His successor as a hitter was Rocky Marciano. We cannot compare Rocky with Louis or Dempsey, except as a puncher. One thing we do know—the public loves a hard hitter, and in Rocky, the “Brockton Blockbuster,” it had such a champion. One fighter who should have become an all-time great but didn’t, was Max Baer. The Californian had the size, the strength, the ruggedness, the stamina, and as deadly a punch as the heavyweight class has known, but Max was too much of a psychological problem. His clout did carry him to the top of the heavyweight heap, but he didn’t remain there long. He was too irresponsible and undependable. Here is a detailed breakdown of my evaluation of the fighting abilities of the heavyweights under discussion here: Best Boxer James J. Corbett Fastest James J. Corbett Best All-Around Jack Johnson Best Uppercut Jack Johnson Best Defensive Jack Johnson Best Counter Puncher Jack Johnson Most Crafty Jack Johnson Best at Feinting Jack Johnson Best Left Hand Hitter James J. Jeffries Best Knockout Puncher Bob Fitzsimmons Best Hooker Bob Fitzsimmons Most Damaging Body Puncher Bob Fitzsimmons Best Heart Puncher Jack Dempsey Best at Infighting Jack Dempsey The Roughest Jack Dempsey Best combination, right to heart and left to chin Jack Dempsey Best Two-Hand Hitter Jack Dempsey Smartest Boxer Gene Tunney Best Jabber Gene Tunney Best Conditioned Gene Tunney Best Straight Right Joe Louis Best Finisher Joe Louis As for my all-time rankings in each division, they are as follows: _Heavyweights_ 1—Jack Johnson 2—James J. Jeffries 3—Bob Fitzsimmons 4—Jack Dempsey 5—James J. Corbett 6—Joe Louis 7—Sam Langford 8—Gene Tunney 9—Max Schmeling 10—Rocky Marciano _Middleweights_ 1—Stanley Ketchel 2—Tommy Ryan 3—Harry Greb 4—Mickey Walker 5—Ray Robinson 6—Frank Klaus 7—Billy Papke 8—Les Darcy 9—Mike Gibbons 10—Jeff Smith _Light Heavyweights_