Former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker examined constructive for cocaine on the day of his October 25 defeat to Fabio Wardley at The O2 in London, in response to studies from Sky Sports activities and The Ring. The substance appeared in his A-sample from a Voluntary Anti-Doping Company (VADA) check taken throughout struggle week, with the adversarial discovering revealed on Friday morning.
Two sources near Parker’s camp conveyed their dismay on the outcomes to The Ring, in response to reporting from The Solar. Parker has the chance to request evaluation of his B-sample, although such checks usually match the preliminary findings. The substance detected in his system was benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite that normally stays traceable for round 4 days after ingestion. This timeline suggests Parker consumed the drug someday throughout struggle week main as much as the bout.
Joseph Parker’s VADA check constructive for cocaine following Wardley defeat
The check outcomes now transfer into the regulatory sphere, with VADA handing over its findings to UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and the British Boxing Board of Management (BBBoC), who oversee doping circumstances and decide punishments in British skilled boxing. Regardless of cocaine being labeled as a leisure drug fairly than a performance-enhancing substance, the potential penalties are extreme. The precedent in British boxing got here when gentle heavyweight Liam Cameron obtained a four-year ban in 2018 after testing constructive for hint quantities of benzoylecgonine, although Parker might resist a two-year suspension relying on the circumstances and the governing our bodies’ discretion.
Parker, 33, gave the impression to be on the cusp of a big profession alternative heading into the Wardley struggle. Earlier than the bout, he held the WBO interim heavyweight title, and victory would have positioned him because the obligatory challenger for undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk within the first half of 2026. Parker’s supervisor David Higgins had expressed confidence in his fighter’s prospects, noting {that a} win would have earned him a respectable shot at dealing with what many contemplate a generational expertise.
The defeat to Wardley within the eleventh spherical already derailed these plans, with Wardley seizing the interim title and positioning himself for the Usyk alternative as an alternative. The constructive check provides one other layer of complication to Parker’s scenario past the in-ring loss. In keeping with a number of studies, Parker is presently on vacation following the struggle, and whereas his supervisor indicated he would usually take time away from competitors after a defeat, his subsequent strikes now rely considerably on how UKAD and the BBBoC deal with the testing outcomes.
Parker’s crew described the coaching camp surroundings, which included his household current in each Eire and London, as components which have contributed to their shock on the findings. The New Zealander has maintained a comparatively constructive popularity all through his profession, having competed at an elite stage and fought quite a few top-tier opponents together with Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, and Zhilei Zhang. His current type had been strong earlier than the Wardley loss, with three consecutive victories that positioned him again in rivalry for a world title shot.
The scenario now enters a ready interval because the formal anti-doping procedures transfer ahead. The B-sample evaluation, if requested, will proceed by official channels, adopted by any hearings or determinations by UKAD and the BBBoC. Till these processes conclude, Parker stays unsure about his quick future within the sport and whether or not a suspension would prolong past the everyday situations confronted by boxers in related circumstances.
