Joseph Parker cleared to fight again after suspension lifted

After a routine test administered by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency detected cocaine traces following his 11th-round stoppage defeat to Fabio Wardley in October, Joseph Parker faced a potential two-year ban. Parker, who maintains he never consumed banned substances, has now been told the provisional suspension is lifted. He issued a brief statement expressing gratitude to supporters and indicating a comeback is imminent.

The British Boxing Board of Control’s general secretary Robert Smith verified the suspension’s removal without providing additional details. Parker, a former world champion who lost his title to Anthony Joshua in 2018, had previously built momentum with wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang before the Wardley bout. He had been slated to fight Daniel Dubois and was a mandatory challenger for Oleksandr Usyk before taking the Wardley match.