Error code: %{errorCode}
Have the critics gone too far on Fury's upcoming warm-up fight for Joshua?
The internet has managed to achieve one thing above all else in its relative short but wonderous history. It has convinced millions of people that they are simultaneously the world’s leading authority on absolutely everything. No subject is too nuanced. No situation too complicated. Somewhere – staring at a laptop while eating a Ginsters Peppered Steak Slice – is a man explaining that Ulysses by James Joyce was “boring after the first chapter” despite the book being the pinnacle of modernist literature.
So, I wasn’t entirely shocked when the trolls came out in force to lambast Tyson Fury’s decision to fly halfway round the world to a Muay Thai stadium to box Mariusz Wach on July 24.
Fury is fighting a day before Anthony Joshua has his own ‘warm up fight’ against Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia.
People are quick to forget that for more than a decade Fury and AJ absolutely carried British boxing.
The latter gave us that seminal night against Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley, peeling himself off the floor to stop ‘Dr. Steelhammer’ in a fight for the ages between two Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallists. Joshua sold out stadiums wherever he went and was a marketer's dream, offering brands a crossover appeal with his ready smile and magnetic public image that transcended boxing.
Then there’s Fury. His redemptive career arc is actually mind-bending. Goes to Germany and becomes the first man to beat the aforementioned Klitschko for 12 years to annex the heavyweight belts. Vanishes into a dark depression and is almost overwhelmed by addiction issues, before somehow shedding 10st and winning the belts back whilst also giving us the craziest heavyweight trilogy (with Deontay Wilder) since the days of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
And yet he still can’t catch a break. This is because the modern critic no longer needs certification. Wi-Fi has replaced qualifications.
What has Joshua has learnt from Usyk?
Watch: AJ reveals what training with his former foe has been like
Wach is forty-six. He’s only won three of his last 10 fights and is the classic ‘marking time’ opponent. Critics are missing the point here though. Fury is not gifting Wach a world title fight (which would have been outrageous) as he’s not even a world champion at this point. He is using the big Polish battler to sharpen his tools and get some rounds back into his legs.
That Arslanbek Makhmudov win was back in April. Having a full training camp and then pasting Wach is surely a better idea than sitting idly on the couch and eating ice cream while waiting for the AJ fight venue and date to be announced?
Damned if you do and damned if you don’t
Let’s have it right. Whoever Fury announced as his opponent for this July gig, he was going to be criticised. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
Soft touch? The fight gets derided online as a ‘farce’.
Yet let’s spin this 360. What if he chose to box someone like Martin Bakole and got ironed out? There would then be a huge pile on mocking him for taking such a tough fight loaded with jeopardy so close to the AJ fight and risking the eye-watering pay cheques both will receive for their ‘Battle of Britain’.
Instead, he’s fighting Wach – a 39-13 (20) gatekeeper in the loosest sense of the word who is probably best known for demolishing three YouTube influencers in a single bout.
As long as all roads lead to Fury vs Joshua in the last quarter of 2026, I personally don’t care if Tyson has a move around over 10 rounds with a white-handed gibbon, one of four gibbon species native to Thailand. Much like the Gypsy King himself they are highly athletic and renowned for their melodic territorial calls. I digress.
This is not a cash grab. If you are one of those people who have been raging since the Wach fight was announced, then read that last sentence again.
Indeed, if we believe Fury’s brother Shane - who having shaved the beard and slicked back the hair now bears more than a passing resemblance to 1990s Hollywood action hero Steven Seagal - Fury might actually lose money on this fight.
The Gypsy King has confirmed that proceeds from his July 24 showdown with Wach will go to local orphanages and other charities in Pattaya.
I mean how can people be critical of such a gesture? As you get older you realise that sometimes in life there simply isn’t a winning move. We are damned if we do, and damned if we don’t.
The wisest people eventually realise there’s only one sensible response. If criticism is inevitable, you may as well choose the option that lets you sleep at night. After all, if you’re going to be damned either way, you might as well enjoy yourself first. In the immortal words of the man himself; ‘Git up there, my boy!’
Joshua vs. Prenga - exclusively on DAZN PPV
Watch Anthony Joshua's hugely anticipated return to the ring versus Kristian Prenga on Saturday, July 25 only on DAZN PPV. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Itauma vs. Hrgovic and Canelo vs. Mbilli PPVs, with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
