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Tom Sayers (25 May 1826 - 8 November 1865) was an
England|English pugilist.

He was born at Brighton. 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,
Hampshire on 17 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 pounds was raised by public
subscription for Sayers, who withdrew from the
ring and died in 1865.

The champion was 5 ft. 8 in. in height and his
fighting weight was under 11 stone. An account of
the fight between Sayers and Heenan is given by
Frederick Locker-Lampson in My Confidences (1896).

1911