Heavyweight rivals Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua both won warm-up fights over the weekend ahead of facing off against one another later in the year.
It was something of a surreal few days for both, with Fury stopping Mariusz Wach at the Max Muay Thai Stadium in Thailand in front of just 1,500 spectators, and Joshua coming through what was surely the worst first round of his career to see off the potential for a huge upset and defeat Kristian Prenga in the second.
Each fight was a world away from what promises to be a blockbuster event between the pair, both in terms of the occasion and the money on the table, especially after the fight purses were revealed for this weekend’s action, where it was revealed Wach actually earned more than Fury.
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua Won Their Respective Fights
With a fight between Fury and Joshua having been discussed since 2016 and fallen apart many times since, the stakes were high as both men took on their final warm-up fights.
Fury was first up, taking on Wach in Thailand in a very low-key event that was not even broadcast on television or radio. Instead, it is set to be part of the third series of ‘At Home With The Furys’ airing on Netflix.
Fury still made light work of the Pole, dominating for seven rounds before Wach retired on his stool.
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The Gypsy King is set to finally take on Anthony Joshua this November, with an untelevised fight in Thailand part of his warm-up.
On Saturday night, it was Joshua’s turn, returning to the ring for the first time since the tragic death of two of his closest friends in a car crash in Nigeria back in December.
After the first round, it looked like once again the prospect of AJ v Fury was going to fall apart. Joshua hit the canvas after mere seconds of the fight getting underway. He was dropped for a second time later in the first, leaving many wondering if he was about to fall foul of another huge upset, having previously been defeated by Andy Ruiz Jr and Daniel Dubois when a big favourite.
Credit: REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
However, Joshua hit back in the second to defeat the Albanian by TKO. It means that at last the path is clear for a long-awaited showdown between Fury and Joshua.
What Fury and Joshua Earned For Their Victories
Mariusz Wach actually made more than Tyson Fury for their fight. Wach made a reported $750,000 for their clash, while Fury made nothing at all.
That’s because the two-time world heavyweight champion announced that he would donate his purse to the Father Ray Foundation. The charity supports orphans, children with disabilities and underprivileged kids in Thailand.
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Joshua, meanwhile, was paid a huge $18 million for his fight versus Prenga, which took place at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia. Prenga was paid $1m.
There is little doubting, though, that Joshua and Fury will both be earning far more when they take on each other.
On Joshua’s undercard in Jeddah, Berkshire’s Hamzah Sheerah was actually the second-best paid fighter on either show. The 27-year-old earned $2m for successfully defending his WBC Super Middleweight Championship against Simon Zachenhuber. The previously unbeaten German made $500,000 for his efforts.
In the second world title fight on the card, Sunderland’s Josh Kelly outpointed Ireland’s Caoimhin Agyarko to retain his IBF Light Middleweight Championship. Kelly earned $500,000 for the win, with his opponent walking away with $250,000.
With Fury and Joshua now planned to collide in November, both men can expect to make significantly more than they did this weekend when they finally step into the ring.
Fury vs Wach and Joshua vs Prenga Salaries (selected)
Fighter
Estimated total payout
Anthony Joshua
$18,000,000
Hamzah Sheeraz
$2,000,000
Kristian Prenga
$1,000,000
Marius Wach
$750,000
Simon Zachenhuber
$500,000
Josh Kelly
$500,000
Caoimhin Agyarko
$250,000
Tyson Fury
$0
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