Nat Langham

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Nat Langham (born May 1820 - died 1 September 1871) was born in Hinckley, Northamptonshire, he was an English middleweight bare-knuckle prize fighter. He had the distinction of being the only opponent ever to beat the legendary Thomas Sayers.

Langham was born into abject poverty, and always spoke with a speech impediment, the result of a childhood incident when he stole a hot potato from a market stall — caught in the act, the vendor thrust the steaming potato into his mouth, causing severe permanent tissue scarring.

Langham was just under six feet (1.8 m) tall, and 11 stones (70 kg or 154 lb) in weight. His deprived childhood caused him to suffer ill health all his life. During his career, boxing was an illegal clandestine profession, carried out in comparative secrecy. In spite of the small prizes available, his prowess in the ring earned him a considerable fortune. Following his defeat of Sayers in 1857, he retired from the ring.

Langham died of consumption in 1871 at the age of 52 in London, he is buried in Brompton Cemetery.

[edit] See also

• List of bare-knuckle boxers