Trainer Andy Lee has opened up on Joseph Parker’s failed drugs test three months on from the news breaking.
Parker was heartbroken when he lost his WBO Interim world title, and subsequent shot at Oleksandr Usyk, to Fabio Wardley back in October. The surprising news of a positive test for cocaine from the day of the fight only made matters worse.
While Wardley was upgraded to full WBO heavyweight world champion, after Usyk decided to vacate the title rather than face him, the New Zealander was left contemplating whether or not he would face a ban from the sport.
In an interview with talkSPORT, trainer Andy Lee said that Parker’s failed test ‘rocked him’.
“It really rocked me. I think it’s funny, as a coach it is probably your worse nightmare to find out that one of your fighters has failed a drug test but the situation is quite strange.
“To test on the day of the fight, for a substance like cocaine, that is not performance enhancing, it’s probably the worst thing that you could do, going into a fight, is take cocaine.”
Lee then went on to reveal the team’s confidence of exoneration, stating that Parker’s innocence will be supported by evidence found in an internal investigation.
“There has been an internal investigation as a team, his manager, David Higgins and myself, and other people in the team, and this is not for me to say right now, but it will come out.
“We are working with lawyers in the UK and appealing the decision, there has been no [contact], he doesn’t know how long he is banned for. He doesn’t really know what the ruling is yet but there will be some appeal.
“Joe is quite confident that he will be exonerated with the evidence that I have seen and heard from Joe and David Higgins.”
The process, and lack of updates to dedicated fans of the sport from the relevant bodies, is as frustrating as it has been in the past in other cases.
Whilst Parker, 34, awaits news, Wardley has booked his first world title defence against Daniel Dubois.
