Driving That Train High on Cocaine, Ex-WBO World Heavyweight Champion Joseph Parker Faces a Two-Year Ban
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent Robert Brizel
London, UK (November 14th, 2025)– Driving that train, high on cocaine. Casey Jones, you’d better watch your speed. Troubles ahead, and troubles behind. These are lines from the song ‘Casey Jones’ written by Jerry Garcia, and performed by the Grateful Dead on the LP album ‘Workingman’s Dead’ by Warner Bros. Records. World-ranked heavyweight Joseph Parker now faces a lengthy ban from boxing due to his major mistake.
The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) has announced that former World Boxing Organization World Heavyweight champion Joseph Parker’s ‘A’ urine sample, taken the day of his heavyweight bout on October 25, 2025, with Fabio Wardley, tested positive for traces of cocaine.
Parker’s eleventh-round stoppage loss to Wardley cost him the interim World Boxing Association World Heavyweight title, and his previously designated mandatory title bout with unified undisputed world champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine. Spencer Brown, co-manager of Joseph Parker with David Higgins, told Fight Freaks Unite “We are deeply shocked at his (VADA drug test) result! We found out early (Monday) morning through the Queensberry office. We haven’t talked to Joe (Joseph Parker) about this yet, but as soon as we get hold of Joe, and I’m sure we will (we will then) get to the bottom of this, and everybody will find out the outcome in due course. We’ll support Joe through this.”
Official Statement of Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions
“The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) informed all required parties last night Joseph Parker returned an adverse finding, following an anti-doping test conducted on 25 October 2025 in relation to his bout with Fabio Wardley. While the matter is (currently being) investigated further, no additional comment will be made at this time.”
VADA test results can sometimes be wrong or misinterpreted for various reasons. It should be noted that Parker has the right to have the VADA ‘B’ sample tested within ten days at his own expense. Parker, 36-4 with 24 knockouts, Auckland, New Zealand, faces a two-year ban from boxing if he does not appeal the VADA finding, or the ‘B’ sample yields the same result.
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