Peter Fury Responds to Anthony Joshua Corner Rumors with Rico Verhoeven Announcement

Anthony Joshua will not get an inside man for his camp against Tyson Fury after all.

Joshua has undergone several changes in 2026, most notably aligning with Oleksandr Usyk's camp early in the year and, more recently, reuniting with former trainer Ben Davison. Joshua teased a potential bombshell addition to his corner for his next fight, suggesting he could be working with Fury's uncle, Peter Fury, but the longtime coach clarified that he would not be directly involved.

Peter Fury admitted he has been in contact with Joshua, but he revealed he would not help 'AJ' until after the fight. Fury also noted he is keeping his sole focus on Rico Verhoeven, whom he claims is preparing for a return around the corner.

"Me & AJ spoke 2 months ago about advice on his skill set, really nice guy," Peter Fury tweeted. "After his fight, anything he needs from me be a pleasure. He has a great team around him in 'inc Team Usyk' my focus now is Rico, we start camp very soon."

Me & AJ spoke 2 months ago about advice on his skill set, really nice guy. “After” his fight ‘any thing he needs form me be a pleasure. He has a great team around him “inc Team Usyk” my focus now is Rico, we start camp very soon 🔥🔥🙏♥️
— peter fury (@peterfury) October 1, 2026

In addition to being Tyson Fury's uncle, Peter Fury is a former coach of 'The Gypsy King.' However, the two sides are no longer on close speaking terms.

Despite the distance between Tyson and Peter Fury, Joshua's teaser came as a shock. Fathers and family members corner fighters all the time, but nobody has ever coached against a blood relative in a major boxing fight before.

Peter Fury teases Rico Verhoeven return

Although Peter Fury will not be working with Anthony Joshua in the immediate future, he confirmed that he remains a staple of Verhoeven's camp. Fury led Verhoeven in his most recent performance, a surprisingly competitive fight with Oleksandr Usyk in May.

Verhoeven lost the fight by 11th-round TKO, but the stoppage was widely criticized at the end of an entertaining and mind-blowing fight. Despite being listed as high as a +1500 underdog, Verhoeven appeared to be winning the fight when it was stopped.

Verhoeven's performance was enough to convince most fans that everyone had underestimated his boxing skills. Many simultaneously acknowledged Peter Fury's involvement as a major factor.

Since the loss to Usyk, Verhoeven unsuccessfully appealed the result and has remained intentionally vague about his future. 'The King of Kickboxing' has teased a return to his natural sport or a potential MMA debut, but has never given an official indication of his next move until Fury seemingly revealed it would be another boxing fight.

Verhoeven is just 1-1 in boxing, but he remains a ranked heavyweight contender, holding down the No. 15 spot in the WBA poll.

Add us as a preferred source on Google