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This content was machine-translated from the French version.
Tyson Fury steps back into the ring this Friday, July 24th. Not at Wembley or Las Vegas, but at the Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya, a 2,000-seat venue nestled in the Thai heat. Facing him is Poland's Mariusz Wach, 46 years old, with 39 wins and 13 losses. A hardened veteran who has never been knocked out in 20 years of career. But this 12-round fight will be seen by no one live: the Brit has chosen to keep the cameras off.
The decision has surprised even insiders. Netflix will indeed be present to capture footage for the series At Home with the Furys, but no live broadcast is planned, neither on television nor streaming. Fury justifies this choice by the very nature of the event: a dress rehearsal, a training gallop before the year's true objective. "This is not a show, it's work," he said in an interview with ESPN.
Netflix will indeed be present to capture footage for the series At Home with the Furys, but no live broadcast is planned, neither on television nor streaming.
A two-speed weekend for the heavyweights
This fight is part of a now well-oiled mechanism. While Fury will be battling it out in Pattaya, Anthony Joshua will be in Riyadh the next day, July 25th, against Kristian Prenga. Two preparation fights, two continents, one single horizon: the clash between the two Brits, expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, confirmed in the spring that the showdown was signed. What remains to be seen is where and when exactly. Wembley is in the lead, but Saudi Arabia hasn't had its final say. For now, each camp is protecting its boxer. An injury, an underperformance, and the house of cards collapses. Both stables know this: this month of July is a risky crossing.
Fury hasn't fought since his defeat against Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024. Sixteen months without stepping into the ring, an eternity for a 37-year-old athlete. This face-off against Wach, however modest it may be on paper, must allow him to find his bearings without taking undue risks. The Pole will offer honest, rough opposition, without truly threatening the Gypsy King.
The humanitarian belt, the other stake of the evening
The fight will not be for a world title, but for a belt of a new kind: the WBC METTA Humanitarian Belt. An initiative led by the World Boxing Council and supported by Fury, whose foundation donates ticket revenue to charitable causes. More than $250,000 has reportedly already been raised through ticket sales. A way for the Brit to polish his image as the mega-fight approaches, while taking concrete action.
The organizers have bet on an intimate atmosphere. The Max Muay Thai Stadium, usually dedicated to Thai boxing fights, will host a small but fervent crowd. Fury, who has been living and training in the region for several months, wanted a familiar setting, far from the spotlights of Las Vegas or Riyadh. He got it.
Pressure mounts for the fight of the year
The Fury-Joshua duel is on everyone's mind. The two men have been circling each other for nearly ten years without ever having crossed gloves. Their clash, if it materializes, will instantly become the biggest fight in British boxing history, and probably one of the most lucrative across all sports. The figures put forward by promoters suggest a total purse exceeding $300 million.
Fury has promised a spectacle. Joshua, for his part, wants to prove he remains the boss of the heavyweights after his convincing victory over Filip Hrgovic last March. Both camps know that the slightest misstep this weekend could jeopardize everything. For now, the machine is in motion. It remains to be seen whether the two locomotives will reach their destination without derailing at the Pattaya or Riyadh station.