By Jim Dower: Saul Canelo Alvarez will be facing a possible 1-year suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission when he meets with them next month on April 18 for his hearing on his 2 positive tests for the performance enhancing substance clenbuterol.
In the Nevada Commission’s 8-page complaint, they’re talking about potentially suspending the 27-year-old Canelo for up to 1 year, according to the LA Times., and they’re saying that Canelo is “guilty of foul or unsportsmanlike conduct that was detrimental to a contest.” What the Commission is talking about is Canelo’s scheduled “contest” against Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) on May 5 in their rematch in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The fight is now on shaky ground due to the strong possibility that Canelo will be suspended by the Nevada Commission when they meet with him on April 18. It’s impossible to know for certain whether the Commission will suspend Canelo, but everything is pointing in that direction right now. If Canelo is suspended, then the best that can be hoped for would be a short suspension of 3 to 6 months. I’m not sure whether the Commission even gives 3-month suspension for positive PED tests. That would seem like a fairly light suspension for a positive test for clenbuterol.
As part of the Nevada’s 2016 regulations, a fighter testing positive for a banned substance can be suspended whether they were exposed to it on accident rather than on purpose. In the superstar Canelo’s case, he’s been saying that he ate contaminated meat in his home country of Mexico. That excuse doesn’t look like it’ll work with the Nevada Commission though. The fighter is responsible for what goes into their body.
If Canelo is able to make state his case in a way that is convincing with the 5-member Commission on April 18, there’s a chance that they reduce his suspension by one-half by giving him a 6-month suspension rather than a 1-year. A six-month suspension means Canelo will only miss his May 5th fight date. Canelo fights 2 times per year in May and September. A six-month suspension means Canelo can return to the ring in September to face Golovkin if he wishes. Canelo will still have been out of the ring for 1-year since his last fight in September of 2017.
”I’m ready for anybody. I just want to fight. I’m ready for May,” Golovkin said to the LA Times Facebook. ”Just ask the Commission, not me.”
Golovkin appears to be less willing to make comments about Canelo after the blowup about the way he ripped into him last week.
”We’re just weighing all our options, but we’re waiting for the Commission,” Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler said to LA Times Facebook. ”He’s still in full training. We’re going to see what the Commission says. It’s the biggest fight in boxing. That’s his priority, Canelo. If for some reason Canelo can’t fight, we must see what Gennady wants to do. He still wants to fight on May 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada,” Loeffler said.
If Canelo receives a 6 to 12-month suspension by the Commission on the 18th of April, it means Golovkin and Loeffler will need to find a suitable opponent for May 5. If they’re going to stay on that date and fight in Vegas, it’s going to take some work to find a big enough name to attract a large crowd at the T-Mobile Arena. Demetrius Andrade seems to be the only name that has been mentioned that can step in to face Golovkin. Billy Joe Saunders is injured, and not likely going to be able to return from his injury in time to fight on May 5. He already has a June 23 scheduled fight against Martin Murray.
Jermall Charlo and Danny Jacobs both have fights scheduled in April. Contender Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan’s name has been mentioned. but he’s not a well-known fighter in the U.S. There won’t be a lot of interest from the casual boxing fans in the States in a fight between Golovkin and O’Sullivan. That’s more of a soft voluntary defense that won’t interest fans in the U.S. If all Loeffler can get for Golovkin to fight on May 5 is O’Sullivan, then so be it, but I don’t think that’s a fight that will interest fans in any tangible way.
There will only 3 weeks to pick an opponent for GGG if Canelo receives a long suspension on April 18. The question is what top contender will be willing to face a dangerous puncher like Golovkin on short notice. If Andrade and O’Sullivan are the only 2 names available, then Andrade is probably the best bet for GGG to fight rather than O’Sullivan. If Golovkin was going to be fighting in the UK, then a fight against O’Sullivan would make perfect sense. But that fight won’t fly in the U.S because O’Sullivan isn’t a household name in the States. Golovkin needs an opponent that at least the casual boxing fans have heard of before. I don’t think there are too many fans that have heard of him.