CANELO-GOLOVKIN REMATCH IS NOW IN JEOPARDY
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 02 Apr 2018
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) filed an official complaint against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez because the Mexican fighter failed two drug tests last February. Canelo is then required to appear, in person or by telephone, at a disciplinary hearing in Las Vegas scheduled on April 18.
The drug testing protocol was administered on Canelo in connection with his rematch with IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.
Alvarez was twice tested positive for banned substance clenbuterol in random urine tests conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association on February 17 and 20 in Guadalajara, Mexico prompting a temporary suspension from the NSAC.
Golden Boy Promotions, which handles the Mexican, have reasoned out that the positive tests resulted from contaminated meat, showing evidence from the laboratory that issued the tests.
"Right now the hearing is scheduled for April 18th, it could change depending on what happens with the attorneys... it could be sooner or it could be later... it depends on what progress they make or don't make," NSAC Executive Director Bob Bennett told BoxingScene.com.
In spite of the suspension the much awaited rematch is still on schedule on May 5 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Canelo's camp cited food contamination as the cause for the positive drug testing results, claiming the boxer had unintentionally eaten contaminated meat while training in Mexico.
But the NSAC is steadfast in abiding with their regulations, particularly the ruling of NAC 467 that were made effective in September 2016.
The complaint filed seemed to undermine the defense, stating: ?Alvarez?s utilization, ingestion and/or consumption of Clenbuterol, whether intentional or not, constitutes an anti-doping violation.?
"Since Anthony Marnell has been at the helm [as NSAC Chairman], he's been following our regulations... NAC 467, the ones that were effective on September 9 2016, and we are following them to the letter of the law, so all of the unarmed combatants know that if they test positive for performance enhancing drugs that they are treated fairly and without any prejudice or bias," Bennett declared.
The multi-million dollar revenue is at stake with the result of the upcoming hearing. The Canelo-Golovkin rematch is considered by many as the biggest fight in American in the first half of this year.
But these factors cannot influence the final ruling, says Bennett. The five-member NSAC will decide on Canelo's case by majority vote.
"I think that we've always taken a stand, sometimes correctly and sometimes incorrectly when it came to the sentencing and fines with marijuana - but by and large with this clenbuterol we are just being consistent with other unarmed combatants who have tested positive for PEDs, regardless of the amount of money involved or the economic impact, we are not going to be swayed by that, we are going to stick to what our regulations state and that's what the fighters can expect from us," Bennett said.
Golovkin's camp has argued Canelo's viewpoint on the complaint because several athletes and boxers have been tested positive for clenbuterol lately. Golovkin verbally assailed Canelo in front of reporters that the Mexican boxing icon has been using performance enhancing drugs (PED). The Kazakh champ alleged that he had photographs and videos showing injections of banned substances.
At first several fans had expected the rematch to continue without any obstacles, but now the fight is in serious jeopardy after the MGM Resorts International, which owns the T-Mobile Arena, began to offer full refunds of the tickets to the event.
Clenbuterol is a PED usually used by asthmatics and has fat dissolving reactions. Athletes were reported to resort to it to assist in reducing body fat and weight quickly. Among those who have tested positive for clenbuterol are four-division world champion Erik Morales, cyclist Alberto Contador and baseball players Raul Mondesi and Guillermo Mota.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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