Joseph Parker denies doping after failing drug test: Investigation ongoing

Joseph Parker, after losing to Fabio Wardley in October, now faces a delicate situation. Queensberry Promotions has confirmed that Joseph Parker failed a drug test on October 25, the day of his fight against Fabio Wardley in London. The boxer, however, denies having consumed “any substance”. Parker suffered a technical knockout defeat in the eleventh round at the O2 Arena in London, losing his status as mandatory challenger of the WBO for the undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. Through his Instagram account, Parker stated:

I want to address today’s news. Before my recent fight, I underwent a voluntary test and have now been informed that the result was adverse.

Joseph Parker

Continues saying:

This was a real surprise for me. I didn’t take any prohibited substance, I don’t use drugs to enhance performance, and I don’t support their use.

Joseph Parker

Parker claims to be cooperating with the investigation and is confident that his name will be cleared. The promoter of Parker, Queensberry, also issued a statement on Friday morning. The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) informed all relevant parties that Joseph Parker returned an adverse finding after a doping test conducted on October 25 in relation to his fight with Fabio Wardley. While the matter is being investigated, no further comments will be made at this time. Parker had positioned himself for a possible fight against Usyk after six consecutive victories, including wins over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang, and Martin Bakole. However, you could face suspension depending on the outcome of the investigation.