Mariusz Wach has wanted to fight Tyson Fury since their sparring days

Mariusz Wach, who takes on Tyson Fury in Thailand on July 24, is among the least fancied opponents in recent heavyweight memory.

The 46-year-old has lost 13 times, with five of those coming inside schedule, and he’s nine years removed from his last meaningful victory. That he’s even a 20-to-1 shot to win the fight seems generous.

He has been chosen so Fury can fill some time while Anthony Joshua, who he’s supposed to face in November, engages in his own warm-up bout with a rank outsider. Joshua fights Kristian Prenga, a 17-to-1 underdog, on July 25 in Saudi Arabia.

Fury insists he’ll take Wach seriously. But the 37-year-old former champion doesn’t want the fight to be broadcast on any network. The only people who will watch live, he insists, will be those inside Pattaya’s Max Muaythai Stadium. The only cameras present will be those filming for the third season of Netflix series, At Home With the Furys.

The whole exercise feels like it will be little more than a glorified sparring session.

Not so, says Wach. The Pole is talking up his chances of springing what would be one of the biggest in the history of the banner division.

"I'm very serious in every professional fight," he told TalkSport.

"I've lost a few fights recently, but I will do my best to stop Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua from happening.

"I think that Tyson Fury will not be 100 per cent prepared for this fight because he is thinking about this fight with Joshua… I hope that he is very focused on making the Netflix series and that it will affect his preparation."

Wach could have a point. We’ve seen Fury labor in the past when faced with opponents he doesn’t deem a threat heading in. Francis Ngannou in 2023 being the most obvious example. Fury was supposed to turn up, win at a canter, then sign to fight Oleksandr Usyk. It turned into a mighty scare for the then-WBC titlist.

But unlike with Ngannou, the MMA star who made his debut while taking Fury the full 10 rounds, even dropping him along the way, Fury knows what Wach is all about. They were sparring partners once upon a time.

"Tyson is a big fighter, he has very good legs, he has a good balance, he is dynamic, he's fast, he's very strong,” Wach said.

"I sparred with him a few years ago. He was one of the fighters I wanted to fight most.

"I am not afraid of Tyson,” he promised. “I am not afraid of the heat and humidity."