The fight, scheduled for May 5, was expected to be a highlight of the boxing year. Their first bout last September ended in a hard-fought draw.
Canelo Alvarez pulled out of his much anticipated fight with Gennady Golovkin on Tuesday in the wake of his positive drug tests earlier this year.
The fight, scheduled for May 5, was expected to be a highlight of the boxing year. The two middleweights are among the most accomplished active fighters, and their first bout last September ended in a hard-fought draw. Golovkin is 37-0-1, and Alvarez is 49-1-2. The Ring Magazine currently ranks Golovkin as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, with Alvarez at No. 4.
Alvarez had tested positive for clenbuterol on Feb. 17 and 21. He claimed that the result came because he had eaten tainted meat in Mexico, where clenbuterol is sometimes given to animals.
Clenbuterol is used by some athletes to drop body fat and weight.
The Nevada Athletic Commission had scheduled a hearing in two weeks on the matter, and it could suspend Alvarez.
Eric Gomez, the president of Golden Boy Promotions, told reporters that promoters were concerned that the matter would not be resolved in time for the fight.
“I have always been a clean fighter and I always will be a clean fighter,” Alvarez insisted.
Golovkin was likely to fight a different opponent on May 5 in Las Vegas. Depending on a possible suspension, a Golovkin-Alvarez fight could still be scheduled late this year or next year.
Alvarez is a longtime sports hero, especially to Mexicans and Mexican Americans. Golovkin’s hard hitting knockouts and willingness to fight all comers have made him a viral video sensation and one of the biggest draws among fight aficionados.
