Peter Fury - the force behind a fighting family

Peter Fury. Photo / Photosport.

One of the most fascinating figures involved in Joseph Parker's WBO world heavyweight title fight in Manchester is Peter Fury, the man who masterminded nephew Tyson Fury's shock win over Wladimir Klitschko and the man who is training his son, Hughie, for his own shot at glory.

He is also a man who spent more than 10 years in prison - first after being found guilty of dealing in amphetamines and then money laundering. He was initially denied a visa to visit New Zealand in May for Hughie's first scheduled fight against Parker in May, a bout cancelled due to the Englishman's back injury.

In an interview with The Sun newspaper this week, Peter Fury, a powerful figure of one of the most famous Traveller families in Britain, said: "I've just finished paying nearly a million quid to the Government.

"Now I have to show people that I don't get into anything. I'm a recluse, really. The police have a lot of informants and intelligence, so they know I'm not active in anything. I'm happy with that."

Peter Fury also spoke to the New Zealand media here covering Joseph Parker's second world title defence, telling of his time in prison - at first he was locked up in high security - his fights with other prisoners, and his philosophy which got him through it all.

"My past is my past - I don't hide it," he said.

Fury was jailed in 1995 for nine years and again for a shorter stretch in 2008. "I came out and I dedicated my life to my family and help them progress to where they wanted to be," he said. "This is what they want. It's not what I want - I don't want to be the best trainer in the world, I don't want anything."

Asked if while in prison he could have imagined training Tyson to his upset win over Klitschko in Germany in 2015, which finally unlocked the division and led to Parker's ownership of the WBO title and then helping son Hughie (who arrived at Old Trafford today in a Lamborghini) to his own challenge, he said: "You know what they say - live for today, not tomorrow, because if I'd thought ahead to when I got out nine years later [while] living in a s****y little cell, my head would have been gone, wouldn't it? I just live for today."

Peter Fury, who took time out to speak to members of Parker's travelling support here after patching up his differences with rival promoter David Higgins, had little to do with boxing when first put inside.

"Apart from having regular fights with the inmates - the straighteners [English slang for settling differences] - not much.

"I was [considered] exceptional high risk - I didn't associate with other prisoners.

"Then I went into the normal system and that's where the fun started.

"I did a lot of training myself. I did a lot of training with a guy in there who was an ex-paratrooper. He was high up in the army. I think he got 20-plus years. There are some very fit guys in there.

"I passed my time training, training, training; phone calls, visits from my family - Hughie was a little boy at the time - and you get through. When you in situations like this [a title fight], you know what it's like, so all of this, it might be a massive deal for some people, but it's water off a windshield to us."

He said he hoped Hughie and Tyson would get a new chance to clear themselves of the drugs charges hanging over them soon. The pair faced an investigation for the use of a performance enhancing substance by UK Anti-Doping but it is yet to be resolved.

"For me it's all about clearing their names and it's going in the right direction," Peter Fury said. He hoped a new hearing would be held in November or January. "We got some new information on it the other day which I can't discuss."

Parker v Fury at Manchester Arena will be shown in New Zealand live on Sky Arena from 8am on Sunday for $39.95.