London, UK – November 16, 2025 – Former WBO heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker is under investigation and could face a suspension of up to two years after testing positive for traces of cocaine on the day of his October 25 defeat to Britain's Fabio Wardley at London's O2 Arena. The 33-year-old New Zealander, who entered the bout as the favorite, was stopped in the 11th round in a WBO interim title fight that cost him his mandatory challenger status for undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk.
The adverse finding came from a routine urine test administered by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) on fight day, detecting the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine. Although cocaine is classified as a recreational drug rather than a performance-enhancer, it is prohibited in-competition under boxing rules, potentially leading to a lengthy ban. In 2018, British boxer Liam Cameron received a four-year suspension for a similar positive test for benzoylecgonine, though he denied any intentional use; current guidelines cap recreational drug bans at two years, with reductions possible based on circumstances.
Boxing expert Mike Coppinger suggested the substance could have been ingested as recently as 48 hours prior to the fight. "Cocaine is water soluble—eliminated when one urinates and sweats—and only stays in the system around 48 hours," Coppinger posted on X. "Can be longer with heavy use. But casual use usually 48 hours and three days max." This aligns with guidelines from the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA), which state cocaine can be detected in urine for up to four days after use.
Parker, a father of six who was accompanied by his wife and children during fight week, has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. In a statement posted to Instagram on Saturday, he said: "Before my recent fight I took a voluntary test and have now been informed that it returned an adverse result. This came as a real surprise to me. I did not take any prohibited substance, I do not use performance enhancing drugs and do not support their use." He is currently on holiday and has the option to request testing of his B-sample, though such tests typically corroborate the A-sample results.
Spencer Brown, Parker's UK manager, expressed disbelief in comments to media outlets. "We are in total shock at the findings. We are just waiting to speak to Joe, David Higgins and his promoter Frank Warren. It's very early days and we will get to the bottom of it all," Brown said. Parker's promoter, Queensberry Promotions (co-managed by Frank Warren), confirmed the VADA notification but declined further comment pending investigation: "While the matter is investigated further, no additional comment will be made at this time."
The positive test marks the second doping-related issue in Parker's career. In 2017, following a win over Razvan Cojanu, he missed a WBC-mandated VADA test while on an extended holiday in Samoa, having failed to update his whereabouts in the system. His promoter at the time attributed it to a scheduling oversight.
With a professional record of 36 wins (24 by knockout) and notable victories over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang in a recent six-fight winning streak, Parker had positioned himself as a top contender before the Wardley gamble. The outcome not only ended that momentum but now threatens to sideline him amid an ongoing probe by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC).
VADA and Queensberry Promotions did not immediately respond to requests for additional details on Saturday. Parker has expressed confidence that the full investigation will exonerate him, stating, "I am confident that once the full facts and investigation is complete, I will be cleared of any wrongdoing."
