Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are both fighting this weekend in what serve as final tune-up bouts before their long-awaited clash later this year. Fury faces Mariusz Wach on Friday night in Pattaya, Thailand, while Joshua takes on Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Fury's low-profile bout in Thailand
Fury's fight against Wach is being held in relative secrecy. It is not set to be broadcast on any television channel or streaming service. Instead, footage will be saved for the third season of At Home with the Furys on Netflix. Only 1,500 spectators will be in attendance, a stark contrast to Fury's usual high-profile events.
Wach, a 46-year-old Polish veteran, was dismantled by British rising star Moses Itauma inside two rounds two years ago. Last year, he fought three social media influencers inside an MMA cage in a bizarre handicap match. The Polish heavyweight is expected to pose little threat to Fury, who wants more rounds under his belt after ending his two-year retirement in April with a points win over Arslanbek Makhmudov in London.
Joshua's emotional return
Joshua headlines a more glitzy card in Saudi Arabia against Kristian Prenga, a former kickboxer who has fought no one of note in the boxing ring. While Prenga carries power, he is deemed easy work for the two-time heavyweight champion.
Saturday marks Joshua's first fight since the devastating loss of his two close friends Latif 'Latz' Ayodele and Sina Ghami, who were killed in a car crash in Nigeria less than a week after his victory over Jake Paul in Miami in December. The former Olympian spent the first half of the year recovering physically, mentally and emotionally but dispelled any talk of retirement. 'Boxing is not only good for the competitive side of things; it's quite therapeutic. It gives us purpose,' Joshua said last month. 'That's what it does for me, I know it is the place where I am most comfortable. It gives me a purpose in my life. This is where I'm most comfortable.'
Why warm-up fights make sense
Both fighters have had difficult years professionally and personally. Since his defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024, Joshua's only activity has been blasting through Paul in six rounds just before Christmas. Fury's efficient if unspectacular 12-round win over Makhmudov in April was his first fight since his rematch defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024.
The timing of this weekend's fights ensures both remain active and their schedules are perfectly aligned heading into the second half of the year. Promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren have made clear that any slip-ups this weekend would likely see Joshua vs Fury consigned to the scrapheap for good.
Cautionary tales from boxing history
Boxing is littered with stories of fights falling by the wayside because someone forgot to read the script. Joshua was expected to blast through Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019 only for his shock defeat in New York to shake the heavyweight landscape. Deontay Wilder bit off more than he could chew against Joseph Parker in December 2023, suffering a defeat that dashed hopes of a long-awaited meeting with Joshua. Fury himself was given the fright of his life against Francis Ngannou before his two wars with Usyk.
At 36 and 37 respectively, Joshua and Fury don't have time for any more slip-ups. None are expected this weekend, but until the two are stood face-to-face in the ring, nothing will be taken for granted.
