Joseph Parker has failed a drug test after traces of cocaine were found during routine testing by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency, sources confirmed to Sky Sports News.
The day of the test was said to have been the day of the New Zealand heavyweight’s fight against Fabio Wardley, which he won last month.
News of Parker’s failed exam only broke on Friday.
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Highlights of the heavyweight showdown between Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley at the O2 Arena. (Credit: DAZN)
Sky Sports News has contacted Parker’s manager and Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions for comment.
Parker, 33, is a former world champion who lost his belt to Anthony Joshua in 2018, but entered the fight with Wardley in perhaps the best shape of his career.
After a heartbreaking loss to Joe Joyce in 2022, Parker also won the WBO interim strap with wins over Deontay Wilder and Ji-Ray Zhang in his last six fights before Wardley.
He was scheduled to challenge then-IBF belt holder Daniel Dubois in February, but Dubois fell ill just days before the bout was to take place.
By taking on Wardley, Parker staked his position as the WBO’s mandatory challenger to undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk.
It was a gamble that backfired and news of his failed drug test leaves the New Zealand powerhouse’s future in the sport in big doubt.
