Fury wins low-key warm-up to keep Joshua fight on track

British heavyweight Tyson Fury stopped Mariusz Wach in a low-key bout in Thailand to keep a potential blockbuster fight with Anthony Joshua on track.

The 37-year-old dominated for seven rounds at the Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya - in front of no more than 1,500 fans - before the overmatched Wach, 46, retired on his stool at the start of the eighth.

The 36th victory of his career moves Fury closer to a meeting with fellow Briton Joshua, who has his own comeback fight against Albanian Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

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

Many expected 'the Gypsy King' to fly straight to Jeddah for Joshua's bout, with the pair potentially announcing their long-awaited showdown in the ring afterwards if Joshua wins.

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 bout would take place, with Eddie Hearn saying Joshua's contract stipulates the UK, but industry whispers suggesting 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?"

Fury's win over Wach was not broadcast live on any television or radio platform, and will instead form part of the third series of the Netflix reality show 'At Home With The Furys'.

Fury has become a mainstream celebrity beyond boxing, with his outspoken personality, reality TV appearances and larger-than-life public image.

But in Pattaya there was no pay-per-view build-up or millions watching from home.

Earlier in the evening, the venue staged its regular programme of Muay Thai bouts before staff stripped away the canvas and transformed the ring for Fury's boxing card.

"We've all heard of the 'Thriller in Manila', you've heard of the 'Rumble in the Jungle' and you've heard of the punch-up in Pattaya," Fury said.

There was something almost nostalgic about it all. A generation ago, boxing fans might have waited until the following morning to read the result in the newspapers.

This time, reporters were refreshing social media, while the handful of journalists and YouTube channels inside the venue became the eyes and ears for everyone else.

According to those updates, Fury controlled the opening rounds, although one clip posted on X showed Poland's Wach catching him with a right hand in the second.

Another revealed pockets of empty seats - a striking contrast for a fighter who has packed Wembley Stadium with 96,000 fans and drawn 64,500 to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Another clip showed Fury, who said ticket profits would be donated to a local charity supporting disadvantaged children and students with disabilities, dictating the pace and repeatedly landing uppercuts at close range in the fifth.

One reporter even claimed Fury paused to kiss Wach midway through the sixth round.

It was not long before Wach and his corner had seen enough. Unable to withstand another three rounds of punishment, Wach was withdrawn to hand Fury his first stoppage victory since beating Derek Chisora in 2022.

A potential Fury v Joshua fight is expected to land on Netflix, which has more than 325 million subscribers worldwide and has quickly become a major force in boxing and combat sports.

Netflix's biggest success so far came when Jake Paul faced former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in November 2024, attracting an estimated 125 million viewers globally.

The same card also featured Katie Taylor's victory over Amanda Serrano, which drew an estimated 74 million live viewers worldwide.

The platform's boxing reach has continued to grow. Terence Crawford's victory over Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez attracted an estimated 41.4 million viewers, while Joshua's December fight with Paul brought in 33 million.

Netflix has also moved into MMA, with Ronda Rousey's fight against Gina Carano reportedly peaking at 17 million viewers worldwide - a record viewing figure for the sport.

But Fury fighting a heavyweight bout without a live broadcast and for the benefit of a Netflix series underlines how much boxing's landscape is changing - and the platform's increasing dominance in the sport.

Traditionally, a fight involving one of the sport's biggest names would be built around the live moment and the shared experience of millions watching at the same time.

Now, the focus is not just on the fight itself, but on the wider story around it and the behind-the-scenes footage.