Parker fails cocaine test. What suspension could he face?
Former world heavyweight champion Joseph Parker has found himself at the center of a major doping scandal: his sample, collected on the day of his defeat to Britain's Fabio Wardley in October, tested positive for traces of cocaine.
According to Sky Sports, the 33-year-old New Zealander could now face up to a two-year ban. The positive result emerged after a routine test conducted by the anti-doping agency VADA. The analysis was taken directly on the day of the bout with Wardley, which ended in Parker's loss.
The fight with Wardley was a high-stakes gamble for Parker: he put his mandatory challenger status for a title showdown with Oleksandr Usyk on the line. Now, his sporting future hangs in serious doubt.
Joseph Parker himself has already denied the allegations, stating he has never taken any banned substances and is willing to cooperate with VADA and British regulators to prove his innocence. The boxer emphasized that there was no intentional use of prohibited substances.
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
