Tyson Fury's uncle Peter Fury, who helped guide the 'Gypsy King' to his first world title in 2015, has a dark past as a drug baron. Now, Peter is set to be in the corner of kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven as he faces Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night at the Pyramids of Giza.
Peter Fury's Criminal Past
Long before Tyson became a two-time world champion, his uncle Peter was living a lavish lifestyle funded by crime. He controlled a significant drug operation in the North of England, leading a gang that smuggled amphetamines from Belgium for distribution across cities. In an interview with BoxingScene, Peter admitted: "I was wild when I was younger. I'd see someone with a nice pair of trainers on and want to have a fight with them. Then anyone who wanted protection would come to me because I was seen as a tough young fella. One thing led to another. I went from looking after people, to looking after other areas to looking after cities."
Peter owned a Ferrari and a Porsche 911 with a personalised number plate but maintained his traveller roots by living in caravans. However, his criminal empire unraveled when he was arrested in 1994 with a rucksack containing 10kg of speed. He tried to deceive the courts by claiming his wealth came from boxing, bare-knuckle fighting, and selling cars, but was sentenced to 10 years for possession of amphetamine with intent to supply. Evidence revealed he used bank accounts in America, Spain, and Ireland for illicit transactions.
Even from prison, Peter continued to run his operation and was reincarcerated in 2008 for money laundering, ordered to repay nearly £1 million in assets. Alun Milford, then head of the CPS Organised Crime Division, stated: "It is clear from his realisable assets that Fury has enjoyed an extremely comfortable lifestyle and we will work vigorously to ensure he pays the court's order."
Life in Prison and Turning to Boxing
Recalling his time behind bars, Peter told BoxingScene: "You're on a knife edge. They soon get to know if you can fight and stand up for yourself. If you are weak in prison then you get quickly found out. I was regarded as dangerous, so I was locked up with IRA members and lifers." He described prison as "hell on earth" and added: "Someone could put a million quid into a bank and ask me if I'd do my time over again for it I wouldn't."
While incarcerated, Peter decided to turn his life around and return to boxing. He reflected: "You move on, learn from it, and it makes you a humble person. They say that some bad things can turn into good things. Unless you've had that experience, you don't realise how good life can be."
His efforts in the sport were rewarded when Tyson won the heavyweight world title in 2015. Peter also coaches his son Hughie, a professional boxer, and has guided Savannah Marshall's career. Tyson once expressed gratitude: "If it wasn't with Peter, I wouldn't be boxing. I wouldn't train with anyone else."
Fallout with Tyson Fury
Despite their success, the relationship between Peter and Tyson deteriorated. In 2016, Tyson admitted to a fallout during training over sparring. He eventually cut ties with his uncle in 2018, choosing to work with Ben Davison instead. Tyson said: "As for Peter, it's heartbreaking how our relationship disintegrated because at one point in my life he was like a second father to me."
Peter also faced challenges due to his past, including being barred from entering the US for one of Tyson's fights in 2013 and issues entering New Zealand for his son's world title fight, later overturned.
Upcoming Fight: Verhoeven vs. Usyk
Now, Peter is in the corner of Rico Verhoeven as the kickboxing legend faces Oleksandr Usyk. Peter is confident: "We've got somebody in Rico that wholly believes he can win. He's trained like a Trojan, actually. He's in phenomenal shape — he's always in good shape, but for this he's in phenomenal shape. He highly respects Usyk because who wouldn't? So, yeah, he believes he can win, we've trained him so he can win, but obviously he's up against the best there is in this division. So he's going to get out there and he's going to do his very best, and that's all that you can do."
He added: "Forget having one pro [boxing] fight. That's rubbish. He's got a good record. Rico can fight, he's a fighting man. He's been sparring with boxers for years, he can hold his own in there, and come Saturday night people will see it's not going to be an easy fight for none of them."
