Canelo Alvarez blames contaminated meat after testing positive for banned substance

SAN ANTONIO – The highly anticipated middleweight title rematch between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin is still on despite Golden Boy Promotions announcing Canelo tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

According to a statement shared with KSAT 12 Sports, Golden Boy Promotions said Canelo tested positive for trace levels of clenbuterol after consuming what the decorated Mexican boxer claims as “contaminated meat.”

According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, clenbuterol is a powerful drug sometimes used for performance-enhancement by athletes to increase lean muscle mass and reduce body fat.

The drug, however, has been reported by the agency also to be used to promote growth in livestock, which is illegal in the U.S. and in Europe.

Daniel Eichner, the director of the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory who handled Alvarez’s sample, said in the statement, "These values are all within the range of what is expected from meat contamination."

The positive ruling was part of the voluntary testing program that Canelo insisted on ahead of his May 5 pay-per-view fight against Golovkin. 

“I am an athlete who respects the sport and this surprises me and bothers me because it had never happened to me,” Alvarez said in the statement. “I will submit to all the tests that require me to clarify this embarrassing situation and I trust that at the end the truth will prevail.”

According to a tweet sent by ESPN’s SportsCenter, Golden Boy Promotions said the May 5 rematch is still on despite the positive test.

In the statement, Golden Boy Promotions said Canelo has since moved his training camp from Mexico to the United States.

The promotions company said Canelo will submit to any number and variety of additional tests necessary ahead of and after the Cinco De Mayo pay-per-view fight.