The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-03
Corbett's Daily Letter
 On Great Sport Topics
By JAMES J. CoRBET'r

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 A dispute over a glass of beer started Tom Savers on his pugilistic career And the deeds he performed with his tremendous pair of "maulies" during the next 15 years wrote his name for ever into the pages of pugilism and have caused him to be proclaimed "the greatest ringman in Great Britain's history"
 Savers who was born in the Pimlico district of London on May 15, 1926, took up the trade of clustering. Con stant use of the trowel made calls upon the muscles of his hands, wrists and arms that soon developed them in wonderful way. The handling of bricks gave to Savers pair or hands immense in their size terrible in their power and with skin tough cned to a leathery condition
 Savers, a lover of sports from ear Hest boyhood, indulged in the differ ent games as often as his leisure would permit But he never had se- rious thought of taking up fighting as l profession until a one-sided victory over a tough un" in drinking place in London proved his natural fistlc abilities.
 Savers, with osme friends, went into a saloon in London and ordered glass of beer. Just as he was about to lift up the glass served to him, fellow named Tom Hartley, known then as a bruser and tough, seized 1t, claiming it was his.
 Put down that beer or I'll give you the thrashng of your life" calmly threatened Savers
 Hartley laughed-and drank the beer. Savers waited until Hartley had placed the empty glass upon the bar Then. facing Hartley, he said:
 Now I'm going to whip you"
 He did The first blow that Sayers landed lifted Hartley off his feet. The bully attempted to fight back--but his efforts were futile. He never landed T punch. Savers, with six well-amed wallops. battered Hartley into a bieed- ing. unconscious human.
 Fighting is your game-stiek to it. Tom" advised his enthusiastic brick layer friends
 And so, began the ring career Of the English fighter who has been dead for more than half century but who will live always in the memory of lovers of the fisticuff sport.
 Sayers' first prize ring battle was with Abby Crouch. a really great fighter of his time, and one who was ranked as 8 prospective champion. It took place on March 19. 1S49 Savers using his huge fists with terrible eff feet, practically cut Crouch to ribbons and then with a mighty right handler to the jaw put Crouch to>sleep for nearly 30 minutes.
 Peter Crawley, famous some years earlier as ringman and then a teach CT of boxing. became interested in Savers and influenced him to take q few lessons. Savers proved an apt pupil and in a short time Crawley made the claim that Savers is the best 140 pounder in England' This imme- diately brought a challenge from Dan Collins, pupil of Tom Spring
 Savers and Collins. fighting for q s250 side bet and the championship of the 140- pound division. clashed at Edenbridge Oceober 9. 1850. After nine rounds had been fought the po- lice interferred. Then the fighters hurried on to Red Hill and fought 30 more rounds when darkness came on. The referee called the contest draw. That ruling satisfied neither fighter, So the men were rematched and a desperate battle followed on April go. 1851 After A rounds Savers had whipped Collins so thoroughlv that Dan couldn't answer the call for time in the forty-fifth round. O
 A year later Savers fought his next battle for a stake of 5000 and the middleweight championship of tae world. Jack Grant. conqueror of the best "middies' in Great Britain. was his foe. The fight was put on at Mill denhall. England. June 29. 1852. and went 64 rounds with Savers the victor. Jack Martin. a heavyweisht. next fell victim to the nrowess of the one time plasterer. Fight enthusiasts in England thought Savers had over matched himself when he, took on the fast and aggressive giant, on Jan uarv 26. 1852. But Savers simply toysd with Martin and won in .the twenty third round
 Nat Tangham. who had won every one of his five battles up to that time. challenged Savers. He insisted upon side bet of 5000. Savers and his bricklayng friends raised the money and the articles were signed and Oc- tober IS. 1852. named as the fight date
 Langham directed most of his en- ergies in blinding Savers In every