Tyson Fury received a special new belt after his win against Mariusz Wach.
Tyson Fury received a unique new boxing belt after his win over Mariusz Wach.
On Friday night, the former two-time heavyweight champ stepped back into the ring for a surprise fight against Polish veteran Wach at the Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya, Thailand. Fury, 37, only announced the bout last month. It was meant to be a warm-up before his big British showdown with Anthony Joshua, who’s also returning to the ring soon.
As expected, Fury won the fight when Wach couldn’t continue after the seventh round. Wach didn’t get up for the eighth round, and the fight was stopped.
But what surprised many was that Fury was given a special new belt for winning—even though this fight wasn’t for a championship title.
This belt isn’t about the fight itself. It’s a special award recognizing the good boxing does beyond the ring. Before the fight, the WBC explained: “We’re proud to honor the winner with the first-ever WBC METTA Humanitarian Belt. It celebrates the kindness, compassion, and care boxing brings to communities. This belt is inspired by the Thai word เมตตา (Metta), meaning loving-kindness and goodwill.”
The belt features Thai flag colors and symbols like the Kanok Pattern, two Protective Elephants, and the lotus flower. Fury has been training in Pattaya recently and has done a lot of charity work there. The WBC says Fury’s humanitarian efforts in Thailand are a key part of his legacy.
The fight itself was also a big charity event. All the money from the 1,500 VIP tickets sold went to help hungry, poor, and homeless children in Pattaya. Fury has also visited orphanages while in Thailand.
Before the fight, Fury said, “It’s amazing to be able to give back to such a great cause. Which other world champ at my level would put on a show for 1,500 people in Pattaya? Would David Beckham or other famous stars do that? No way. They wouldn’t. A lot of big celebrities think they’re bigger than they really are.”