Tyson Fury vs Mariusz Wach set for Friday in Thailand tune-up
Fury faces Wach in Pattaya with no broadcast or stream, as Joshua talk keeps circling boxing’s long-awaited British showdown.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Tyson Fury vs Mariusz Wach is set for Friday in Pattaya, Thailand, with CBS Sports reporting the heavyweight bout will not be available on broadcast television or streaming.
The fight lands in an odd spotlight: big name, low visibility, and a giant Anthony Joshua-shaped shadow over everything. CBS Sports’ Brent Brookhouse described it as a tune-up for Fury while Joshua takes his own stay-busy fight against Kristian Prenga on Saturday.
According to CBS Sports, Fury chose to box Wach after Joshua lined up Prenga. Fury and Joshua are still expected to meet in 2026, a bout that has been teased for years as the biggest all-British heavyweight fight of their era.
When is Tyson Fury vs Mariusz Wach?
The fight is scheduled for Friday in Pattaya, Thailand. CBS Sports reported that it will not be shown by broadcast or streaming, making it an unusually quiet return for one of boxing’s most famous heavyweights.
Wach, a former world title challenger, is a familiar name to heavyweight fans, though his peak came long ago. CBS Sports noted that he challenged Wladimir Klitschko for the unified heavyweight championship in 2012 and won only one round on one of the three official scorecards.
Since the Klitschko bout, Wach has gone 12-13, according to CBS Sports. The report also said he is 3-7 across his past 10 fights.
His résumé includes defeats to Alexander Povetkin, Martin Bakole, Dillian Whyte, Arslanbek Makhmudov, Moses Itauma and Hughie Fury, Tyson Fury’s cousin, CBS Sports reported.
Why is Fury fighting Wach now?
The timing is tied to Joshua. CBS Sports reported that Joshua’s fight with Prenga is his first since a car crash in Nigeria in which two of his friends died.
Prenga enters that matchup at 20-1, with his only loss coming in his fifth professional fight, according to CBS Sports. Brookhouse wrote that Joshua is expected to handle Prenga, while Fury’s assignment against Wach carries even less obvious jeopardy on paper.
Fury ended his latest retirement in April with a wide decision over Makhmudov, CBS Sports reported. That comeback followed back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, the first two losses of Fury’s professional career.
A third Usyk fight has not been presented as the likely next target. Instead, attention has swung back to Joshua, the fight British boxing has kept promising and failing to deliver.
Netflix has run advertisements for Fury vs. Joshua, according to CBS Sports, although the bout still has no confirmed date or venue. The same report said London would make obvious sense, but city event curfews have clashed with Netflix’s interest in a U.S. prime-time stream.
What has Fury said about fighting Joshua?
Fury has recently sounded far from committed. In a clip shared by Sky Sports Boxing, he said he was going home rather than attending Joshua’s fight for a post-fight face-off.
“You’ve been told for 10 years that it’s happening. It hasn’t happened, has it? So, don’t hold your breath,” Fury said in the Sky Sports Boxing clip.
Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports that he had doubts about whether Fury would “turn up,” especially if Joshua looks strong on Saturday night.
Brookhouse’s CBS Sports prediction backed Fury to beat Wach by unanimous decision. The preview pointed to Fury’s past scares against Otto Wallin in 2019 and Francis Ngannou in 2023, but said Wach does not appear to have the power or tools to spring the upset.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.