PATTAYA, Thailand – Tyson Fury picked up a routine win over Mariusz Wach, stopping the 46-year-old veteran after seven rounds here in Thailand.
It was what it was always going to be, a glorified spar. A crowd of roughly 1,500, made up largely of travelling British fans, squeezed into Pattaya’s sweltering Max Muay Thai Stadium to witness the contest live. There was no television broadcast, only Netflix cameras following Fury for the third season of At Home With The Furys as he eased his way past veteran Mariusz Wach.
The fight was, of course, staged to set up a long overdue date with Anthony Joshua and if the former heavyweight champion was in attendance he would surely be licking his lips. It was far from vintage Fury, who jabbed and moved, never looking in danger, but failed to light the venue up either.
The undoubtable question was put to Fury, now 36-2-1 (24 KOs), after the contest, so is Anthony Joshua next?
“I passed my test tonight, let him pass his test [tomorrow night in Jeddah against Kristian Prenga], then the biggest test of them all is how big are his balls?” replied Fury.
Poland’s Wach looked every bit of his 46 years from the beginning, coming forwards as Fury skipped around him, switching stances, and throwing his jab. Fury, 37, was enjoying himself, smiling to the crowd as he landed two right hands that Wach certainly felt.
The former two-time heavyweight champion got a little complacent and was caught by a hard right from Wach that smashed across his chin. He felt it, too. His eyes said it all, and he seemed annoyed that he’d taken such a shot. He then pushed back, cracking Wach with a right hand, followed by another that made the Pole stumble back.
Fury then switched things up in the third, he got physical on the inside, putting every ounce of his 275lbs on the old veteran. Wach may be thankful he came in at 291lbs, because he needed every ounce to wrestle back with Fury. Wach was turning out to be trickier than expected for Fury, who then seemed to resort back to jabbing from the outside.
The Englishman was landing the jab at will, scoring with four consecutively before flicking sweat off his shoulder and waving to the crowd. Wach was still there, but by the fourth he was barely throwing a punch and just looking to evade the punishment coming his way.
Wach was feeling the pace and Fury took full advantage in the fifth. He pushed the Pole into the corner where he landed three consecutive uppercuts that snapped Wach’s chin in the air. Fury smiled to the Netflix cameras that sat a few meters away before getting back to jabbing Wach’s head off.
The sixth was Fury’s best of the contest and it was clear that Wach’s time was nearly up. Fury unloaded to the head and body while Wach lay helplessly on the ropes. Wach span away but was met by another right hand that forced the Pole onto the ropes, Fury lay on his foe, kissed Wach’s head and then smiled to the crowd. They loved the antics from “The Gypsy King” but there was little to shout about in terms of clean punching from Fury. Wach started the seventh probably knowing it was his last.
Regardless, he pushed forwards in a hope of doing something, and he landed a right hand flush. However, there was no authority behind it. Wach was spent and had nothing left, but Fury just couldn’t land something to put his foe on the canvas.
Both men returned to their corners at the end of the seventh session, and the now 39-14 (20 KOs) Wach sat down in a heap. He would not get up, with the referee waving off the contest before Round 8 had begun. Fury did his bit, albeit far from his usual standards. Anthony Joshua, over to you.
