Tyson Fury v Braun Strowman: WWE Crown Jewel match – everything you need to know

Even by Tyson Fury's standards, October has been unpredictable.

After appearing on WWE shows throughout the month, the British former heavyweight boxing champion is swapping shorts for spandex and is set for his first ever wrestling match in the world of physical soap opera.

Fury will fight 'The Monster Among Men' Braun Strowman - who is 6ft 8ins tall and weighs 27st 4lbs - at the Crown Jewel event, broadcast live from 17:00 GMT on Thursday on the WWE Network.

So what exactly is it all about?

What is Fury doing?

Fury is competing in a wrestling match, fighting Braun Strowman at WWE's Crown Jewel event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. WWE is the world's biggest wrestling company, although they like to call it sports entertainment, not wrestling. The company used to be called WWF in the days when Hulk Hogan was champion.

What's happened so far?

Fury was in the crowd to watch WWE's TV show, Friday Night Smackdown, earlier in October. He got into an altercation with Strowman and three days later, on Monday Night Raw, the two had to be held apart by other wrestlers. Soon, a contract was signed for their showdown in Saudi Arabia.

Why is Fury doing it?

A few reasons. Money will be one. WWE is getting paid handsomely by Saudi Arabia to bring shows to the country over a 10-year period - the deal is reportedly worth up to $450m (£346.2m) - something for which they have faced criticism, given Saudi Arabia's human rights record. And Fury is thought to be picking up as much as £12m for his appearance.

There is also the exposure Fury and his brand will pick up in the US - 3,868,000 people watched his first appearance on Smackdown. That will only help with selling future boxing fights Stateside.

And Fury genuinely seems to have a love for wrestling, reeling off names of wrestlers he watched as a kid, while his own children are also big fans.

Why is WWE doing it?

They need big names for the Saudi Arabia shows, considering the amount of money they're making from it. But using genuine sports stars also gives WWE mainstream exposure, something they are always keen for. The fight has been covered by numerous global news outlets - yes, including BBC Sport - reaching an audience they would usually struggle to tap into.

WWE have used boxers before, with Floyd Mayweather beating Big Show at WrestleMania 24 in 2008, Mike Tyson serving as special enforcer for the main event at WrestleMania 14 in 1998 and Muhammad Ali acting as special guest outside referee for the first WrestleMania in 1985.

But it's not a sport is it?

Nope, not at all. Everything is predetermined - what they say to each other in the build-up to the fight, who is going to win the fight and exactly how the fight will end. Think of it like a soap opera but with more punching.

So Fury won't get hurt, will he?

Wrestlers get hurt quite a lot. In fact most wrestlers are usually carrying minor injuries because of the physical punishment of being thrown around hundreds of nights a year. Sometimes injuries can be more serious: Fury's opponent Strowman was sidelined last year with bone spurs in his elbow, while current WWE Universal champion Seth Rollins tore knee ligaments a few years back.

That said, it's unlikely Fury will be allowed to do anything too risky in what should be a short match that will be choreographed and then rehearsed over and over again.

• Saudi Arabia to host its first women's wrestling match