The 33-year-old New Zealand heavyweight’s adverse analytical finding was confirmed after an anti-doping test conducted on 25 October by the Voluntary Anti‑Doping Agency (VADA) revealed traces of the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine.
The result – reported on Friday (14.11.25) morning and now passed to the UK Anti‑Doping (UKAD) and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) for further action – could lead to a ban of up to two years, pending the B-sample outcome.
Parker’s test coincided with his 11th-round stoppage loss to Wardley in their fight, in which he was contending for the position of mandatory challenger to Oleksandr Usyk.
Benzoylecgonine remains in the system for around four days, meaning ingestion likely occurred during the fight-week build-up.
There is precedent for lengthy suspensions – one boxer received a four-year ban after a similar metabolite test.
Though rules have changed, Parker remains vulnerable to a sanction of at least two matches equivalent in this context, or potentially more severe depending on particulars of the case.
The outcome now rests on the B-sample and the disciplinary processes at UKAD and the BBBoC.
Until then, Parker remains sidelined from competition and suspended in limbo.
A source close to Parker’s camp told SunSport: “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.”
Parker previously missed a World Boxing Council-imposed drug test due to a holiday in 2017.
Duco Events, the fighter’s promoter at the time, confirmed he missed the test after his win over Romanian Razvan Cojanu in May due to the break.
They said at the time: “Joseph extended his holiday following the Cojanu bout on May 6 and didn’t update the Vada system of his change of plans.
“A couple of weeks ago, drug testers went to his residence in Las Vegas and he had said he was going to be in camp there, but he had changed his plans and was in Samoa at the time. There is no hiding it’s an oversight.”
