LONDON (AP) — 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.
“Before my recent fight I took a voluntary test and have now been informed that it returned an adverse result. This came as a real surprise to me," Parker said early Saturday in a statement on Instagram.
“I did not take any prohibited substance, I do not use performance enhancing drugs and do not support their use,” he continued. “I am cooperating fully with the process now underway, and I am confident the investigation will clear my name.”
The 33-year-old Parker faces a potential lengthy ban by the British Boxing Board of Control.
“Thank you to everyone who has sent messages of support. It means a great deal to me and my family,” Parker’s statement added. “When the investigation is complete, I will speak openly and answer questions.”
On Friday, Queensberry said the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association had informed all parties of the adverse finding. The promotions company said it won’t make any other comments “while the matter is investigated further.”
Parker won the WBO title in December 2016 when he beat Andy Ruiz Jr. on a majority decision. He then lost the belt to Anthony Joshua by a unanimous decision in late March 2018 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
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FILE - New Zealand's Joseph Parker speaks in front of his picture during a media conference with World Heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua of Britain in London, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)
BEIRUT (AP) — A United Nations delegation visting Lebanon said Saturday they came to Beirut to explore options for territory along the border with Israel after a U.N. peacekeeping force's term ends at the end of next year.
The comments by the team representing the 15 members of the U.N. Security Council came a day after Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told them that his country will need a follow-up force in southern Lebanon to fill the vacuum once the U.N. peacekeepers’ term expires.
The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously in August to terminate the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, at the end of 2026 — nearly five decades after the force was deployed. The multinational force has played a significant role in monitoring the security situation in the region, including during the Israel-Hezbollah war last year.
One of UNIFIL’s main missions has been the implementation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 that ended the 34-day Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006. The same resolution was used again to end the latest 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war that ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November last year.
“We wanted to use (the) opportunity of this visit to also examine options for implementation of resolution 1701 following UNIFIL’s departure from Lebanon,” said Samuel Žbogar, permanent representative of Slovenia to the U.N. and president of the Security Council.
“We are looking forward to the secretary general recommendations on this one as well,” Žbogar said in a brief statement. “As you can imagine, this is a topic that will deserve a thorough conversation during 2026.”
The delegation met during its visit to Lebanon with top officials in the country as well as the army commander. On Saturday, the team went to south Lebanon where they visited the border area with Israel.
The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, with Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian Hamas militants. Israel’s response, which included bombardment and a ground operation, last year severely weakened Hezbollah.
Samuel Zbogar, Slovenia's permanent representative to the United Nations and president of the Security Council, delivers a statement with his delegation in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Samuel Zbogar, third left, Slovenia's permanent representative to the United Nations and president of the Security Council, delivers a statement with his delegation in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
