Why couldnt Holy put away a a 40 something year old Holmes?

Styles make fights and that's that ... Holmes actually was quite competitive in the early rounds .. in his prime he cleanly decisions Evander ..

 

Ray Mercer and Riddick Bowe both got put on the canvas by Holyfield and both were known to have good chins especially Mercer.

 

As Holmes got older he seemed to get slicker and cagier. He wasn`t as aggressive offensively. He would punch in spurts but not open up the way he could in his prime.

 

There is no substitute for experience.

 

With experience comes greater relaxation, poise, understanding of one's body, and the ring generalship to know how and when to pick it up and slow it down. The tricks of the trade amassed over years helps an older fighter control a bout. Hopkins is a master at this. Hence sometimes they can actually seem to have more stamina late in fights than their younger peers because of their greater efficiency.

 

Quite often there is cases of old fighters out lasting young fighters or taking over late in the fight and its not because the older fighter is in better condition its because the older fighter is more composed. It doesn't matter how good you're conditioning is if you lose you're composure in the ring you can tire yourself out quickly most cases of fighters tiring early in the bout isn't because they aren't in proper shape it is because they lose their composure and panic. Its just like if you fall out of a boat in the middle of a lake if you panic you're gonna drown but if you stay composed you have a much better chance of surviving, this is why old George Foreman never tired and why he used to always tire when he was young and a lot more wild.