Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will compete in separate heavyweight fights in Thailand and Saudi Arabia this weekend before facing each other later this year.
Fury faces veteran boxer Mariusz Wach in Pattaya on Friday evening. Soon after the bout, Fury will fly from Bangkok to Jeddah to watch Joshua fight Kristian Prenga on Saturday night.
Both boxers are using these bouts as preparation for a planned match in November. Wembley Stadium is the preferred venue, provided Brent Council lifts its 11 p.m. curfew to allow a live broadcast to American television between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. London time on Sunday.
Mariusz Wach and Pattaya Bout
Fury will fight Wach in a small, screened hall in Pattaya before about 1,000 local spectators. Fury is donating ticket proceeds to local causes in Thailand, where he regularly trains.
The fight will not be broadcast live anywhere. Netflix will save the footage for private screening to promote the upcoming match between Fury and Joshua.
Wach is a Polish heavyweight approaching his 46th birthday with a record of 39 wins and 13 defeats. Fourteen years ago in Germany, Wladimir Klitschko ended Wach's undefeated 27-0 record in a world title match, after which Wach failed a drug test that led to a two-year suspension.
Wach has since served as a durable opponent for British heavyweights including Dillian Whyte, Frazer Clarke, and Hughie Fury. Two years ago, Moses Itauma knocked out Wach in two rounds.
Kristian Prenga and Jeddah Match
Joshua returns to action on Saturday against Prenga in Saudi Arabia, with the fight televised live on DAZN pay-per-view.
Prenga is an Albanian heavyweight who is 10 years younger than Wach. He has accumulated 20 knockout victories against one points defeat, fighting primarily on undercards in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and across the Canadian border.
Prenga suffered his single defeat against Giovanni Auriemma. His other opponents include Joey Dawejko, Aldo Callendar, Tim Chemelli, and Willie Jake Jr., many of whom work as barmen, bouncers, or cab drivers.
At his London press conference, Prenga said: "A J and his team have made a mistake. They’ve overlooked my knock-out record. They’ve forgotten that he can no longer take a big punch like mine. Get ready for the world-wide shock which will change my life forever."
Anthony Joshua and November Plans
Fury is set to fly from Bangkok to Saudi Arabia to watch Joshua a day after his own fight. Joshua enters the ring as a former Olympic gold medallist and two-time world heavyweight champion.
This is Joshua's first fight since surviving a car crash in Africa that killed two close friends and team members. Dedicating the fight to them, Joshua said: "This is for them."
If Joshua wins, he may invite Fury into the ring to begin promoting their November bout, referring to himself as the landlord for the event.
Both Wach and Prenga are earning the largest purses of their careers in these bouts. An unexpected defeat for either Fury or Joshua would cancel their planned November fight and could end their careers.
