Tyson Fury’s bizarre decision to fight a 46-year-old in Thailand has been explained. It came down to money and pride. According to rival promoter Eddie Hearn, The Gypsy King is heading to Pattaya for his July 24 bout against Mariusz Wach because he felt insulted by an offer for a different fight.
Hearn claims the original plan was for Fury to appear on a Dublin card. But the opponent and the paycheck were apparently not up to scratch. “They wanted him to fight Nelson Hysa. I think it’s probably after he fought Mahmoudov. I think he just wants… he really wants a spar,” Hearn stated. The offer was so poor, it pushed Fury to make a statement.
That statement is a fight in a tiny venue with no television coverage. It is a classic Fury move. Hearn believes Fury simply rejected the initial deal out of principle. “I think that he probably looked at the money that he was being offered, which he probably thought was an insult knowing Tyson Fury, and went, ‘Right… I’m going to go and fight in Thailand,'” Hearn said.
The setting for the fight is far from the bright lights of Las Vegas or London. It is a move only Fury would make. “There’s no TV, right? There’s like 1,500 people in a random stadium in Thailand against a bloke who’s lost eight out of his last 10. But it’s true Tyson Fury, maverick, saying, ‘I’m going to do whatever I want,'” Hearn explained.
But this strange detour has a clear purpose. The entire event is seen as a tune-up for the real prize: a massive showdown with Anthony Joshua reportedly set for November. The fight against Wach is simply a way to stay active and focused. It is a live training session. Hearn admitted he understands the logic, despite the weirdness of it all. “This is more probably for himself to stay in training camp, to stay motivated and fit for that big fight in November,” he said. The world now waits to see if this bizarre gamble pays off.
