Boxer Alvarez temporarily suspended

LOS ANGELES: Mexican middleweight Saul “Canelo” Alvarez was temporarily suspended by Nevada boxing authorities on Friday over positive drug tests, putting his May 5 title rematch with Gennady Golovkin in jeopardy.

According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, Bennett declined to comment on the status of the May 5 fight in Las Vegas. Golden Boy Promotions, who handle Alvarez, reiterated their stance that the fighter hadn’t intentionally taken a banned drug.

Golden Boy had already acknowledged the fighter tested positive for banned Clenbuterol, blaming the result on tainted meat in Mexico, where the drug is sometimes used to fatten cattle.

They said Alvarez would move his training camp from Mexico to the United States and would “submit to any number and variety of additional tests” deemed necessary in the build up to the May bout.

Golovkin promoter Tom Loeffler told the Los Angeles Times that the Kazakh “is still training like he’s going to fight on May 5 and hopefully it’s against Canelo”.

Loeffler said the Nevada commission had told him Alvarez’s temporary suspension was mandated by their regulations until a hearing has been held. Undefeated Golovkin and Alvarez fought to a split draw in a September 16 thriller that ended amid some controversy.