By Miguel Rivera
World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman does not believe the ongoing drug testing controversy will affect the superstar career of Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
Canelo is under a temporary suspension, from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, after testing positive for the banned substance clenbuterol in two separate tests that were taken back in February.
The Nevada Commission ordered Canelo to take part in a disciplinary hearing on April 18, and because of the likelihood of receiving a suspension of several months he withdrew from a scheduled rematch with middleweight king Gennady Golovkoin on May 5th.
There are numerous Mexican boxers coming up in the ranks, but Sulaiman says there is no doubt that Canelo is the undisputed king of boxing in the region.
"Yes, Canelo is undoubtedly the benchmark of Mexican boxing. He is the most popular, the most successful, but there is a lot of talent in the country. We have Berchelt, Luis Nery, Óscar Valdez, Rey Vargas, Leo Santa Cruz," Sulaiman said.
Sulaiman then explained that he was dissapointed with the way that Canelo is being treated, by fans and media, with respect to the failed drug tests.
"I have been disappointed with the treatment that has been given to this case. We all have the right to a process of studying the facts. When a positive comes out the first thing you do, before justice is done, is to analyze the substance, the amounts, the history of the boxer ... it turned out that it was clenbuterol," Sulaiman said.
"I will give you an example, and that is this... in 2011, 109 players out of 208 who were in Mexico at the U17 World Cup were positive for this substance. And there are cases in boxing like Erik Morales, who ended up fighting [after testing positive], or Francisco 'Bandido' Vargas, who tested positive for double [the levels of clenbuterol] than Canelo did, and he also fought and it was the fight of the year. I was not disappointed by Canelo's positive but by how he has been treated.
"The WBC's expert committee believes that it was food contamination. The boxing commission where the fight will take place, the television network, the promoters, the press, the fans and the social networks have not given the Canelo the due process he deserves and he's been labeled a cheat and made to look guilty. I invite everyone to analyze everything. I support Canelo Álvarez in the sense that he can not be considered guilty of doping. He can be accused of indiscipline, ignorance or care. This situation has deflated 2018. I feel bad because I would have treated this differently."
