LONDON: Former heavyweight champion Joseph Parker denied taking any prohibited substance and said his failed drug test from last month’s loss to Fabio Wardley was “a real surprise.” The New Zealander’s voluntary anti-doping test conducted on the day of the bout returned an adverse finding, promotions company Queensberry announced on Friday. Wardley stopped Parker in the 11th round at the O2 Arena in London on Oct. 25 in a fight to determine who would become the WBO mandatory challenger to undisputed world champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker tests positive for cocaine before last month's fight with Fabio Wardley.

The former world boxing champion Joseph Parker failed a drugs test on the day of his fight with Fabio Wardley in October

Former world heavyweight champion Joseph Parker denies taking "any prohibited substance" after testing positive for cocaine.

LONDON: Former heavyweight champion Joseph Parker denied taking any prohibited substance and said his failed drug test from last month’s loss to Fabio Wardley was “a real…