Imagine for a second a heavyweight boxer in his prime. He is the ghastliest, most dangerous man alive and has complete dominion over both the championship belt and his entire division.
He defeats his opponents before they even step into the ring with him due to the fear factor he possesses and once the bell goes and the fight begins, he extirpates them with considerable ease in a matter of seconds/minutes.
After a long period of dominance, this boxer experiences a severe decline and swiftly becomes the laughing stock in the whole boxing world. Everyone views him as a jester, a washed up has-been.