Former world heavyweight champion Joseph Parker has vehemently denied taking any prohibited substances after a voluntary drug test returned an adverse finding for cocaine.
The Positive Test and Immediate Fallout
News broke on Friday that the 33-year-old New Zealand boxer had tested positive for a cocaine metabolite, benzoylecgonine. The test was administered by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) on October 25, the very day of his fight against Fabio Wardley, which Parker lost via an 11th-round stoppage.
His UK manager, Spencer Brown, confirmed the reports, stating he and the team were in 'total shock at the findings'. Parker's promotional company, Queensberry, also acknowledged the adverse result and confirmed that no further comment would be made while the matter is investigated.
Parker's Public Plea of Innocence
In a move to address the controversy directly, Parker took to Instagram in the early hours of Saturday morning GMT. He expressed his profound surprise at the news and firmly stated his innocence.
'I did not take any prohibited substance, I do not use performance enhancing drugs and do not support their use,' Parker declared in his social media post. He assured his followers that he is cooperating fully with the ongoing process and is confident that the investigation will clear his name.
Potential Consequences and Precedents
The findings have now been passed to the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC), the sport's governing body in the UK. They will be responsible for deciding on any potential punishment for the fighter.
While cocaine is largely considered a recreational drug rather than performance-enhancing, a positive test can still result in a lengthy ban from the sport. Experts note that the B-sample, which is yet to be tested, typically confirms the original result.
This case bears a resemblance to that of British boxer Liam Cameron, who was banned for four years in 2018 after testing positive for the same metabolite, despite his own denials. Parker, a father of six who was with his family during fight week, now faces a similar uncertain future in boxing as he awaits the official outcome of the investigation.
