Alvarez gets six-month ban
Eligible to return in August; rematch with Golovkin likely
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez could return to the ring in 2018 after the Nevada Athletic Commission unanimously voted Wednesday to suspend the Mexican boxer six months for testing positive for a banned substance.
Alvarez faced a one-year suspension at his disciplinary hearing at the Sawyer Building, but the two parties agreed before the hearing to a lighter punishment.
Caroline Bateman, who represented the commission, suggested a punishment of six months and no fine because Alvarez is a first-time offender and was cooperative with executive director Bob Bennett’s investigation. The commission voted 5-0 to approve the request.
Alvarez, who did not attend the hearing, now has the green light from the commission to pursue a Sept. 15 rematch against Gennady Golovkin.
The two were scheduled to meet May 5 at T-mobile Arena before Alvarez withdrew from the bout on April 3.
Alvarez twice tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol in February. The Nevada Athletic Commission temporarily suspended Alvarez on March 23.
The former two-division champion said he didn’t take the banned substance intentionally and pinned the positive drug tests on contaminated meat he ate in Mexico.
Alvarez, 27, is eligible to return in August because his suspension started Feb. 17, the day he failed the first test.
“As we have maintained all along, the trace amounts of clenbuterol found in Canelo’s system in February came from meat contamination, and
ALVAREZ
we provided … a great deal of evidence to support those facts,” Golden Boy Promotions, Alvarez’s promoter, said in a statement.
The statement said Alvarez looks forward to returning to the ring in September for a fight on Mexican Independence Day weekend.
Golovkin’s promoter, Tom Loeffler, and trainer, Abel Sanchez, attended the meeting Wednesday. Before Alvarez’s ruling, Loeffler announced that Golovkin will fight May 5 against Vanes Martirosyan at the Stubhub Center in Carson, California.
“They gave him the minimum suspension under their rules based on the findings,” Loeffler said. “We trust that (the commission) did a thorough investigation.
Loeffler said he wanted a fine for Alvarez, but Bennett said Alvarez didn’t warrant one because the positive tests didn’t come after a fight.
Golovkin and Alvarez had a controversial split draw at T-mobile Arena in September.
Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ Gmanzano24 on Twitter.