Joseph Parker confident of exoneration over positive cocaine test as coach provides update on investigation

Joseph Parker is ‘at a loss’ with how cocaine entered his system and is ‘quite confident’ he’ll be exonerated in due course.

That’s according to Parker‘s head coach Andy Lee, who has provided a fresh update on the ongoing investigation regarding the New Zealand heavyweight boxer’s failed drugs test.

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In November, the 34-year-old failed a Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) drugs test due to a metabolite derived from cocaine in his system.

The test was taken on the day of Parker’s 11th-round stoppage defeat to Fabio Wardley, who has since been booked to face Daniel Dubois in an all-British blockbuster.

Parker has vehemently denied any suggestion of wrongdoing, with his manager Spencer Brown claiming his fighter’s failed test was a result of a contaminated substance.

The one-time WBO heavyweight champion’s camp is adamant he will be cleared in good time, as Lee explained further when speaking to Jim White and Simon Jordan during the week live on talkSPORT.

Parker will be cleared

“It really rocked me,” Lee, who has also worked with Tyson Fury, said.

“I think it’s funny, as a coach, it’s probably your worst nightmare to find out that one of your fighters has failed a drug test.

“But the situation is quite strange — to test on the day of the fight, for a substance like cocaine, which is not performance-enhancing.

“It’s probably the worst thing that you could do, going into a fight, is take cocaine.

“There has been an internal investigation as a team. His manager, David Higgins and I, and other people in the team.

“This is not for me to say right now, but it will come out. We are working with lawyers in the UK and appealing the decision.

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“[Parker] doesn’t know how long he is banned for. He doesn’t really know what the ruling is yet, but there will be some appeal.

“Joe is quite confident that he will be exonerated with the evidence that I have seen and heard from Joe and David Higgins.”

Speaking on how Parker is doing, Lee added that his fighter has still ‘been getting around,’ attending events like the Ring Magazine Awards to try and remain in good spirits.

“He’s training, but [the failed drugs test] has really shook him,” Lee said.

“He was just at a loss about how it got into his system.”

Lee confirmed Parker isn’t licensed to fight while the investigation is ongoing.

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“Joe’s quite philosophical about it because he’s got a great upbringing and he’s a man of faith,” he concluded.

“He believes it’ll come to light soon what happened and he’ll be exonerated.

“People know Joe, and I think he deserves the right to not be judged yet because of the person he is and the fighter he is.”

Parker had never failed a drugs test in his life until last year and the entire situation is completely out of character.

The Kiwi has described in the subsequent months how he’s started questioning everything, even cups of tea, as he struggles to fathom the failed test.

After wins over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole, Parker was next in line to face Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed crown, until he lost to Wardley.

In doing so, Wardley dropped his WBO mandatory status, and Usyk later vacated the red and gold belt, meaning Wardley was upgraded to full world champion for the first time in his career.

Usyk was then lined up to face Wilder, but the latter wound up agreeing to fight Derek Chisora instead.

That means the winner of Wardley vs Dubois could find themselves in an undisputed bout with the Ukrainian by the end of the year.