Agit Kabayel picks Tyson Fury to handle Anthony Joshua, but that pick relies on memories from a decade ago. Kabayel shared rounds with Fury back in 2016, sharing the ring with a fleet-footed heavyweight vastly different from the man competing today.
Kabayel credits Fury with superior ring IQ, even while respecting Joshua’s single-shot knockout power. His prediction leans on Fury having multiple paths to victory, yet those ancient gym sessions tell us very little about present-day form.
“The better boxer, the better boxing IQ [is with] Fury,” Kabayel told The Ring. “But only one guy in the heavyweight division can beat the guys with one hand. This is Anthony Joshua.”
“I think Fury will win the fight. Points, KO, but we will see. My prediction is with Fury.”
The glaring flaw in Kabayel’s logic involves Fury’s faded mobility. The 2016 incarnation feinted opponents out of position, changed angles effortlessly, and slipped outside hitting range with ease. Combine that fluidity with his massive frame, and he became a nightmare to track down.
Recent outings show a far more stationary operator. Fury still knows how to manipulate range with his reach, yet recognizing open space is quite different from possessing the foot speed to claim it. Against someone carrying Joshua’s power, lingering in the pocket too long invites disaster.
Kabayel admits his sparring comparison carries an asterisk.
“For me, the hardest sparring was with Fury,” Kabayel explained, pointing out that he had logged three extra years of professional seasoning before testing Joshua in 2019.
That timeline skews the perspective. Kabayel met Fury as a raw prospect, then shared rounds with Joshua as a fully developed contender capable of holding his own.
Fury’s ring craft gives him a legitimate shot. Still, wondering whether his aging reflexes can execute his intentions remains the central issue. Kabayel’s glowing scouting report honors a long-gone fighter Joshua never has to face.
Looking at Fury across his recent outings, the double defeat to Oleksandr Usyk followed by soft recovery touches against plodding veterans like Arslanbek Makhmudov and Mariusz Wach, you are watching a fighter surviving on reputation and size rather than elite capability.
Beating Wladimir Klitschko in Düsseldorf was a psychological masterclass against an aging champion afraid to pull the trigger, and the 2020 demolition of Deontay Wilder was the absolute ceiling of Fury’s offensive bullying. Everything since has been a steady march into decline.