Tyson Fury insists his best days are still ahead as the heavyweight superstar prepares to fight Poland's Mariusz Wach.
The Brit, who turns 38 next month, returns against Wach in Pattaya, Thailand on Friday night as he sharpens his skills for a long-awaited fight against Anthony Joshua later this year.
Joshua makes his comeback this Saturday against Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia before he faces Fury, with the blockbuster bout expected to be scheduled in November with
Fury though, insists he's not paying attention to what AJ is doing, and believes he'll face a sharper examination of his skills against the Pole.
"I paid the price in sweat, tears, and blood, and hours for over 20 years to be able to do this, and and I just feel truly blessed," said the 'Gypsy King'.
"I'm very happy that I'm 38 in a few weeks, that I'm still active and still going strong, and I still feel like the best is yet to come.
"Even at 38, I don't feel like the world's seeing the best Tyson Fury yet."
Fury insists he's not looking ahead to any potential Joshua fight and wants to focus on the task which lies immediately ahead.
"This fight is a dangerous fight," he said. "Mariusz is the same size as me, same weight as me. He's had the same amount of fights, if not more than me. He's been in there with the most elite level champions out of two generations, two eras.
"Let me tell you, Mariusz Wach would pretty fist through Joshua's opponent, whoever he is, 'Mr Pringles'. This man would knock him spark out. He's a real fighting man, but we're not interested in other people. This is my show, and I'm not interested in what's going on elsewhere with Joshua or Wilder or Usyk or anybody. This is about me and Mariusz. It's not about anybody else."
Ever since launching himself into the boxing stratosphere with his 2015 victory over Wladimir Klitschko, every fight involving Fury has attracted global interest.
This bout against Wach, with the significance that has been placed on it, is no different, but fight fans will not be able to watch it live.
Promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren have made it abundantly clear that a defeat for either Fury or Joshua in their warm-up bouts would put paid to their blockbuster fight.
That has left Fury in a difficult position, wanting to sharpen up for AJ without risking the fight itself against a dangerous warm-up opponent.
Wach represents the safest bet when it comes to meeting all of those requirements, but that comes at a cost, with the concession the fight may not appeal to wider television audiences.
Fury has been training for the AJ showdown in Thailand, where the country's hospitable culture has allowed one of world sport's biggest stars to go about his business with a relatively low profile.
Fury wants to give back to a community that has taken him in, not only by hosting the Wach fight at Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya, but also by donating ticket profits from the event to local charities. He will also be presented with the inaugural WBC Humanitarian title on fight night.
Remaining in Thailand also makes logistical sense. Travel demands are virtually non-existent, with no long-haul flights required to promote or take part in the fight. Instead, all business is conducted from his training camp, where Fury remains in complete control of his environment.
In a sense, the behind-closed-doors bout represents a glorified sparring session, with the jeopardy dialled up given the ramifications a defeat would have for his AJ plans. But it remains the lowest-risk option and will form part of his wider long-term preparation for Joshua.
Wach is a credible and durable opponent who should provide exactly the kind of test Fury is looking for, without significantly jeopardising a potential showdown with Joshua.
The Pole's 52-fight record of 39-13 (20 KOs) includes defeats to Tyson Fury's cousin Hughie Fury, fellow British heavyweights Dillian Whyte and Frazer Clarke, and a points loss to then-unified heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2012.
The 46-year-old enters the contest having lost three of his last four fights, including a second-round TKO defeat to rising British heavyweight Moses Itauma in July 2024.
Fighting Wach may lack the glamour and excitement of a main-event bout, but it ticks many boxes for Fury given the greater challenge ahead which does.
