No Cinco de Mayo fight for Las Vegas

There won’t be a major boxing event in Las Vegas during Cinco de Mayo weekend for the first time in a decade.

Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin won’t be fighting at the MGM Grand Garden for May 5, the initial backup plan for the canceled Saul “Canelo” Alvarez rematch at T-mobile Arena.

Nevada Athletic Commission executive director Bob Bennett and Tom Loeffler, Golovkin’s promoter, confirmed the change of plans on Wednesday.

“MGM thought it was too short of time to properly market a big ‘GGG’ event at the Grand Garden,” Loeffler said in a text message.

Loeffler was put in a tough position to put together a last-minute boxing card after Alvarez withdrew from the rematch last week because it became evident that his temporary suspension wouldn’t be lifted by the commission any time soon.

Alvarez is facing a one-year suspension for two positive drug tests in February. On Wednesday, Bennett said Alvarez’s hearing is still scheduled for April 18.

There are reports that Golovkin could fight May 5 at the Stubhub Center in Carson, California, in an Hbo-televised main event, but Loeffler said “nothing is finalized yet.”

Finding a venue isn’t Loeffler’s biggest concern. With Golovkin insisting on fighting during the grand boxing date, Loeffler has had a difficult time finding an opponent on short notice.

Middleweight contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko is pushing to be Golovkin’s opponent because he’s the IBF’S mandatory challenger. Golovkin also holds the WBA and WBC belts.

Derevyanchenko, 12-0, from Ukraine, is a worthy opponent but could put the lucrative rematch in jeopardy if Golovkin were to lose. Alvarez and his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, are optimistic the Mexican fighter can return from suspension in August or September to set up the rematch with Golovkin.

If Golovkin, 36, passes on Derevyanchenko, there’s a chance he could be stripped of the IBF belt. Golovkin has long coveted becoming the undisputed middleweight champion. He needs the WBO belt, which belongs to Billy Joe Saunders, to accomplish that goal.

The last time Las Vegas didn’t host a major boxing event during Cinco de Mayo weekend was in 2008 when Oscar De La Hoya defeated Steve Forbes by unanimous decision in Southern California.

Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ Gmanzano24 on Twitter.