I think that the predictions between today's heavyweights and those of a century ago are not simple, precisely because of the evolution in size that man has had, what importance do we give to the 50 pounds difference between the two? Kabayel is an very good boxer (then we'll see where he will get in his career), a methodical pressure fighter who knows how to hit his opponent well and hard to the body and he have a very good chin, it is not easy to control a boxer like that. Tunney was one of the greatest champions in history, great footwork, great Ring I.Q., great stamina, fast and able to take time and distance from his opponent. For me Tunney could have handled a boxer like Kabayel but, precisely, how much can 50 pounds of difference count? Tunney defeated an extremely aggressive champion like Greb 3 times, but we are talking about a middleweight and light heavyweight, Kabayel enters the ring weighing just under 240 pounds. The heavyweight Tunney of a century ago would be a cruiser today. If we ignore the huge weight difference and just base it on the style and value of the two fighters, I say Tunney clearly on points. But I have a hard time thinking that those almost 50 pounds of difference between the two could not count and Kabayel moves well in the ring (better than Dempsey moved when defeated by Tunney) and therefore I think a victory for Kabayel is likely.
I have to favor Kabayel in this one, Kabayel's boxing IQ would be too much of an obstacle for Tunney to overcome...
Kabayels got as good a chance of outpointing Tunney as any HW from this time. Even if Kabayel has a perfect career I'd struggle to pick him to beat the most successful golden generation combo fighter. Someone like Wlad or Dubois with overpowering physical advantages is one thing but Kabayels a more unique threat for a HW today then he would be for a Tunney or a Loughran or someone like that.
I don't think 50 lbs is impossible to overcome if the smaller more skilled fighter has enough power to keep the bigger man off. For example, Usyk is not a small man by any means (he is 220 lbs, after all) but Usyk has the power to make the bigger man respect him. Tunney had great skill but he does not hit hard enough to keep Kabayel off. I don't think Kabayel is a natural 240 lb guy, i think he is more of a natural 220 lb guy bulked up a bit too much. But Kabayel has good power, skill, excellent body punching and he likely would not fear Tunney's power. So i favour Kabayel to stop him but it has less to do with weight and more to do with the smaller man not having enough power to keep the bigger man off him. Kabayel by late stoppage in a competitive fight.
I don't think it's a problem of low power, Chris Byrd was a low-powered heavyweight and clearly won against an aggressive, very powerful boxer with a steel jaw like David Tua. It's just that we're talking about a cruiser (even a small one, Tunney against Dempsey didn't even reach 190 pounds) against a heavyweight around 240 pounds (it seems to me that Kabayel is at his right weight, he moves well in the ring and at that weight he obtained his most important victories, against Makhmudov, Sanchez and Zhang), exactly two different weight categories. Usyk is a former cruiser but enters the ring weighing over 220 pounds, that's 30 pounds more than Tunney weighed in the heavyweights. I have this opinion, but as I wrote above I think that the comparison between the heavyweights of certain eras and those of today is really difficult, precisely because the average size of men in the category has changed (and today up to 200 pounds you're a cruiser).
We are all merely grains of sand in an hourglass, as time drains on into the glass of the universe and this thread is an example of that.
