8 January, 2026, 3:54 pm Central - 29°C Rain

'Devastated' Joseph Parker confident he will fight again after failed dope test

'Devastated' Joseph Parker confident he will fight again after failed dope test

By Alipate Narawa
10/12/2025
[Image: Stuff.co.nz]

New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker says he's "devastated" by his positive doping test and is confident the defence mounted by his team will clear him of wrongdoing.Former WBO world champion Parker has given his first interview since he was found to have returned a positive result for a banned substance on October 25 - the day he lost a fight against Briton Fabio Wardley in London.

Parker told the boxingscene.com website he was helping authorities with their investigation into the routine test carried out by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) and believed his name would be cleared.While reflecting on the moment he found out about the positive test.

Parker says he was devastated as they do all these voluntary drug tests in camp and then all of a sudden, he fails on fight day.Multiple media outlets reported cocaine was the substance in Parker's "adverse finding" but the 33-year-old denied taking any recreational drug.

Parker says he did not take any prohibited substance, as he does not use performance enhancing drugs and also does not support their use. He is cooperating fully with the process now underway, and is confident the investigation will clear his name.Parker faces the possibility of a ban of up to two years if he fails to clear his name.

Source: stuff.co

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