Fury did worse than Agit Kabayel and Guido Vianello - is he just a lower level boxer at this point?

He tried to stop him but just couldn't do it. His face got bruised up and a black eye from the return fire so he ultimately was forced to settle for a cautious points win, unable to match the KO performances of Kabayel and Vianello. You're comparing the performances of active fighters vs one after a 16-month layoff. And as Elastic Recoilz pointed out, Makhmudov put on one of his best performances to date. We won't truly know where Fury is until he steps in with the top-tier guys. I do suspect that even a past-prime AJ gives him a very tough fight, though.

It's interesting to compare Fury's performance. Kabayel and Vianello's knockouts of Mukhmudov highlight different strengths. Fury's style, while sometimes effective, lacks that decisive power. It makes you wonder, is he playing a different game? Maybe he should try Ragdoll Archers for a bit of fun, see if it improves his aim! Jokes aside, perhaps agility and precision, like in Ragdoll Archers , are what Fury needs to refine. Was he overrated, or are others simply evolving faster? ​

It was a combination of Fury being under pressure to put on a good performance after 16 months out and Makhmadov probably putting on his best performance in the sense of still being game despite running on fumes. Styles make fights as well. The frequency with which Kabayal goes to body usually starts troubling heavyweights after about 3 rounds while Guido can box & slug it out. Fury on the other hand picks his moments for offence and at times is guilty of admiring his work & taunting etc.

While I wanted Fury to make a KO statement on his return to the ring, I do understand that he's been out for 16 months and may have wanted to get in some rounds. He looked like he could have dropped and stopped Makhmudov, but he chose not to. We'll see how his comeback progresses. He tried to stop him but just couldn't do it. His face got bruised up and a black eye from the return fire so he ultimately was forced to settle for a cautious points win, unable to match the KO performances of Kabayel and Vianello.

guido is the man

No. Fury always sucked against random guys.

While I wanted Fury to make a KO statement on his return to the ring, I do understand that he's been out for 16 months and may have wanted to get in some rounds. He looked like he could have dropped and stopped Makhmudov, but he chose not to. We'll see how his comeback progresses.

Pick your poison.