Tyson Fury to take on Mariusz Wach in Thailand
By David Charlesworth, Press Association
Tyson Fury will take on former world title challenger Mariusz Wach on July 24th in Pattaya, Thailand – one day earlier than Anthony Joshua’s return to the ring.
Fury ended a 16-month retirement in April with a wide points win over unheralded Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, his first fight in the UK in three and a half years.
It was thought that would pave the way for a showdown against Joshua, who has instead opted for a warm-up against Albania’s Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, before a long-awaited Battle of Britain.
That is expected to take place towards the back end of the year, but Fury, a former two-time world champion, has also elected to keep busy by taking on Poland’s Wach at the Max Muay Thai Stadium.
Wach was outpointed by Wladimir Klitschko for the WBA, IBF and WBO titles in November 2012, and the 46-year-old Pole has suffered 10 defeats in his last 16 fights, including by Fury’s cousin Hughie in 2020.
“This is a landmark year for me in boxing and I’m excited to be able to bring this event to Pattaya, a part of the world that is special to me,” said Fury, who has trained in Thailand in recent months.
“We’re coming together to put on a great show for the fans, while using the opportunity to give back to the local community, who have been so good to me every time I have visited.
“At the same time, I’m fully focused on preparing for a tough opponent and making sure I’m the best version of Tyson Fury going into fight night. It’s the start of a huge second half of the year for me.”
Negotiations are well under way for Fury to face Joshua, who will return to the ring next month for the first time since surviving a car crash in Nigeria in December that killed two of his close friends.
Fury’s manager Spencer Brown said: “Make no mistake, this fight is serious preparation for his fight with Anthony Joshua and we cannot afford any slip ups at this stage. So, Tyson will be ready.”
