Canelo Alvarez Explains How He First Knew About Positive Drug Test Result

Canelo Alvarez details how he was first notified of his positive drug tests for traces of clenbuterol.

During a media briefing where it was announced Alvarez would withdraw from his upcoming middleweight title rematch against Gennady Golovkin on May 5, Alvarez reveals who and how he was notified of his first positive drug test, which was on February 17. The current lineal middleweight champion said Golden Boy Promotions President Eric Gomez called Alvarez and informed him of his positive test, but that the people who examined the test result said they were almost certain that it came from contaminated food Alvarez consumed.

When Golden Boy Promotions first announced Alvarez’s positive test, Alvarez claimed the test came from consuming contaminated meat.

“Eric called me and at that point, he said, ‘I have to tell you something. [The test] came out positive.’ So my first reaction was that they’re wrong, positive for what? [Eric said], ‘Don’t worry, everything is going to be all right because those guys are almost 100 percent certain, like 95 percent sure that it came from food contamination,” Alvarez said in Spanish.

Alvarez is temporarily suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the commission plans to give a final ruling on the length of Alvarez’s suspension. The former junior middleweight world champion could be looking at a potential one-year suspension but could have the suspension cut to only six months retroactive to the date of the first failed drug test, February 17. Alvarez would then be eligible to return on August 17 at the earliest.

Alvarez also failed a second test on February 20, but he has passed all of his drug tests, administered by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), since then. Alvarez’s comments can be seen in the video above.