Canelo Alvarez, Golden Boy Say Positive PED Test Due to Eating Contaminated Meat

Canelo Alvarez said contaminated meat led to his positive test for clenbuterol ahead of his May fight with Gennady Golovkin.

Golden Boy Promotions said in a statement (via Boxing Scene) that Alvarez is moving his training camp from Mexico to the United States, and Alvarez said he'd be willing to take additional drug tests.

"I am an athlete who respects the sport and this surprises me and bothers me because it had never happened to me," he said. "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."

Daniel Eichner, the director of the lab that conducted the tests on Alvarez's sample, said in the statement the levels of clenbuterol "are all within the range of what is expected from meat contamination."

Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole shared the full statement from Golden Boy Promotions:

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency dedicated a page of its website to the issue of contaminated meat leading to a positive drug test for athletes. According to USADA, farmers will use clenbuterol to "promote growth in livestock, including cattle, lamb, poultry and swine."

The World Anti-Doping Agency also issued a warning for athletes in 2011 to "exercise extreme caution" when consuming meat in China or Mexico, noting that both countries "have a serious problem with meat contaminated with the prohibited substance clenbuterol."

It's unclear whether Alvarez's positive test impacts his rematch with Golovkin, but the fact he's moving the location of his training camp—rather than scrapping it altogether—would seemingly indicate he still plans to fight on May 5.

Golovkin and Alvarez fought to a split decision in their first meeting last September. One judge scored it 118-110 in favor of Alvarez, while another had Golovkin winning 115-113. A third judge scored the fight as a draw, 114-114.