Former cruiserweight world champion, Johnny Nelson has weighed in with his thoughts on Tyson Fury’s upcoming clash with Mariusz Wach.
Fury is set to face Wach in Thailand on July 24, with ticket profits donated to charities across Pattaya.
‘The Gypsy King’ will be fighting one day before long-time rival Anthony Joshua meets Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia.
The pair have signed to fight each other later this year, with their long-awaited showdown set to take place in November, provided both men come through their respective warm-up bouts.
And Nelson believes that Fury’s clash with the Pole is nothing more than a sparring session, despite it going on both men’s professional records.
“It’s not a fight, it’s an exhibition,” the 59-year-old told talkSPORT Boxing.
“He’s not getting paid for it.
“In my head, I just think he knows he was going to get flak for this opponent.
“It’s just a runout.
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“He’s got to take the stick, he’s still got to take the flak.
“The problem is if he goes into this fight and gets rid of him straight away, none of this has been worth it at all.
“The point of doing this is for him to get out, prepare for the ‘AJ’ fight that is supposed to happen after this.
“It’s an open sparring session.”
Wach, 46, has lost 13 times in his professional career including to Moses Itauma, Frazer Clarke, Dillian Whyte and Wladimir Klitschko.
Fury came out of retirement to defeat Arslanbek Makhmudov in April by unanimous decision.
The 37-year-old called out Joshua, who was sat at ringside at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Despite the pair inking a deal, a venue is unknown with recent reports suggesting the USA is the frontrunner to stage the fight.
Saudi Arabian boxing chief, Turki Alalshikh insists Wembley Stadium is the preferred option, but the timings remain the key stumbling block.
“I tell you from the beginning,” Alalshikh said.
“It depends if England give us all that we need, we want the fight here in England.
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“But we want the time zone of all the world, especially in America.
“If they allowed us to have Wembley late in the night, we want to do it in England.
“It is about the time and viewership.”
