Tyson Fury forces Mariusz Wach to retire in eighth round of Pattaya tune-up fight ahead of Joshua showdown
Tyson Fury dominated Mariusz Wach in a non-televised bout at Pattaya’s Max Muay Thai Stadium, forcing the Polish veteran to retire before the eighth round. The victory, Fury’s second since returning from retirement in January, sets the stage for a long-awaited all-British heavyweight clash with Anthony Joshua later this year.
The Pattaya fight
On Friday, July 24, Tyson Fury stepped into the Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya, Thailand, for a tune-up bout against Poland’s Mariusz Wach. The 1,500-seat venue hosted a VIP-only crowd; the fight was not televised but will feature in the Netflix reality series "At Home with the Furys". Wach, 46, had lost seven of his last ten fights, and his resistance ended early: he retired on his stool before the start of the eighth round. Fury, who turns 38 in August, improved his professional record to 36 wins, one draw and two defeats. Fury’s only losses are the pair of decisions against Oleksandr Usyk. Wach’s record now stands at 39 wins and 14 defeats; four of his past five bouts have ended in losses.
- Fury wins
- 36 fights
- Fury draws
- 1 fights
- Fury losses
- 2 fights
- Wach wins
- 39 fights
- Wach losses
- 14 fights
Fury’s comeback trail
The win was Fury’s second since he reversed the retirement he announced after back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024. Those two points defeats, in bouts for three world titles, prompted the Gypsy King to spend the whole of 2025 out of the ring. In January 2026 he confirmed on social media that he would return, and in April he outpointed Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov in London. The Wach victory keeps that momentum intact as he chases an all-British super-fight.
Building towards the Battle of England
All of Fury’s recent activity is calibrated for a single goal: an all-British heavyweight clash with Anthony Joshua before the end of the year. The matchup, already dubbed the "Battle of England", would match two former world champions who have never faced one another. The two heavyweights have circled one another for years but never signed a contract; with both now active again and under the same promotional landscape, formal talks are expected to begin shortly. On Wednesday in Pattaya, Fury posted a Ring Magazine illustration on Instagram showing the pair as chess kings, with the caption "One Step Closer". The expectation is that the Joshua fight will be box office on a scale the division has rarely seen.
I do not have the impression that the world has already seen the best of Tyson Fury.
- Defeats Wladimir Klitschko by points to become unified heavyweight champion.
- Fights trilogy with Deontay Wilder, earning a draw and two wins to claim the WBC title.
- Suffers second consecutive loss to Oleksandr Usyk.
- Announces comeback via social media after a year out of the ring.
- Wins via unanimous decision over Arslanbek Makhmudov in London.
- Defeats Mariusz Wach by retirement before start of the eighth round in Pattaya.
- Expected all-British showdown with Anthony Joshua, billed as the 'Battle of England'.
A fight with a charitable purpose
The Pattaya card was unusual for a man accustomed to filling football stadiums. Only 1,500 VIP places were available, and the proceeds from the evening are being donated to a charity that supports disadvantaged children in Pattaya. The intimate setting and philanthropic focus contrasted with Fury’s previous sell-out arena shows but aligned with the untelevised, documentary-ready nature of the event.
Joshua steps out again
While Fury was handling Wach, Anthony Joshua was finalising his own return. On Saturday, July 25, Joshua faces Albania’s Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is Joshua’s first fight since a car crash in Nigeria in December that left him with minor injuries but killed two close friends. Prenga is not considered a major threat, and the bout is widely seen as a sharpener ahead of the Fury matchup. Both camps are expected to start formal talks once the two tune-ups are complete.
