Former world boxing champion Joseph Parker denied using banned substances after a positive doping test.

Joseph Parker, former world champion in the heavyweight category, stated that he did not consume banned substances after a doping test conducted after his match with Fabio Wardley on October 25 came back positive. The 33-year-old New Zealand boxer claimed on social media that he had undergone a voluntary test before the match, and the positive result was a surprise to him. Parker emphasized that he does not use products to enhance his performance and that he does not agree with their use.

He is fully cooperating with the authorities in the investigation, believing that the result will prove his innocence. The match with Wardley, in which Parker was stopped in the 11th round, cost him the status of WBO challenger to face Oleksandr Usyk. The promoter of the match announced the positive result but did not specify the detected substance, although sources in the press suggest that it may be cocaine. Parker lost the WBO title in 2018 to Anthony Joshua but has achieved significant victories in his career since then.