Boxing Dec 07, 2025

Joseph Parker fails drugs test: Heavyweight tested positive for traces of cocaine on day of Fabio Wardley defeat

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Joseph Parker fails drugs test: Heavyweight tested positive for traces of cocaine on day of Fabio Wardley defeat

Joseph Parker could face up to a two-year ban from boxing after a failed drugs test.

Parker's routine test given to the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency returned traces of cocaine.

The test was conducted on the day of the New Zealand heavyweight's fight against Fabio Wardley, which the Briton won last month.

The news of Parker's failed test only emerged on Friday.

Frank Warren's Queensbury Promotions said: "The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) last night informed all required parties that Joseph Parker returned an adverse finding following an anti-doping test conducted on October 25 in relation to his bout with Fabio Wardley.

"While the matter is investigated further, no additional comment will be made at this time."

Spencer Brown, Parker's UK manager, said: "We are in total shock at the findings. We are just waiting to speak to Joe, David Higgins and his promoter Frank Warren.

"It is very early days and we will get to the bottom of it all."

The British Boxing Board of Control [BBBofC] has told SportNews it is "investigating" the matter.

Parker, 33, is a former world champion, who lost his belt to Anthony Joshua in 2018, but he went into his fight against Wardley in arguably the best form of his career.

After a punishing loss to Joe Joyce in 2022, Parker won his last six contests prior to Wardley, picking up victories over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, as well as winning the WBO Interim strap.

He was due to challenge then-IBF belt-holder Daniel Dubois in February, only for Dubois to fall ill just days before the fight was meant to take place.

Parker put his position as the WBO mandatory challenger to undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk on the line by taking the fight against Wardley.

It was a gamble that backfired and news of his failed drugs test now leaves major questions over his future in the sport.

SportNews Boxing expert Andy Scott:

"The headline is shocking.

"Everybody loves Joseph Parker. I think he's most people's second-favourite heavyweight. But there were questions as to why take that fight [against Wardley]?

"He was in line to fight [Oleksandr] Usyk. He instead took a risky fight against Wardley, and now this is the headline.

"Not only did he lose the fight, he now has this investigation that he will have to come out of and clear his name.

"For context, Liam Cameron is the high-profile case in boxing with similar circumstances. He received a four-year ban for traces of cocaine, but the rules have changed since then.

"It will be interesting to see how this develops further. There's a full investigation, we'll wait to see what the outcome is of that, but there is a possibility that he's facing a two-year ban."

Tags:

boxing news id:13470155

Share this article

Related Posts

Ricky Hatton: Not clear that former boxing world champion intended to take his own life, rules coroner

Ricky Hatton: Not clear that former boxing world champion intended to take his own life, rules coroner

Former boxing world champion Ricky Hatton was looking forward to the future and it was not clear he intended to take his own life, the inquest into hi...

Jake Paul targets Francis Ngannou next: 'I think he is a terrible boxer. I'll knock him out like Anthony Joshua did'

Jake Paul targets Francis Ngannou next: 'I think he is a terrible boxer. I'll knock him out like Anthony Joshua did'

Jake Paul is looking to return to action, targeting a bout with Francis Ngannou next.Paul, the YouTube influencer turned professional prizefighter, sh...

Tyson Fury: I was happily retired, but there’s nothing like a UK stadium fight | 'Makhmudov's in trouble!'

Tyson Fury: I was happily retired, but there’s nothing like a UK stadium fight | 'Makhmudov's in trouble!'

Tyson Fury keeps trying to quit boxing. Yet, of course, just when he’s out, it pulls him back in.Fury insists he never meant to come back to boxing. Y...

Callum Walsh: The rising Zuffa Boxing star wants to risk his record: 'Then if you're undefeated it means something'

Callum Walsh: The rising Zuffa Boxing star wants to risk his record: 'Then if you're undefeated it means something'

Callum Walsh is at the vanguard of Zuffa Boxing's advance into the sport.Zuffa is a new promotional entity, headed by Dana White, that has just agreed...

Caroline Dubois loves being an intimidator, she read Terri Harper like a hymn sheet, says Johnny Nelson

Caroline Dubois loves being an intimidator, she read Terri Harper like a hymn sheet, says Johnny Nelson

Former world champion and Your Site boxing expert Johnny Nelson observes the psychological battle between Caroline Dubois and Terri Harper...The way C...

Dana White on Zuffa Boxing and the UK: ‘I’m all in on this. It's rolling faster than I’d anticipated'

Dana White on Zuffa Boxing and the UK: ‘I’m all in on this. It's rolling faster than I’d anticipated'

Dana White is looking to bring about a new era in the sport with the founding of Zuffa Boxing.Promoter White, who also runs mixed martial arts powerho...