In 2018, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez found himself at the center of a huge controversy. He had tested positive for clenbuterol, a banned substance. “I am an athlete who respects the sport and this surprises me and bothers me because it had never happened to me,” Canelo Alvarez said at the time, attributing the result to contaminated meat consumed in Mexico. The positive tests, conducted on February 17 and 20, ultimately forced the then-27-year-old middleweight to withdraw from his highly anticipated rematch with Gennady Golovkin, following their controversial draw the previous September. Still, Alvarez wasn’t without support.

Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez publicly defended him, stating, “He’s been tested many times and never had findings, nothing. And every fight they test him 10, 15 times, at least a dozen times.” Despite that defense, Canelo Alvarez wasn’t spared the punishment. The Nevada State Athletic Commission initially handed down a one-year suspension, later reduced to six months due to his cooperation during the investigation. At the time, Canelo had just one loss on his record to Floyd Mayweather Jr., and the doping allegations dealt a significant blow to his reputation. Now, seven years later, Canelo has opened up about how that experience affected him, especially as one of his own teammates faces a similar situation.

The confession came just two months ahead of their highly anticipated showdown on September 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, as Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez appeared together for an hour-long interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored. During the candid conversation, Morgan brought up Canelo’s 2018 positive drug test, reminding him, “You failed a drug test, and you did a six-month suspension. You said it was because you had some contaminated meat.” The 34-year-old immediately pushed back, stating, “Its proof there.” When Morgan noted that many still label him a “drugs cheat,” the Mexican superstar stood firm. “No, people who don’t want to believe, they don’t believe. Even if it is true what I say, or the proof is there. They want to believe what they want to believe, and I don’t really care about it.”

Morgan continued pressing, asking if the 63-2 boxer viewed the incident as a blemish on his record or something he wished had never happened. But the two-time undisputed super middleweight champion appeared unfazed. “No, I did not feel it,” Canelo Alvarez said, reiterating that he had nothing to be ashamed of, as he knows he never knowingly took any banned substances.

Sitting across from him, Terence Crawford was also asked for his thoughts. “What do you feel about that? Does it bother you?” Morgan asked. Crawford responded with measured diplomacy: “I just don’t get into it. I think people gonna to say what they gonna say. It’s a sad case that that happened. But you know in our fight, I just hope that none of that comes up, and that’s the past and we are looking towards the future.”

Interestingly, Canelo’s stance echoes that of his training partner, Jaime Munguia, who recently tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in both his A and B samples. Like Canelo, Munguia, who trained under Eddy Reynoso for his Surace rematch, has maintained his innocence, insisting he did nothing wrong intentionally. So, what’s the latest update from Munguia’s camp?

After a positive B sample, what’s next for Jaime Munguia?

In follow-up testing by VADA, Jaime Munguia’s B-sample also came back positive for exogenous testosterone, confirming the findings of his A-sample from three weeks earlier. With that, the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC), which oversaw the bout, could potentially overturn Munguia’s May 3rd win over Bruno Surace to a no-contest. Along with that, suspension, fines, or other disciplinary measures may also be on the table. However, in response to the escalating situation, the 45-2 boxer’s team released a statement defending their fighter and laying out their next steps.

“We want to reiterate that this outcome does not change our position: Jaime did not knowingly or intentionally ingest any banned substance,” the statement read. The team stood firm, pointing to possible contamination as the cause, and said they’re exploring all avenues to identify how it may have happened. They moreover emphasized the fact that Jaime Munguia is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation (like Canelo Alvarez) and remains confident in his innocence.

Now, looking ahead, Jaime Munguia’s team outlined their immediate plan. Which is? “At this stage, we are still awaiting clarification from specialists regarding the specific levels detected in the samples.” And as part of their effort to trace the source, they’re now submitting a list of every supplement and product Munguia used to a WADA-accredited lab for testing. With that said, do you believe Jaime Munguia is being truthful about the circumstances surrounding his positive test? And how do you view Canelo Alvarez’s response to the situation, especially given his own history with similar allegations?