Tyson Fury’s next opponent once stepped into a cage to fight three men at the same time. He did it twice.
When Fury announced he would face Mariusz Wach in Thailand on July 24, most boxing fans remembered the towering Pole as the man who challenged Wladimir Klitschko for the unified heavyweight title in 2012.
Few will know what Wach has been doing away from top-level professional boxing.
The 46-year-old has twice appeared in Polish freak show MMA events, taking on three opponents simultaneously in bizarre contests that underlined just how far removed he now is from the heavyweight elite.
Wach’s appearances came under handicap rules that have become increasingly popular in Poland, where former athletes, influencers and celebrities compete in unconventional bouts built for entertainment rather than sporting achievement.
Standing 6ft 7½in and weighing well over 250 pounds, Wach overwhelmed three smaller opponents to win both contests.
It was a long way from the days when Wach challenged Klitschko for the heavyweight championship before later becoming a respected measuring stick for prospects such as Frazer Clarke and Moses Itauma.
Those appearances reinforced the reality that Wach’s days as an elite heavyweight are behind him.
That is why Fury’s decision to use Wach as a warm-up for a proposed showdown with Anthony Joshua has raised eyebrows.
Those attending the charity event in Pattaya are unlikely to care who stands in the opposite corner. Seeing one of boxing’s biggest attractions in person will be enough for many fans, and Fury deserves credit for staging an event that will benefit local causes.
The bigger question is whether the fight serves any meaningful purpose beyond keeping Fury active.
If Fury and Joshua finally meet later this year, whether in the UK or the United States, the former heavyweight champion will need to be at his sharpest against the biggest remaining rival of his career.
Preparing for that challenge against a 46-year-old heavyweight whose recent résumé includes two three-on-one MMA contests looks far closer to an exhibition than the ideal preparation for Anthony Joshua.
Only when Fury finally shares the ring with Joshua will anyone know whether this exhibition-like assignment was enough to make him fight-sharp.
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 15+ years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.
