Tyson Fury v Mariusz Wach: Why is the fight in Thailand, in front of 1,500 fans and not on TV? - 'Would David Beckham play football here?'
Published 23/07/2026 at 12:18 GMT+1
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Tyson Fury blasted modern sports stars for thinking they are "bigger than they actually are" and queried whether "David Beckham would play football here" as he prepares to fight in front of 1,500 fans in Thailand, with no television coverage.
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Fury will take on Poland's Mariusz Wach in Pattaya on Friday, in a bout which would be a warm-up for his highly-anticipated meeting with fellow Briton Anthony Joshua.
Joshua is making his own comeback against Kristian Prenga a day later, with Fury hastily arranging his bout after his rival's announcement.
On Thursday, Fury weighed in at 265 lbs - 25 lbs lighter than his opponent. It is within Fury's usual range, having tipped the scales slightly lighter for his first clash with Oleksandr Usyk, though he was at 281 lbs for the rematch.
After emerging victorious via UD against Arslanbek Makhmudov last time out, Fury is keeping active with his second fight in three months.
Here's everything you need to know about the unusual stage for his next contest.
Who is Fury fighting this week?
Fury is fighting 46-year-old Wach, who has a record of 39 wins and 13 defeats from his 52 fights.
Wach was defeated by Wladimir Klitschko in 2012 in a fight for the unified WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles.
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Tyson Fury and Mariusz Wach at a press conference ahead of their fight
Image credit: Getty Images
The Polish fighter last fought in March this year, losing via unanimous decision to Viktor Vykhryst.
Over his long career, Wach has also lost to Fury's cousin Hughie Fury, as well as Alexander Povetkin, Jarrell Miller and Dillian Whyte.
Why is Tyson Fury fighting?
Fury is taking the fight as a tune-up for a showdown with Joshua, which can finally take place after almost a decade in the making.
But right now, the 37-year-old insists he is not thinking about any potential future bouts.
"I'm not interested in what's going on elsewhere with Joshua or [Deontay] Wilder or [Oleksandr] Usyk or anybody," Fury said.
"This is about me and Mariusz, not about anybody else. What happens beyond Friday is none of my concern. What will be, will be."
Why is Fury v Wach in Thailand?
Fury has been training in Thailand in recent months, so in that sense, the setting of the fight can be explained.
The Briton has said he will donate the profits from ticket sales to "local starving and homeless children".
Speaking to reporters, Fury said: "It's a beautiful thing I'm able to do here, giving back to a great cause."
And when asked about the low-key setting of his second fight in his return from retirement, the former heavyweight world champion was emphatic in his response.
"Which other world champion on my level - a high level athlete on earth - would do a performance in front of 1,500 in Pattaya?" Fury told reporters during a news conference.
"Do you think David Beckham would play professional football here, or someone famous like that? No way. They're just not going to do it.
"A lot of these big celebrities and sports stars think they're bigger than they actually are."
Why is Fury v Wach not being broadcast?
The fight is not being shown on television, with Netflix instead planning to use footage of the fight in the third season of their documentary, 'At Home with the Furys'.
Despite the low capacity, the fight is not yet sold out, with tickets available for around £220, which is equivalent to the average monthly wage in Thailand.
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Is Fury v Joshua happening next?
That's the plan. But then, it has been the plan for a long time.
Joshua will fight Prenga in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, July 25, stepping into the ring for the first time since knocking out Jake Paul in December last year.
That fight came shortly before Joshua was involved in a car accident which resulted in the deaths of his close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele.
If the two both win this weekend, Fury against Joshua is expected to take place at last.
In April, promoter Eddie Hearn announced that an agreement had been signed to see the two British fighters step into the ring to face one another.
Much of the discussion between the promoters in recent weeks has been around potential location and broadcast time, with Saudi supremo Turki Alalshikh making no secret of the fact he would like it at primetime for a US audience - which would mean in the early hours for the UK.
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