Evening journal., 1915-05-26
TOM SAYERS LITTLE
Giant OF THE RING
Eighty-seven Years Ago
EngliShman Was the Best
Man in His Class
LAST FIGHT
ENDED IN RIOT

Yesterday marked tho eighty-sev-
enth anniversary of the birth of Tom
ssyers. the lightest man who ever
held the heavyweight championship
and perhaps the greatest fighter Of
his poundage VINO ever lived, The
Little Giant was born at Pimlico.
near Brighton. England, May 20,
1928. He came of that best of all
human fighting breeds, the Irish
Cocknoy. In his youth he was a
bricklayer. and aftorward worked IN
a railway construction camp and as
a sort of bouncer at a pub
Sayers was 5 feet l-2 inches IN
height and at his best he weighed
only about $50 pounds Although
light for middleweight he fought
his way up to the top Of the heavy
weight heap. and took part in bat
tie for the worlds championship with
the American giant John c. Hoenan.
Tom fought his first ring engage
ment al the age of twonty-one, de-
feating Ably Couch. This was IN
1919. His next battle was WITH Dan
Collins, and Savers was again the
victor. Tom then took on Jack
Grant. a veteran of many long COM
bcts. and whipped him in sixty-iour
rounds. lasting two and a half hours.
The Little Wonder" and the Little
Giant as Sayers was then called.
next challenged Ned Langham to
fight for the middleweieht champion
ship This time Sayers was defeated,
but not disgraced. and, as Langham
refused TO fight Tom again, Sayers
became the recognized champion OF
the middleweights.
Having cleaned up all the men in
his division, like Bob Fitzslmmons
many years later, had to so for big
ger game In 1856 he was matched
with Harry Paulson, a near-cham-
pion. Harry weighed t72 pounds,
while Tom tipped the beam at las
pounds. paulson fought like a de-
mon, and at one time .he odds were
3 to ! against Tom, but the plucky
niddleweight eventually conquered
after hours and minutes of fight
INK.
Toms victory was great surprise
as up TO that time no middleweighi
had ever had the temerity TO fight
top-notch heavy weights BY de-
leating Aaron Jones, Sayers gaines
more laurols and I'm 1857 his back
crs we're willing TO pit him against
Bill Perry the Tipton Slasher. who
then held the British heavyweight
title
The slasher weighed over 2OC
pounds and topped six feet by hall
an inch. giving him an advantage
over Savers of four inches IN height
and over fifty pounds I'm weight The
sporting public scoffed at such an
unequal match and there was little
money bet on Tom Sayers slashed
the "Slasher" numerically. and al
the end OF the ninth round the cham.
pion was so far gone that his sec.
onds tossed in the sponge.
Sayers defended the heavyweight
title against Bill Benjamin, whom h'
defeated in three rounds. and Ton
Paddock. who lasted twenty-on,
rounds. In 1859 he whipped Bot
Brettle and defeated Benjamin again
In 1860 Savers fought the last bat
tie Of his career, his opponent heinl
John G. Heenan. an Trish-Amcrican
The contest aroused international in
terest. since the worlds title was IN
volved. The "Benicia Boy" as Hee
nan was called was a giant In stat
ure. standing s feet l-2 inches. Thl
fight ended in a riot. and the hacker
OF both men claimed the advantage
Heenan was almost blinded and Say
ers was badly battered. but neithe
man had any clear advantage Say
ers retired from the ring after tha
He Travelled with a circus for tim,
but was soon afflicted with tubercu
losis and diabetes. from the effect
Of which he died just half a centur
ago this year. A handsome tom
still marks the last resting place q
the Little Wonder"