Casual boxing fans can be forgiven if they haven’t heard the news as Tyson Fury prepares to return to the ring to face former world championship contender Mariusz Wach on Friday in Thailand.
The fight hasn’t been heavily advertised as it will not be broadcast live or available via streaming.
Fury’s return is in response to Anthony Joshua booking his own tuneup fight against Kristian Prenga on Saturday. A fight between Fury and Joshua has been discussed for a decade and it is finally expected to go down sometime in 2026.
Fury is a massive favourite on the boxing odds, while Wach is a +1200 underdog.
How to watch
Date: July 23, 2026
Time: 11 a.m. ET
Location: Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya, Thailand (limited 1,500 in attendance)
How to watch: Fight is not streamed live. It will be available on Netflix as part of the third season of “At Home with the Furys”.
Tyson Fury
Fury (35-2, one draw) ended his latest retirement in April, defeating Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It was a return to the win column after he suffered back-to-back losses, the only defeats in his career, against Oleksandr Usyk in 2024.
“The Gypsy King” has now turned his attention to Joshua in what could be one of the biggest fights in British boxing history. However, it may well be too late to get the best out of Fury-Joshua as it has shades of Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather, who were 36 and 38 respectively, when they fought. Fury turns 38 in August and Joshua turns 37 in October.
Mariusz Wach
Believe it or not, there is an opponent for Fury in this fight and his name is not Anthony Joshua. Wach (39-13) really hasn’t been relevant in forever by sports standards. The high point of his career came in 2012 when he challenged Wladimir Klitschko for the unified heavyweight championship and won just a single round on one of three official scorecards.
Since that loss, Wach is 12-13, including losses in three of his last four fights. Wach’s career can be defined succinctly as losing to every notable heavyweight he has ever faced, including Fury’s cousin, Hughie.
Boxing prediction: Tyson Fury vs. Mariusz Wach
Wach doesn’t have a chance to win this fight and that’s why he was picked. He’s a decade past his prime and his career has been spent losing to any fighter with anything to show.
I should also point out Fury has also played with fire in fights he should have easily won. He was almost TKO’d after suffering cuts over his eyes against Otto Wallin in 2019 and he barely escaped with a split decision win after being knocked down by former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in 2023.
Still, this fight was booked to give Fury a sure-win. Netflix has already been running ads for Fury vs. Joshua, so I see this result as a formality.