Canelo Alvarez Stripped Of Ring Magazine Middleweight Title

Canelo Alvarez has been stripped of Ring Magazine’s middleweight title.

The publication, which first made its version of the world middleweight title back in 1933, officially stripped Alvarez of the title he has held since 2015. In a letter published on the website, Stefan Friedman said the decision came after much deliberation over what to decide after Alvarez tested positive for clenbuterol back in February. The positive test ended any hope of him and Gennady Golovkin fighting in a highly-anticipated rematch this past May 5.

Below is a tweet containing the full letter Friedman wrote explaining the reasoning behind stripping Alvarez of the title.

Alvarez, who has won titles at middleweight and junior middleweight, won the title when he defeated Miguel Cotto in 2015 after Cotto defeated Sergio Martinez in 2014. The RIng Magazine middleweight title has been held by the likes Jermain Taylor, Bernard Hopkins, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Robinson and more.

The now-former Ring middleweight champion is currently negotiating his next fight against either Golovkin or former WBA champion Daniel Jacobs. Alvarez is currently scheduled to return on Mexican Independence Day weekend this coming September. By then, his six-month drug suspension handed to him by the Nevada State Athletic Commission would have ended.

This is now the second time this year a boxer has been stripped of the Ring Magazine title, albeit for different reasons. Tyson Fury was stripped of the heavyweight title earlier this year due to not meeting a deadline to announce an opponent for his first fight since 2015, which took place on June 9.