Thomas Sayers

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Thomas Sayers, early hand-tinted photograph, circa 1860.

Thomas Sayers, also known as Tom Sayers (25 May 1826 - 8 November 1865), was an English pugilist. During his career as a bare-knuckle fighter, at the time illegal, he was only once defeated. At 5 feet 8 inches in height with a fighting weight of under 11 stone, he was the first boxer to be declared the World Heavyweight Champion ^[1]. His fighting career lasted from 1849 until 1860, when a match billed as the contest for the "World Championship" ended in disarray. An unprecedented public collection funded his comfortable retirement, but he died only five years later at age 39.

1 Early years
2 Boxing career
3 Retirement
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Early years

Thomas Sayers in fighting pose.

Sayers was born in a one-bedroom cottage in the deprived slum district of Pimlico, Brighton, the youngest of the five children of James and Maria Sayers. James Sayers was a travelling cobbler. Thomas received a brief education when he entered Middle Street School, Brighton, aged nine years in 1836 ^[2]. Aged 13, he left home to become an apprentice bricklayer in London where he worked on the new London and North Western Railway Stations of King's Cross and St Pancras ^[3]

Sayers' first fight was against an Irish bricklayer colleague, a grudge match caused by the Irishman's dislike of Sayers' jokes. The night-time fight on Wandsworth Common lasted 2 hours 20 minutes, after which the young Sayers felled the 6'3" Irishman. Sayers chose to fight barefoot, which gave him an advantage in the muddy conditions. His defeated opponent was carried away unconscious to a doctor, who later called the police. To escape arrest, Sayers fled back to Sussex ^[4]. His reputation as a fighter was now established. A succession of clandestine boxing matches were subsequently arranged, the outcome of which were heavily betted upon. However, at this time he continued with his day job also; he is known to have worked on the London Road Viaduct, which was completed in 1846. Sayers met a 21-year-old divorcee, Sarah Powell, around 1842. The couple quickly had two children, Thomas and Sarah. Sayers was devoted to his illegitimate children, but his relationship with Sarah Powell was to bring great sadness ^[5] .

[edit] Boxing career

Sayers v. Heenan, 17 April 1860.

His serious career as a prizefighter dates from 1849, following which he won battle after battle, his single defeat being at the hands of Nat Langham in October 1853 in his first attempt to become the "Heavyweight Champion of England" "Hinkley" Langham won the match by concentrating on injuring Sayers's eyes. Despite the match lasting 61 rounds, averaging 90 seconds each, Sayers's undefeated reputation was lost. In financial difficulties, he was forced to travel the country in search of any opponent. He was never to be defeated again. It was during this period of penury that his wife, Sarah Powell, began a relationship with a member of Sayers's entourage, Alfred Aldridge. She continued the affair by blackmailing Sayers, threatening to announce to the world that he had not married her until after the birth of their children. Sayers was anxious to avoid his children being labelled with what in Victorian times was a stigma, and complied with her wishes, and allowed the affair to continue unhindered ^[6]

Sayers eventually achieved the Heavyweight title of England in 1857, defeating William Perry, the Tipton Slasher. He became the last holder of the title before the introduction of the Queensberry Rules in 1867. However, as boxing at this time was illegal and incomparable with later legalized boxing, the legitimacy of Sayers' use of the title is open to debate.

Sayers was the first English boxer to fight an international match when he fought American John C. Heenan, "the Benicia Boy", at Farnborough, Hampshire on 17 April 1860 ^[7]. The American was both taller and 3 stone heavier that Sayers. The match lasted for 37 rounds and 2 hours 20 minutes, but was brought to an untimely close when Sayers began to tire and his right arm was injured. Heenan clearly gained the advantage, forcing Sayers' neck onto the ropes and pressing down on his throat. To prevent Sayers being throttled, spectators cut the ropes, allowing an unruly crowd of Sayers' supporters into the ring. The referee fled and the contest was subsequently declared a draw. Sayers received a special Silver Championship Belt to commemorate the fight, but was persuaded by friends and patrons to retire Kungfu Magazine gives a slightly different version of the match, suggesting police had been trying to battle through the crowd for sometime before the referee declared a draw. The version of the fight given in the article is based on eyewitness accounts. In spite of the match being officially a draw, Heenan was later acclaimed as the "World Boxing Champion" ^[8] .

Sayers and Heenan became great friends after the fight, touring the country together and staging theatrical re-enactments of their famed fight. In reality, however, Sayers' boxing days were over. Such was his popularity that a public subscription was made for his benefit which raised £3000, given to him on condition he retire from the ring. This vast sum of money, by the standards of the day, was collected in such places as the House of Commons and the Stock Exchange ^[9]. The collection was tangible evidence of the aristocratic patrons of a sport that was, at that time, illegal. Such leading figures of the British establishment as the Earl of Derby were undoubtedly among Sayers' patrons, who had wagered heavily on the outcome of his fights. Throughout his fighting career, all Sayers' fights took place following "underground" advertising in isolated fields away from the gaze of the authorities. The year after Sayers's retirement, the "Anti-prize Fight Act of 1861" was passed, which criminalised anyone who even conveyed a member of the public to a fight. The Act virtually finished bare-knuckle fighting in England ^[10] .

[edit] Retirement

Thomas Sayers' tomb in Highgate Cemetery, with his hound.

Following his retirement, Sayers bought a house in Camden Town where he lived with his sister. He became a familiar figure driving his carriage through the local streets, accompanied by his large dog, "Lion", a present from his patron Lord Derby ^[11]. He also shared with Lord Derby a love of horse racing and attended many race meetings with friends such as the artist George Armfield Smith ^[12]. However, Sayers was not educated; it is said he could not even read the time. He soon succumbed to the temptations that idleness and money can provide, and he began to lead a dissipated life which wrecked his health ^[13]. Five years after his retirement, he died of diabetes and tuberculosis at the age of 39. Such was his fame that his burial at Highgate Cemetery was attended by ten thousand people. His friends again subscribed for the erection of a large tomb, bearing a statue of his beloved dog ^[14].

What remained of his fortune was inherited by his estranged and faithless wife, whom Sayers had never repudiated. By this time, she had three more children by her lover ^[15] .

Sayers was elected to the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954.