that his has led people to have doubts and suspicions about my athletic integrity,” Alvarez said, according to a translator. “I have always been a clean fighter and I always will be a clean fighter. I want to apologize for all of the inconvenience that this has caused to HBO, MGM, Tecate, Hennessy, all my other sponsors, the media and to everyone that is involved in the promotion of this event – and especially to the fans. To them I want to say, I have not let you down. I respect the sport and I will always be a clean fighter.
“Now I’d like to clarify the situation. I have always done tests before my fights with VADA. They are voluntary and despite [those] being voluntary, I have always agreed to do them for every single one of my fights. I have asked that they do these tests, and they’ve always come back negative. I am a clean fighter. On this occasion, the results showed small traces of clenbuterol in my system. I know many of you are asking yourselves how this has happened if I didn’t intentionally take clenbuterol. Unfortunately, there is a public problem in my country, Mexico. Over the last few years, many athletes from many sports – cycling, football, soccer and boxing – have tested positive for clenbuterol after eating meat in Mexico. This substance can be transmitted into humans through meat in Mexico, and contaminated meat is what caused this test [result].”
Alvarez and his team will present their contaminated meat claim to the Nevada State Athletic Commission during his hearing April 18 in Las Vegas. The NSAC is expected to extend his temporary suspension at that meeting for at least six months, which would be retroactive to his first positive test and thus end after August 17.
The 27-year-old Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) reiterated Tuesday that he wants to reschedule his highly anticipated rematch against Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) for as soon as possible after his suspension ends. If his suspension concludes in mid-August, their rematch could be rescheduled for September 15.
A medical expert from Mexico was among those that joined Alvarez at Golden Boy Promotions’ headquarters Tuesday in Los Angeles. He stated that the level of clenbuterol in Alvarez’s system at the time of the two failed tests is consistent with meat contamination.
“Since the positive tests, I have submitted to various additional tests with the same laboratory and those results have all come back negative,” Alvarez said. “To be clear, I am a clean fighter. However, I respect the Nevada State Athletic Commission and I understand that under its laws and its regulations there are certain penalties and certain sanctions, even for unintentional positive results and even for consuming meat. The reality is that, unfortunately, as a result of this the rematch will have to wait a little longer.
“I truly am disappointed and upset because I will not be able to participate in the rematch against Golovkin. I was very much looking forward to this fight. I had been training and I wanted to get in the ring and prove, once and for all, that I am the best middleweight in the world. I am sad and I feel powerless that I can’t make this fight happen at this point.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
