Joseph Parker was beaten by Fabio Wardley last month and reports now claim the New Zealander failed a drug test on the day of the heavyweight showdown
09:50, 14 Nov 2025
Fabio Wardley punches Joseph Parker(Image: Getty Images)
Joseph Parker reportedly tested positive for cocaine on the day of his defeat by Fabio Wardley.
Former heavyweight world champion Parker was stopped in the 11th round by Wardley last month to set the Ipswich man up for a shot at Oleksandr Usyk. The ending received major backlash from many in the boxing fraternity, who claimed referee Howard Foster waved off the contest prematurely, even though several of Wardley’s shots failed to find a home and Parker was still on his feet.
Parker was ahead on the scorecards, and needed to come away unscathed from the final two rounds to retain his WBO interim championship title. The New Zealander was tested by the Voluntary Anti Doping Agency on October 25 – the day of the Wardley fight in London.
And – according to the Sun – the adverse finding was revealed on Friday morning. The heavyweight star’s team does have the opportunity to have the B-sample tested. Cocaine is strictly prohibited during ‘in-competition’ periods – which typically covers the time immediately before, during and shortly after a fight. It is not clear how the drug entered Parker’s system. The Mirror has contacted Parker’s team for comment.
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The 33-year-old could be slapped with a two-year ban, despite cocaine being a recreational drug and not a performance enhancing one. A source close to the Kiwi fighter’s team told the Sun: “I am absolutely shocked. This has been the first camp where Joe has all of his family around. The camp had gone great and he put on a good performance in a great fight.”
According to the outlet, Parker is currently enjoying some time away from the sport following his back-and-forth war with Wardley. Following the defeat, the New Zealand native will now go back to the drawing board as he looks to work his way back into title contention.
Parker won the WBO title back in 2016 following a majority decision victory over Andy Ruiz Jr. He successfully defend the coveted gold prize twice against Razvan Cojanu and Hughie Fury before suffering a gruelling defeat to Anthony Joshua in 2018. The New Zealander returned just a few months after his loss to ‘AJ,’ but was again suffered another defeat – losing to Dillian Whyte in London.
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He was then forced to work his way back up, and emerged as a top contender again following back-to-back wins over Derek Chisora. The 33-year-old was then handed a shot at the WBO interim title against Joe Joyce three years ago, but was brutally stopped by the Brit in the penultimate round.
Parker enjoyed a successful 2023 in the ring, winning all four of his bouts – including a historic win over ex-champion Deontay Wilder. He then saw himself back in the title mix again after defeating Zhilei Zhang last year to claim the WBO interim title. He was due to take on Daniel Dubois earlier this year, but the Brit was forced to pull out just days before the contest. Instead, the Kiwi took on Martin Bakole on short notice, needing a few minutes to render his heavyweight rival unconscious.
Following his recent defeat to Wardley, Parker is hoping for an immediate rematch, but is also open to facing another Brit next. He told Sky Sports: “I’ve been wanting a rematch with Joshua. I want to avenge those losses. I know AJ’s another big fight, I don’t really care who I fight, just make sure it’s someone who’s top five in the world.”
When is the next boxing fight?
The 12-round middleweight rematch is set to occur on Saturday, November 15. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London will once again play host to the event. Official timings are still under wraps – but it’s expected that the undercard will kick off at around 5pm UK time. For the main event, the ringwalks are anticipated to happen at approximately 9:50pm UK time. The bout will be broadcast live and exclusively on DAZN pay-per-view.
