Gennady Golovkin and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez ramp up war of words ahead of rematch: ‘There were injection marks everywhere’

The Kazakh legend branded his Mexican rival's explanation for a doping violation ‘nonsense’

Gennady Golovkin knows the value of speaking English when it comes to establishing himself as a star capable of transcending boxing.

But the Kazakh middleweight, 36, turned to his mother tongue in order to deliver the most incendiary assessment yet of the 'drug scandal' which threatened to derail his rematch with Saul Alvarez.

The middleweight pair finally met last year bringing an end to months of negotiations but a draw that night, on September 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, paved the way for a lucrative rematch.

They were supposed to meet once again back in May but Alvarez, known widely as Canelo which translates as 'cinnamon' due to his red hair, tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol in two tests during February.

Golovkin was ordered to face Ukrainian mandatory challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko (Getty)

Canelo insisted he was innocent and blamed contaminated meat from Mexico, where he had been in training camp, but still decided to withdraw from the scheduled May rematch. He was later banned for six months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

On Saturday, 364 days after their initial clash, Canelo and Golovkin go again underneath the same T-Mobile Arena roof in a rematch charged by their latest war of words.

And Golovkin, known for his cheery, respectful demeanour outside the ring, says he has lost all respect for his opponent as a result of the past 12 months.

“When did it start to go?” He said. “After the doping scandal. After the first fight I said 'thank you for a great fight' and he said the same. It was all very friendly. But after the doping scandal it was just...”

“I don't believe it was beef,” he added, before switching to Kazakh.

“Pharmaceutical experts have determined that it was doping and not contaminated meat. I think it's nonsense and I don't like it. You could not deny that there were injection marks on his hands and on his arms. I don't know what it was but they were injection marks.

“Everywhere, on biceps, stomach, pretty much everywhere. All over his body you could see injection marks. But right now it's the last thing that worries me. I am worried about the fight, that's the most important thing.”

Golovkin and Canelo look set to fight again next year (Getty)

Whether you believe his excuse or not, Canelo's reputation has been badly damaged by the incident and it was put to Golovkin that his opponent may have been doping ahead of their first fight.

But he said: “It makes no sense to guess whether or not he had taken something. The commission has allowed him to fight. The important thing was that he got caught the second time.”

Canelo, meanwhile, shrugged off Golovkin's latest remarks after the pair went through the motions of the official 'grand arrivals' at the MGM Grand on Tuesday afternoon.

The 28-year-old, whose record stands at 49-1-2, remains arguably the biggest commercial draw in the sport and he received a hero's welcome in Sin City.

“You saw the support out there and I'm grateful for all the support they can give me,” he said. “They've been there for the good times and for the bad times and there's nothing more I can say than 'thank you'.”

On the 'needle marks' accusation, he added: “Those are the kicks and screams of someone who is drowning. Those are the excuses that they are making because of what is coming on Saturday – which is a loss for them.

“I've been monitored for most of my career, I've been monitored by WADA since 2011 and that's why they have authorities. I spend all my time in Mexico – that's where I reside, where I live and where I spend time with my family. When I come to train, I come and do it in San Diego.

“It's different in the United States where [meat] is checked by the authorities and the government. It's a little bit different in Mexico where they don't have those sanctions and checks.

“When I was in Mexico I wasn't on a diet, I wasn't training, I wasn't on some eating plan so may have eaten it a few times a week. In Mexico, unfortunately, I now have to stop doing that because of what happened.”