Tyson Fury beats Wach in Thailand tune-up before Joshua showdown
Fury forced Mariusz Wach to retire before round eight in Pattaya as he prepares for a fight with Anthony Joshua later this year.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
The Tyson Fury Wach fight in Thailand ended with Mariusz Wach unable to come out for the eighth round, Reuters reported, giving Fury a win in a warm-up bout before his expected meeting with Anthony Joshua later this year. The result keeps the former two-time world heavyweight champion active after his return to boxing in January.
Reuters reported that the Friday bout at Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya was not televised. About 1,500 spectators attended, and the fight is due to appear in the Netflix reality series At Home with the Furys, according to Reuters.
What happened in the Tyson Fury Wach fight?
Fury forced Wach to retire at the start of the eighth round, Reuters reported. Wach, a 46-year-old Polish heavyweight, had lost seven of his previous 10 fights before facing Fury.
The bout served as a tune-up for Fury as he builds toward a heavyweight meeting with Joshua. Joshua, also a former world heavyweight champion, is scheduled to fight Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, according to Reuters.
Fury’s comeback after Usyk defeats
Fury, who turns 38 in August, has 36 professional wins, Reuters reported. His only defeats came in two fights against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk in 2024.
Fury announced in January that he was returning to boxing. He had retired in December 2024 after losing to Usyk in a fight involving three of the four major world heavyweight titles, according to Reuters.
The comeback restored the possibility of a long-discussed all-British fight with Joshua. Reuters reported that Fury confirmed his return through a post on social media, setting up the prospect of that matchup.
How Fury reached two world title reigns
Fury first became a world champion in 2015, when he beat Wladimir Klitschko on points and took the Super WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles, Reuters reported. He then spent years away from the ring before fighting again in 2018.
His second title run came through his trilogy with American heavyweight Deontay Wilder. Reuters reported that those three fights ended in one draw and two Fury victories, with Fury claiming the WBC title during that stretch.
The win over Wach adds another step to Fury’s latest return rather than a world-title result. Its importance lies in timing: Fury stayed active, avoided a defeat, and moved closer to the Joshua bout that has followed both British heavyweights for years.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.