On Wednesday night, Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Canelo Alvarez, posted a brief video of the Mexican star pounding a heavy bag at his San Diego training camp as he continues to prepare for the May 5 rematch with unified middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin.
"Business as usual in training camp," Golden Boy posted along with the video. "Canelo working the heavy bag under the watchful eye of (trainer Eddy Reynoso)."
In reality, it is anything but business as usual.
MGM Resorts International -- the owner of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) and Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) are supposed to meet in the main event of a major HBO pay-per-view event on May 5 in a sequel to their controversial draw in September at the same venue -- is offering ticket buyers a full refund because of the probability that the fight will be canceled.
"If a fan requests a refund for the Canelo-GGG 2 fight they may receive one, in full, at the original point of purchase," an MGM Resorts International spokesman told ESPN in an email on Wednesday night.
The much-anticipated fight is in serious jeopardy of being canceled because Alvarez twice tested positive for the banned performance-enhancing drug clenbuterol in random urine tests conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico, on Feb. 17 and Feb. 20.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission issued Alvarez a temporary suspension last week and has required Alvarez to appear at a commission hearing -- either in person or via telephone -- regarding the issue on April 10. Alvarez and his legal team will be permitted to explain the situation at the hearing, at which the five-member commission will vote as to whether the fight can go ahead or whether Alvarez will have his suspension extended.
Alvarez, who traveled last week to Las Vegas to meet with commission executive director Bob Bennett and commission chairman Anthony Marnell III for a 90-minute interview on the matter, claims the positive test results are due to his eating contaminated beef in Mexico, where that has been an ongoing problem for athletes. Farmers in Mexico often include clenbuterol, which is prohibited for farming use in the United States, in cattle feed because it helps reduce fat and increase lean muscle mass.
Since the positive test results came to light, Alvarez has been more rigorously tested by VADA and he has so far had a series of negative results for any PEDs, including in tests conducted on March 3, 5, 9 and 17.