Fury beat Wach ahead of Joshua showdown

Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury forced Polish boxer Mariusz Wach to retire in a tune-up fight on Friday for his blockbuster showdown against Briton Anthony Joshua later in 2026.

The bout in Thailand was not televised, but will feature in the Netflix reality show "At Home with The Furys". About 1,500 fans were there at the event at the Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya.

Wach had lost seven of his last 10 fights, and the 46-year-old was unable to continue at the start of the eighth round.

"I went through my test tonight. Let's see if he can get through his," Fury said.

Fury, who turns 38 in August, has a professional record of 36-2, suffering his only losses in two fights with Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk in 2024.

Joshua, also a former world heavyweight champion, is set to face Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia today.

Many expected the Gypsy King to fly straight to Jeddah for the AJ fight after Joshua invited him to a face-off.

Instead, Fury said he was going home.

"I've got to face off with my wife. I've got to iron when I get home. I've been away for six out of the last seven months", he said.

"I'm not going to Jeddah, I'm going home to my wife and kids. I'm going to regroup and hopefully we'll have a big fight signed next week."

Questions still linger over where the all-British fight would be materialised, with promoter Eddie Hearn saying Joshua's contract stipulates the UK, but industry whispers suggest a venue in America.

"We'll head wherever we're going to head," Fury said.

"Who knows? It could be in Vegas, New York, Ireland, London. Who knows where the fight's going to be?"