New Zealand professional boxer Joseph Parker serves three-month ban for Anti-Doping Rule Violation
New Zealand professional boxer Joseph Parker has served a three-month ban from all World Anti-Doping Code-compliant sport following an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) for the Presence of a Prohibited Substance. At the time of this announcement, Mr Parker is free to participate in sport.
In the early hours of 26 October 2025, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) collected a urine Sample from Mr Parker, In-Competition, after his bout against Fabio Wardley on 25 October 2025 at the O2 Arena, London. Analysis of Mr Parker’s Sample returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for benzoylecgonine, a Metabolite of cocaine.
Cocaine is prohibited In-Competition only. Cocaine is listed as a non-Specified Stimulant at S6.A of the 2025 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List and is also identified as a Substance of Abuse. Athletes who test positive for a Substance of Abuse may receive a reduced three-month ban, if they can establish that they used the substance Out-Of-Competition and in a context unrelated to sport performance.
On 25 November 2025, UKAD formally notified Mr Parker of the AAF and imposed a Provisional Suspension. On 28 January 2026, Mr Parker provided UKAD with a response in which he claimed that the AAF was the result of contamination and requested that UKAD refrain from issuing a Charge Letter whilst he collected evidence relevant to his defence.
On 25 February 2026, UKAD charged Mr Parker with ADRVs pursuant to ADR Article 2.1 (Presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers) and Article 2.2 (Use or Attempted Use by an Athlete of a Prohibited Substance of a Prohibited Method). On 6 March 2026, Mr Parker provided UKAD with evidence claiming that the AAF was the result of his exposure to cocaine used by the nutritionist he had employed in preparation for the bout on 25 October 2025. The nutritionist stated that he was a regular user of cocaine and had used cocaine daily in the week leading up to the bout.
Between 14 April 2026 and 3 June 2026, UKAD requested further information from Mr Parker in relation to his explanation for the AAF. Amongst other matters, Mr Parker stated that he had first worked with the same nutritionist in April 2023.
On 15 June 2026, UKAD received an independent scientific expert opinion from its instructed expert, which concluded that Mr Parker’s ingestion of cocaine most likely took place Out-of-Competition (i.e. before 11:59pm on 24 October 2025).
On 22 June 2026, UKAD confirmed to Mr Parker that in light of the opinion from its expert, it was satisfied that any ingestion of cocaine occurred Out-of-Competition and for that reason would have been in a context unrelated to sport performance. Consequently, UKAD lifted Mr Parker’s Provisional Suspension on that date (allowing him to resume his participation in sport with immediate effect) and proposed a three-month period of Ineligibility (deemed served) by way of sanction for his ADRV.
On 28 July 2026, Mr Parker accepted the imposition of a three-month period of Ineligibility, deemed served between 25 November 2025 to 24 February 2026 inclusive (having afforded Mr Parker credit for the time he spent provisionally suspended in accordance with ADR Article 10.13.2(a)).
Mr Parker’s result in the bout against Mr Wardley on 25 October 2025 is automatically disqualified under ADR Article 9.1.
Technical terms and more information
Cocaine is listed at S6.A of the 2025 WADA Prohibited List as a non-Specified Stimulant which is prohibited In-Competition only.
Please note, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, capitalised terms used in this announcement have the meaning given to them in the UK Anti-Doping Rules and/or World Anti-Doping Code.
