Had everything gone according to plan, we’d have now known who the better fighter is between Gennady Golovkin and Saul Alvarez with their highly anticipated rematch initially booked for Cinco de Mayo weekend on May 5.

It would have felt like a vicious body shot to the fans who were eagerly waiting to see the two middleweight kings go at it again, only for Canelo to be tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol ahead of the fight.

SUSPENSION

Despite maintaining innocence throughout the whole situation and claiming he tested positive for the substance due to tainted meat - something common in his homeland of Mexico - Canelo was handed a six-month suspension at his hearing, backdating to his first drug test failure in February.

This means the ban comes to an end on August 17, while he has since entered in the VADA (Voluntary Anti Doping Association) testing programme. The plan now is to have Canelo and Golovkin meet over Mexican Independence Day weekend, with Triple G sticking to the May 5 date where he knocked out Vanes Martirosyan in two rounds, rather than pulling out and scrapping the event.

Since the latest developments, promoter Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy has revealed that he’s currently 75 percent confident of confirming the fight. He also claimed that the one positive that has come from this entire headache is that the animosity between both camps has grown, making their second contest even more significant than the first.

According to Express Sport, he said: “Canelo has announced that he will be tested by VADA but what a lot of people don’t know is that he’s actually been tested several times with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).

ANIMOSITY

“They tested him just two days ago. I think they’re testing them today as well, but he wanted to enrol in the year-round testing for his fans. He wants to keep proving that he’s innocent to keep proving that it was an innocent mistake, what took place. And it’s funny because I’ve travelled to Mexico quite a few times now and they ask people, what do you think about this news with Canelo? And they’re like, ‘What news?’

“With all this animosity now, guess what? The fight is going to be even bigger.

“I think [Canelo’s stature] has been affected here a bit in the US. But guess what? I’ve always said you’re as good as your last fight. Canelo is fine, though. He wants to fight.

“I’m 75 percent sure, confident that, that we can get this done because [the trash talk from Triple G’s camp] had been quite disparaging towards him. But, of course, everybody uses their own negotiating tactics. But I can say that I think I’m about 75 percent confident right now and happy with the process that has happened the last couple of days in terms of the broader stuff.

“There’s no cut-off date, but there will be one shortly because we need to get to work.”

There was already plenty of bad blood between Alvarez and the Kazakh knockout artist.

Although this situation might have shed Canelo in a negative light - even if he is entirely innocent - there’s no denying that it does now make their eventual rematch that much more significant.

What do you make of Oscar De La Hoya’s thoughts on the potential rematch? Have YOUR say in the comments section below.