Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will face low-risk opponents this weekend as they build towards a long-awaited $100m showdown in November. Fury, who has won only one fight in the past two years and nine months, takes on 46-year-old Polish journeyman Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand, on Friday. The bout will not be broadcast live but will feature on the third season of Fury's Netflix show 'At Home with the Furys'.
Joshua, who has a single victory in the last two years and four months, fights Albanian Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on Saturday night. The former champion has been recovering from a tragic car accident in Nigeria that killed his close friends just after Christmas. His promoter Barry Hearn described Joshua as a 'ferocious animal', while Eddie Hearn praised his mental fortitude.
Both heavyweights have suffered recent defeats: Fury lost twice to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, while Joshua was stopped by Daniel Dubois in September that year. Despite these setbacks, the pair remain on course for a lucrative showdown that could generate more than $100m. Fury has promised to donate all proceeds from Friday's exhibition to local charities in Thailand, and the WBC has announced it will award him their inaugural Humanitarian title after the fight.
Joshua, meanwhile, insists his ambition remains undiminished. 'It's on Prenga, but it's also on Fury, because I want it all,' he said. 'I believe I can become undisputed. I've still got the ambition and hunger.' His promoters expect a quick finish, with Barry Hearn warning that Joshua is 'in the mood to cause an awful lot of pain'.
