Parker denies cocaine use, says he will be clean soon

Responding to reports of his positive drug test, Joseph Parker denied taking any banned substances, saying he was “confident” that he will be cleansed.

Former WBO heavyweight champion Parker (36-4, 24 KOs) tested positive for cocaine in a Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency test. He now faces a two-year ban, taking the air out of what’s left of the 33-year-old’s career.

Wardley KO still sticks up

Parker’s future already looked bleak following his 11th round technical knockout loss to Fabio Wardley on October 25, 2025 at the O2 Arena in London, England. His complaint of a quick strike by referee Howard Foster did nothing to change the outcome of the fight. He was beaten by Wardley at the time of the break.

Parker’s shock statement

“Prior to my recent fight I took a voluntary test and have now been informed that it returned an unfavorable result. This came as a real surprise to me,” said Joseph Parker. Instagram.

“I have not taken any banned substance, I do not use performance-enhancing drugs, and I do not support their use. I fully cooperate with the process that is now underway, and I am confident that the investigation will clear my name. “When the investigation is complete, I will speak openly and answer questions.”

British Council steps in

The British Boxing Board will investigate the positive test. It will be interesting to see if Parker can somehow be cleared. It’s going to be hard for a contamination excuse from supplements to use the way some fighters do when PEDs show up in their tests. In this case, the substance is cocaine, the contamination of supplements excuse would not work.

The aging clock is ticking

Even if Parker is cleared, he has an uphill battle to try and revive his career after his loss to Wardley. The fundamental problem is that at 33, Parker is not a jumping chicken, and he cannot afford to spend two to three years getting back to where he was before his knockout loss to Fabio. If Parker can stop aging by putting himself in suspended animation, he’ll be fine. But he’s going to get older, and he’ll be vulnerable to the younger heavyweights in two or three years.

On the plus side, older fighters are now coming out of the woodwork and making big bucks. Nostalgic fans want to see how their old heroes are willing to pay to watch them. So, Parker might find his way back to the top. Besides that happening, Parker is not looking good right now.