In a stunning development that has rocked the boxing community, former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker has returned a positive drug test from his recent bout against Britain's Fabio Wardley.
Positive Test Confirmed
Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions officially confirmed the news on Friday after British media outlets reported the 33-year-old New Zealand boxer had tested positive for traces of cocaine. The adverse finding came from a test conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) on October 25th, the very day Parker faced Wardley in London.
The promotion company released a statement acknowledging the situation while indicating they would not comment further during the ongoing investigation. "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 the 25th October in relation to his bout with Fabio Wardley," the statement read.
Fight Outcome and Potential Consequences
The positive test casts a shadow over what was already a significant upset in the boxing world. Wardley stopped the favoured Parker in the 11th round at London's O2 Arena during their WBO 'Interim' title clash. This victory earned Wardley the right to challenge Ukraine's undisputed world champion Oleksandr Usyk.
The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC), which would determine the length of any potential ban, could not be reached for comment regarding next steps. However, precedent suggests Parker could face severe consequences for the violation.
In a similar case from 2018, British boxer Liam Cameron received a four-year ban after testing positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. The UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) maintained its standard practice of not commenting on ongoing cases.
Parker's Championship History
Joseph Parker's career has seen both remarkable highs and recent struggles. The New Zealander won the WBO heavyweight title in 2016 by defeating Mexican Andy Ruiz for the vacant belt. He held the title for two years before losing it to Britain's Anthony Joshua in 2018.
More recently, Parker had held the WBO interim heavyweight title since March last year after defeating China's Zhang Zhilei. This latest development represents perhaps the most significant challenge of his professional career outside the ring.
The boxing world now awaits the outcome of the investigation and the subsequent decision from boxing authorities regarding potential sanctions against the former champion.
