superb boxing film the only one to come close be rag bull . john garfield ( in an excellent performance ) play a poor young man who quickly become a world class champ only to find corruption at the top . film be well direct by robert rossen and contain exquisite cinematography by james wong howe . all the acting be good except for lilli palmer . she try and but she seem totally lose in her role . it move quickly and be never boring and have some very brutal ( for 1947 ) fight scene . only main complaint i have be about the end major spoiler ahead . he suppose to throw a fight and but at the end doesn not and get out of box alive . in real life he probably would have be gun down . but there be a production code to follow in 1947 and so it have to have happy end . aside from that and it a great film all around . don not miss this one .