Joseph Parker, a former heavyweight world champion, tested positive for cocaine on the day of his defeat to Fabio Wardley. Parker was stopped in the 11th round by Wardley last month, paving the way for the Ipswich man to challenge Oleksandr Usyk. The conclusion of the match sparked a significant backlash from the boxing community, who argued that referee Howard Foster prematurely ended the fight, despite several of Wardley’s punches missing their mark and Parker remaining upright.

Despite being ahead on the scorecards, Parker needed to survive the final two rounds without injury to keep his WBO interim championship title. On October 25, the day of the London-based Wardley fight, the New Zealander was tested by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency.

According to The Sun, the adverse finding was disclosed on Friday morning. Parker’s team now has the chance to request testing of the B-sample.

Cocaine is strictly forbidden during ‘in-competition’ periods, which usually encompass the time immediately before, during, and shortly after a bout. It remains unclear how the drug entered Parker’s system.

The 33-year-old could face a two-year suspension, despite cocaine being a recreational substance rather than a performance-enhancing drug.

A source close to the Kiwi boxer’s camp 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 publication, Parker is presently taking some time out from boxing following his clash with Wardley.

After the loss, the New Zealand fighter will now return to basics as he seeks to rebuild his path towards championship glory.

Parker claimed the WBO belt in 2016 after securing a majority decision triumph over Andy Ruiz Jr.

He successfully retained the prestigious championship twice against Razvan Cojanu and Hughie Fury before enduring a punishing loss to Anthony Joshua in 2018.

The New Zealander made his comeback just months after his defeat to ‘AJ,’ but encountered another setback – falling to Dillian Whyte in London.

He was subsequently compelled to climb back up the rankings, and re-established himself as a leading challenger following consecutive victories over Derek Chisora.

Parker was then granted an opportunity for the WBO interim championship against Joe Joyce three years ago, but was devastatingly halted by the British fighter in the penultimate round. Parker enjoyed a triumphant 2023 campaign, securing victory in all four of his contests, including a landmark triumph over former champion Deontay Wilder.

He subsequently found himself back in contention for championship honours after overcoming Zhilei Zhang last year to capture the WBO interim crown.

The heavyweight was scheduled to face Daniel Dubois earlier this year, though the British fighter was compelled to withdraw mere days before the bout.

Instead, the New Zealander confronted Martin Bakole at short notice, requiring only a matter of minutes to leave his heavyweight opponent unconscious.

After his recent loss to Wardley, Parker is seeking an instant rematch, though he remains receptive to confronting another British opponent 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.”