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Tom Sayers

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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TOM SAYERS (1826-1865), English pugilist, was born at Brighton on the 25th of May 1826. By trade a bricklayer, he began his career as a prize fighter in 1849 and won battle after battle, his single defeat being at the hands of Nat Langham in October 1853. In 1857 he gained the championship. His fight with the American, John C. Heenan, the Benicia Boy, a much heavier man than himself, is perhaps the most famous in the history of the English prize ring. It took place at Farnborough on the 17th of April 1860 and lasted two hours and six minutes, thirty-seven rounds being fought. After Sayers's right arm had been injured the crowd pressed into the ring and the fight was declared a draw. £3000 was raised by public subscription for Sayers, who withdrew from the ring and died on the 8th of November 1865. The champion was 5 ft. 82 in. in height and his fighting weight was under II stone. An account of the fight between Sayers and Heenan is given by Frederick LockerLampson in My Confidences (1896).