Tyson Fury eased past Mariusz Wach on Friday, beating the 46-year-old in a bizarre fight behind closed doors. With that, there is one hurdle fewer to Fury’s long-awaited clash with Anthony Joshua.
Wach quit on his stool after seven rounds in Thailand, where Fury faced the Pole in a non-televised bout, which is expected to feature on season three of At Home With The Furys – a Netflix reality show about the boxer and his family.
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Per reports from media in attendance, Fury controlled the action in the Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya, fighting well while going backwards and using his jab to dictate the pace.
Tyson Fury (right) during his win over Mariusz Wach in Thailand (Reuters)
Although Wach had his moments, including a big right hand that seemed to surprise Fury in round two, the Pole was no match for the Briton, who even joined in with the crowd’s cheers at one point while landing numerous unanswered uppercuts.
Wach is said to have looked on wobbly legs before slumping to his stool at the end of round seven, which marked the end for the former world heavyweight title challenger.
With that, Fury, a former two-time world champion, edged closer to a super-fight with Joshua, who will box Kristian Prenga on Saturday.
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Joshua, 36, faces the Albanian unknown at Jeddah Superdome, and a win for the Briton would set up a long-awaited clash with Fury, 37, potentially at Wembley Stadium in November.
Saudi matchmaker Turki Alalshikh has said the fight would have to begin at 2am GMT in such a scenario, to attract a greater American audience, in the latest frustrating update for fans who have grown tired of the Fury vs Joshua saga.
Fury said that, if Joshua had been in the ring instead of Wach on Friday, “I would have jabbed his head off and chinned him.
“People say, ‘Why’s he fighting in here? He’s just had 12 rounds in April,’” Fury added, referencing his points win over Arslanbek Makhmudov – Fury’s fifth comeback from retirement.
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“Of course I’m going to fight again. I’ve had one fight in two years. This is my second fight in two years. Of course I wanted to get the rounds in.
Fury was presented with the WBC’s inaugural Humanitarian title after the bout (Reuters)
“I want to be active. It’s not just the boxing in the ring; it’s […] the fight week, the press conference, the weigh-in, the nerves – everything.”
The “Gypsy King” also claimed he will not travel to Saudi Arabia to watch “AJ” box Prenga, explaining that he wished to get home to see his wife Paris.
Theoretically, Joshua vs Prenga is the final hurdle before Fury vs Joshua, although the fight has escaped fans numerous times. It was even signed during Covid, only for Deontay Wilder to threaten legal action and force a trilogy bout with Fury.
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When Joshua boxes Prenga on Saturday, it will be AJ’s first fight since December, when he stopped YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in six rounds. Ten days later, Joshua survived a car crash in Nigeria, which claimed the lives of two of his teammates.
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