Former world heavyweight boxing champion failed check on the day of his loss to Fabio Wardley, promoter says.
Revealed On 14 Nov 2025
New Zealand’s former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker failed a drug check on the day he fought the UK’s Fabio Wardley final month, supervisor Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions has confirmed.
British media had beforehand reported that the 33-year-old had examined optimistic for traces of cocaine and will face a prolonged ban from the game.
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“The Voluntary Anti-Doping Affiliation (VADA) final evening knowledgeable all required events that Joseph Parker returned an opposed discovering following an anti-doping check carried out on the twenty fifth October in relation to his bout with Fabio Wardley,” Queensberry mentioned in a press release on Friday.
“Whereas the matter is investigated additional, no further remark can be made at the moment.”
Wardley stopped fight-favourite Parker within the eleventh spherical at London’s O2 Area within the WBO “Interim” conflict to earn the correct to problem Ukraine’s undisputed world champion Oleksandr Usyk.
The British Boxing Board of Management (BBBofC), which might resolve the size of any ban, couldn’t be reached for touch upon the following steps and the size of any potential ban.
The UK Anti-Doping Company (UKAD) wouldn’t remark, as is its customary observe.
Parker has not but commented on his social media channels.
British boxer Liam Cameron was banned for 4 years after he examined optimistic for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in 2018.
Parker received the WBO heavyweight title in 2016 by defeating Mexican Andy Ruiz for the vacant belt. He misplaced the title to Anthony Joshua of the UK in 2018.
He had held the WBO interim heavyweight title since March final yr after defeating China’s Zhang Zhilei.
