You will be forgiven if it has slipped your radar, but Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are both fighting this weekend.
British boxing’s biggest names fighting within 24 hours of each other is a reasonably rare occasion. But perhaps not helped by the sizeable World Cup hangover still lingering, there is a lack of genuine buzz around the contests which serve as final acts for both before they finally meet in the ring later this year.
Both are mere tune-up fights. Fury will fight Mariusz Wach on Friday night in Pattaya, Thailand, where ‘The Gypsy King’ has relocated his training camp, going about his business in relatively low profile.
At the time of writing, the fight 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. Given Fury has been at the centre of the boxing world for the best part of a decade, it’s a strange and extremely uncommon situation with just 1,500 spectators to be in attendance.
We probably won’t be missing much. Wach, a 46-year-old veteran, was dismantled by the rising star of British boxing 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 will pose little threat to Fury who wants more rounds under his belt having ended his two-year retirement in April with a points win over Arslanbek Makhmudov in London.
Joshua meanwhile headlines a more glitzy card in Saudi Arabia on Saturday but again, against unfancied opposition in Kristian Prenga. The former kickboxer has fought no one of note in the boxing ring and while he carries power, will be deemed easy work for the two-time heavyweight champion on the night.
There is added significance for Joshua with Saturday marking his first fight since the devastating loss of his two close friends Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele and Sina Ghami.
The two men, who spent years by Joshua’s side, were killed in the car crash in Nigeria less than a week on from 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,’ he 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.’
As much as it may frustrate the boxing public starved of the biggest fight in a generation – one which still doesn’t have a confirmed date or venue – the decision to take warm-up fights made sense. Both Joshua and Fury have had difficult years professionally and personally, experiencing devastating loss outside the ring with heavyweight boxing moving on without them inside of it.
Both men want and need rounds. 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 makes sense – they ensure both remain active and neither can have complaints over the timescale of their preparation with their schedules perfectly aligned heading into the second-half of the year.
Any slip-ups this weekend would surely see Joshua vs Fury consigned to the scrapheap for good with promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren making that abundantly clear in the lead-up. Given the size of the payday awaiting, safety-first fights were always going to be on the menu.
Boxing is littered with stories of fights falling by the wayside because someone forgot to read the script. Joshua and Fury are more than familiar with such tales themselves. 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 the recently reignited 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. The Ukrainian was also taken to deep and very uncomfortable waters against Rico Verhoeven in May – another kickboxer who Joshua’s opponent on Saturday will be hoping to take huge inspiration from.
At 36 and 37 respectively, Joshua and Fury don’t have time for any more slip-ups. None are expected either. But until the two are stood face-to-face in the ring, nothing will be taken for granted.