Former world heavyweight champion Joseph Parker has denied taking "any prohibited substance" after testing positive for cocaine. The 33-year-old New Zealander was tested by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) on October 25, just hours before he lost to Britain's Fabio Wardley at London's O2 Arena.
Parker took to his Instagram account to address the situation, saying "Before my recent fight, I took a voluntary test and have now been informed that it returned an adverse result. This came as a real surprise to me. I did not take any prohibited substance, I do not use performance-enhancing drugs and do not support their use."
Parker's denial comes after he tested positive for cocaine, a recreational drug rather than a performance-enhancing one. He claims to have taken a voluntary test before his fight and was shocked to receive an adverse result.
The former champion is facing uncertainty over the consequences of the failed test. Parker could face a two-year ban or be suspended for as little as three months depending on the circumstances. The UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) agency will conduct its own investigation, with Parker cooperating fully with the process.
Parker's decision to deny taking any prohibited substance has raised questions about his integrity and commitment to clean sport. With a reputation built on his success in the ring, it remains to be seen how this incident will affect his standing in the boxing community.
Parker took to his Instagram account to address the situation, saying "Before my recent fight, I took a voluntary test and have now been informed that it returned an adverse result. This came as a real surprise to me. I did not take any prohibited substance, I do not use performance-enhancing drugs and do not support their use."
Parker's denial comes after he tested positive for cocaine, a recreational drug rather than a performance-enhancing one. He claims to have taken a voluntary test before his fight and was shocked to receive an adverse result.
The former champion is facing uncertainty over the consequences of the failed test. Parker could face a two-year ban or be suspended for as little as three months depending on the circumstances. The UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) agency will conduct its own investigation, with Parker cooperating fully with the process.
Parker's decision to deny taking any prohibited substance has raised questions about his integrity and commitment to clean sport. With a reputation built on his success in the ring, it remains to be seen how this incident will affect his standing in the boxing community.
. A failed test for cocaine can be pretty unsettling, but taking responsibility doesn't always mean you're guilty 
. It's possible he had a one-off mistake or a contaminated sample. The fact that he took a voluntary test before the fight suggests he wants to be transparent about his doping status 
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. Can we really judge him based on one failed test? I think it's too early to jump to conclusions 
. The investigation will likely reveal more about what happened, and until then, let's keep an open mind 
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! I'm all for him taking a voluntary test, but failing the test still raises so many red flags 
. He's gotta be super transparent about what happened here and show that he's committed to being clean 
#BoxingControversy #CleanSport #JosephParker
I'm kinda bummed that Joseph Parker is denying using performance-enhancing drugs when he tested positive for cocaine. Like, we all know that's just recreational stuff, but still... 
I'm curious to see how this whole situation plays out, though - did he really take a voluntary test before his fight? 
joseph parker just dropped some tea on instagram tho he's like a total angel about this whole situation i feel him though he took that voluntary test and got the results back and he's not lyin' about it, dude he's keepin it real 
& a few tweets sayin he didn't take nothin'... seems suspicious to me 
. It's almost as if he's trying to compartmentalize the fact that cocaine is a recreational substance, rather than a banned one in professional sports 
. The real question now is how the boxing community will perceive this incident and whether Parker's integrity will be called into question 
.
The worst part is what could happen to him now - 2 years of suspension? That's crazy! 
, i don't get why anyone would lie about something like that especially when it's not like it'll hurt them as much as failing a test for something like steroids 
. The fact that he's denying it all is making me wonder if there's more to the story than we know 
. I'm all for a clean sport, but this doesn't exactly fill me with confidence 
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. It's like, you take the risk by testing outta turn and now he's got to deal w/ the consequences 
. I mean I get it, mistakes happen, but when you're a pro athlete, u gotta be on your A-game at all times 
. Anyway, fingers crossed Parker gets this sorted out and can bounce back from this 
.
he's denying taking any prohibited substance but i'm like 
what's going on fam? 
his rep is built on being a clean fighter and now this 
