Thomas Sayers was an English bare-knuckle prize fighter. There were no formal weight divisions at the time, and although Sayers was only five feet eight inches tall and never weighed much more than 15
Tom Sayers, champion of England, and his battles (from the Police Gazette)
Sayers's 1859 letter accepting Heenan's challenge
The Champion Fight between Heenan and Sayers on the 17th April, 1860. From a sketch on the spot by Thomas Nast, engraved by A.V.S. Anthony, on board the Vanderbilt, on her return passage, for the New York Illustrated News
Retired boxer Jem Ward painted this picture of the Sayers–Heenan fight.
John Camel Heenan, also known as the Benicia Boy, was an American bare-knuckle prize fighter. Though highly regarded, he had only three formal fights in his career, losing two and drawing one.
Tom Sayers
…Perry (the "Tipton Slasher"), and his retirement in 1860. His first fame depended exclusively on his final contest, when he faced American champion John Camel Heenan in a battle widely considered to be boxing's first world championship. It ended in chaos when the spectators invaded the ring, and the referee finally…
Benicia's state capitol was constructed during John Heenan's time there.
John Morrissey, the first opponent of John Heenan