Joseph Parker’s manager offers update on boxing future after failed drugs test

Joseph Parker’s manager, Spencer Brown, claims his client’s failed drug test was a result of a contaminated substance.

The Kiwi is facing a two-year ban after a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) drug test taken on the day of his 11th-round stoppage loss to Fabio Wardley on October 25 returned traces of cocaine.

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Parker has adamantly denied all wrongdoing, and he and his team are working tirelessly to clear the former WBO heavyweight champion’s name.

Providing an update on the situation, Brown told iFL TV: “Yeah, good, I’ve just been out with him. He’s in good spirits.

“He was contaminated. We know how it’s all happened.

“Everybody will find out in due course. It will be public knowledge very soon. It’s been very harsh on Joe.

“We know it’s got into his system, but it certainly hasn’t been taken or ingested by him, that’s for certain.

“You’d have to be a mental person to do that in fight camp, wouldn’t you.

“It’s going to take a few weeks, and everybody will find out.”

Parker recently travelled to the Gold Coast, Australia, to support his friend Jai Opetaia as he successfully defended his IBF cruiserweight title via a brutal eighth-round knockout win over Huseyin Cinkara.

There, he opened up about the process to BoxingScene.

Joseph Parker ‘devastated’ by failed drug test

“You start questioning everything,” he said. “You start questioning ‘Why did I have that cup of tea?’.

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“Or ‘Why did I do this?’ Or ‘Why did I do that?’ There’s a lot of things you think about.

“I’ve never failed a drugs test before, so it was a surprise and shock…

“I was devastated. You have to do all these voluntary drug tests in camp, and then all of a sudden, you get a bit of a surprise and shock that you fail on a fight day.

“So, I’m just gonna go through the process of trying to get it cleared, and I want to be in the ring as soon as possible.”

Despite the immediate shock, Parker is ‘very confident’ he will fight again.

The 33-year-old had been next in line to face Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed crown.

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However, he lost his WBO mandatory status following his defeat to Wardley.

Usyk later relinquished the red and gold strap, resulting in Wardley being upgraded to full world champion.

The Ukrainian admitted that he would have fought Parker if he had got his hand raised in October, but declared that the bout with Wardley didn’t make business sense.

Usyk is now pursuing a bout with Deontay Wilder, while Wardley gears up to defend his belt in the first quarter of 2026.