The Mexican middleweight boxer Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (35) has been positively tested for the calf fattening agent Clenbuterol. This was announced by Golden Boy Promotions on Monday by the US box promotion company Golden Boy Promotions, stating the reason for eating contaminated meat. For the 5. The return match against the undefeated Kazakhstan world champion Gennadi Golowkin (35) planned for May 1 is thus at least in danger.
The promotion company stated in an official statement that the positive sample had been taken during a voluntary drug test. According to the director of the laboratory that carried out the tests,”all values are within the range of what can be expected from meat contamination”. Clenbuterol is an active ingredient from the group of beta-2 agonists and is also used for the treatment of asthma.
“I’m an athlete who respects the sport and I’m surprised and annoyed because I’ve never had anything like this happen to me,”said Alvarez in a statement:”I’ll take all the tests that are required of me to clear up this embarrassing situation”.
Alvarez is now relocating its training camp from Mexico to the USA and will continue to undergo further tests that the World Anti-Doping Agency considers necessary before the rebel is launched.
Alvarez and Golowkin had drawn in Las Vegas in September 2017 after a spectacular fight. Still in the ring both boxers announced their readiness for a rematch after the last gong.