[salsanchezfan]

I think it's more accurate to simply say Holmes didn't have the legs anymore. The savvy and instinct were still there, which allowed him to potshot pretty effectively, and pick off and block a number of punches, but a sustained effort was out of the question at that point. His guile, savvy, and experience were enough to hold off a smaller, less skilled, and less experienced guy like Holyfield, but at that stage, that's about all he could do.