Kiwi boxer Joseph Parker has refuted a positive drugs test taken on the day of his heavyweight defeat to Briton Fabio Wardley in October.
Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions has confirmed Parker tested positive for traces of cocaine and could face a lengthy ban from the sport.
Parker has since posted on social media, insisting he is innocent of wrongdoing.
He says before his recent fight, he took a voluntary test and have now been informed that it returned an adverse result.
Parker says this came as a real surprise to him.
He stresses he did not take any prohibited substance, he does not use performance-enhancing drugs and does not support their use.
The Kiwi boxer says he is co-operating fully with the process now underway and is confident the investigation will clear his name.
He adds when the investigation is complete, he will speak openly and answer questions.
Parker's career is already in limbo, after a disastrous technical knockout decision in the 11th round against Wardley at London's O2 Arena.
The winner of that fight was being groomed as the next challenger for the undisputed world crown currently held by Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk.
Source: RNZ
