GGG left in limbo as fight with ‘Canelo’ Alvarez falling apart

LOS ANGELES — Gennady Golovkin stood by the entrance doors Thursday at the Cinerama Dome with fans lining up to take pictures with the unified middleweight champion.

Golovkin obliged to the fans’ request, but the boxer’s glowing smile was absent. His mind was elsewhere.

Golovkin had perspiration running down his forehead. His black suit and white button-up wasn’t as crisp as the purple outfit he wore last month for the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez rematch news conference.

The fighter from Kazakhstan was there for the Andre the Giant world premiere, but he had a colossal cloud hanging over him.

“Kind of a strange setting,” said Fred Sternburg, Golovkin’s publicist.

On the night “HBO Sports” celebrated the premiere of its documentary on the iconic wrestler, the cable network’s biggest fight of 2018 was quickly falling apart. Golovkin and Alvarez are scheduled to fight May 5 at T-Mobile Arena.

Alvarez was shown on the screen multiple times for a few awkward seconds, but he wasn’t there to provide answers on his positive drug tests that led the Nevada Athletic Commission to file a formal complaint against the Mexican fighter on Tuesday for anti-doping violations.

Golovkin took the questions that were meant for Alvarez. He didn’t have much to offer on the status of the highly anticipated rematch that looks to be in serious jeopardy.

“We really don’t know,” said Abel Sanchez, Golovkin’s trainer. “We’re waiting for the commission to decide.”

With the formal complaint, the commission moved Alvarez’s April 10 hearing to its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on April 18 to decide if the bout will go forward. All signs, however, point to a canceled or postponed bout.

The commission is seeking a one-year suspension that won’t allow Alvarez to fight anywhere in the United States. He twice tested positive for the banned substance Clenbuterol in February.

Alvarez said contaminated meat he ate in Mexico was the reason his drug tests had trace levels of Clenbuterol. Regardless if it was taken accidentally, the commission’s rule state that a suspension applies.

“Alvarez’s utilization, ingestion and/or consumption of Clenbuterol, whether intentional or not, constitutes an anti-doping violation,” executive director Bob Bennett said in his filed complaint against Alvarez.

MGM Resorts International, which operates T-Mobile Arena, is already prepared for a canceled bout, as it revealed this week that ticket refunds are available.

Sanchez said he and Golovkin still want a Cinco de Mayo bout in Las Vegas without Alvarez.

“I predicted this almost a month ago,” Sanchez said. “I knew the commission was going to wait until the last minute to give us an answer. I’ll be disappointed if it’s not against Canelo, but those are the consequences.”

It’s unlikely that Golovkin would find a notable opponent for the May 5 date. Golovkin, who turns 36 next month, is now left in limbo during one of his final prime years.

It might be time for Alvarez to accept the consequences, not wait until next month, and possibly get a reduced suspension of six months.

Step aside until September and let Golovkin, HBO and boxing fans have a proper Cinco de Mayo celebration.

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Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GManzano24 on Twitter.