Has a boxer ever been in a worse condition before a fight than Ali before he fought Holmes?

Probably not many but more than likely a lot more than we know of.
It was disgusting letting Ali fight Holmes, but it's amazing what money can do.

 

He didn’t fight anyone great in that time, but the final third of Holyfield’s career consisted of people begging him to retire & cursing the athletic commissions.

 

Saad from 1983 on

 

Mickey Walker was drunk during one of his fights which resulted in a crazy number of knockdowns. Benny Paret was displaying personality changes between Gene Fullmer and Griffith III. If Emile hadn't gotten up from that knockdown Paret floored him with, Benny was doomed anyway.

A better question might be who was in the worst shape of any world class winners. Ali regained the title from Leon after the life shortening beating he got from Shavers.

Frazier had high blood pressure, severe arthritis and was blind in one eye, yet he won the FOTC and much later, produced the masterpiece which was JQ II.

Crazily, Mancini-Chacon was Boom-Boom's final win and Schoolboy's final defeat, as Bobby went on to stop Art Frias and then, in a tremendous career finale, halted the excellent Julian Solis, which should have gotten Chacon a final title shot.

Ezzard Charles actually had wins after Marciano I, when he was already afflicted with ALS.

Sam Langford was completely blinded, yet used The Force to knock out Tiger Flowers.

While Floyd Patterson tried to blame a bad back for his first loss to Ali, Rocky Marciano went undefeated despite having a much worse back all his career.

 

Larry literally cried in the locker room right after the fight. But he shouldn't in my opinion. Ali wanted that fight and got his ass whooped. It's not on Larry to protect him when he's inside the squared circle.

It was before the Berbick fight. Ali and Holmes were friends, way better friends than Ali and Mike ever were.

 

Still confused how they let OldieFields compete during Moorer I and Bowe III

 

Don't know how true it is , but I've read in multiple
different sources Jerry Quarry was basically a
zombie his last fight in 1992 and shouldn't
have been with in a mile of a boxing ring or
gym for the matter,

 

damn.

 

Ali was in great shape before the fight started. Just look at him taunting Holmes at the stare down at ring centre an trying to get to him before they were told to go back to their corners. He even came out confidently before Holmes came out more aggressively than he usually does an rushed him. It wasnt until a couple of rounds that every thought that Ali wasn’t playing around an really did have nothing left

 

Leon Spinks in his last fights presumably, Donovan Ruddock when he fought in his 50s, Terry Norris in his last fights, Meldrick Taylor.
These aren’t for definite, but certainly possibilities.

 

Too much thyroid medication.

 

Greb fought half-blind ...

 

I remember Saad fighting Andrew Maynard, who was still considered a pretty good fighter at the time. This took place in 1991, and there was an exchange in the corner between rounds where the ring Doctor asked Saad where he was, and he was unable to answer until his cornerman helped him along.

This content is protected

 

According to punch stats, Deontay Wilder landed fewer punches in 12 rounds against Joseph Parker than Ali did in 10 rounds against Holmes.

The 38-year-old Ali landed 42 punches over 10 rounds against the 31-year-old Holmes. The 38-year-old Wilder only landed 39 punches over 12 rounds against the 31-year-old Parker.

In his last fight, Wilder only landed 16 punches before he was stopped in the fifth againt Zhang. In his last fight, Ali landed 129 punches over 10 rounds versus Berbick.

What helped Ali somewhat was that he was the bigger man against both. Ali outweighed Holmes by six pounds, and Berbick by 18 pounds. Getting hit by the smaller men saved him from being hurt more than he was.

Wilder didn't get the same help. Wilder was the much smaller man in both fights. Parker outweighed Wilder by 32 pounds. Zhang outweighed Wilder by nearly 70 pounds.

Wilder was totally shot .. couldn't pull the trigger at all ... and was giving up a lot of weight, too.

His management did him no favors, particularly against Zhang, when it was all but obvious he was done against Parker.