Sayers’s Ring career was doubtless one of the most remarkable on record, his fights extending over twelve years, 1849–1860, besides numerous earlier battles. They were, within the regular P.R. ropes, sixteen in number, including one defeat and a wrangled “draw;” and in all but three cases against heavier and bigger men; for soon after the opening of his career no professional of his weight and inches cared to tackle him.
Tom was in his twenty-third year when, having migrated in the pursuit of employment from Brighton to Camden Town, he was induced by the challenge of one Aby Couch, and the stake of a “fiver,” to meet his opponent “down the river,” in the ropes of old Commissary Oliver. The affair came off on March 19th, 1849, near Greenhithe, when Tom sent Couch to rest in less than 13 minutes. For more than a twelvemonth Tom’s friends looked in vain for a customer at 10st., or thereabouts, but could not find one, though they declared him not particular to a few pounds.
A TRIO OF CHAMPIONS—THE THREE TOMS.
At length “Tom Spring’s waiter,” Dan Collins, whom we remember as a civil, smart, intelligent news-boy, petitioned his worthy master for a shy at Master Thomas, and articles were agreed for £25 a side, to fight on October 22nd, 1850. Dan was about an inch taller than Sayers, and a trifle heavier, though each on the day was under 10st. His known skill, too, from his exhibitions at Spring’s, made him the favourite, though he had been defeated by Ned Donnelly in the previous year. We well remember the surprise of the veteran Vincent Dowling (Editor of Bell’s Life for more than its first quarter of a century), and of Tom Spring, not only at the tough resolution and remarkable endurance and strength of the “novice,” as the Camden Town hero was called, but at the gameness with which poor Dan, sadly overmatched, took his “gruel.” At Edenbridge, Kent, in the first ring, they fought nine resolute rounds in 27 minutes, when, the rural constabulary intruding, the belligerents retired to Red Hill. Spring considerately proposed to Dan to decline, saying “He had fought quite enough for his money,” but Dan earnestly entreated, and was indulged, when thirty-nine more rounds were fought in 1 hour 52 minutes, both men being heavily punished. Darkness now interposed, and the final trial was postponed to December 10th, to meet in the same ring as Young Sambo (Welsh) and Cross. This draught-board game proving a draw between black and white, burned out two hours and a half of the short daylight, and there was no time for Sayers and Dan to exhibit; so once more the decision was deferred.
On April 29th, 1851, Sayers and Collins met in fistic fray at Long Reach. The improvement of Sayers in skill made poor Dan appear to have fallen off, and though he struggled gallantly through forty-four rounds, occupying 84 minutes, the tide never turned in his favour. Collins scaled 10st. 2lbs. at this second meeting, Sayers 9st. 10lbs. If Tom reaped fame by this contest, there was but little profit in training three times for a quarter of a hundred “yellowboys.”
The great improvement of Sayers on this occasion was evident to every judge of boxing; he took a strong lead, was never headed, and won in a canter. If there was little profit in three trainings and three fights for one stake, Tom gained confidence and lots of friends. His weight, however—too heavy for the nine-stone men, and underweight for the “middles” and “heavies”—kept him without a match for nearly a year. The “empty praise” of his friends, too, kept him from the “solid pudding,” so that none of the 9st. men cared to meddle with him. Various challenges in the columns of Bell’s Life show the impatience with which Tom bore this enforced inactivity. At length, to the surprise and delight of the Southwarkians, Tom had, what they thought, the presumptuous hardihood to offer to meet the renowned Jack Grant, for £100 a side. Jack was at the top of his renown. He had beaten James Haggerty, drawn with Mike Madden (daylight failing), beaten Alec Keene, and received forfeit from the talented Callaghan of Derby. Winning, and nothing else, was the idea of the Borough lads. The mill came off at Mildenhall, Suffolk, June 29th, 1852, for £100 a side. Grant was attended by Harry Orme and Jemmy Welsh; Sayers by Nat Adams and Bob Fuller the pedestrian. Betting 6 and 7 to 4 on Grant.
THE FIGHT.
Round 1.—On appearing at the scratch, the condition and general appearance of Sayers was the theme of admiration: there was not an ounce of superfluous flesh about his body—he appeared all wire and muscle. His phiz wore a good-humoured smile of confidence, and there was a ruddy glow upon his cheek which told of good health and condition. His attitude was graceful and firm, and, to a good judge, it was apparent that if he was as good as he looked the Borough Champion had his work cut out. Grant seemed not quite up to the mark. His arms, it is true, were muscular and brawny, and his good-tempered mug looked healthy; but there were certain accumulations of fat upon his chest and ribs which sufficiently indicated that his exercise had not been so severe as it might have been, and we were informed that, instead of weighing about 10st. 2lbs. he turned the scale at 10st. 6lb. Notwithstanding his lustiness, however, he appeared to look upon the result with quiet confidence, and to hold his adversary at a very cheap rate. His position indicated the old tactician—the arms well up, and not too far from his body, his head back, and his eye fixed upon that of his adversary, who stood well over him, and was longer in the reach. After a little dodging, Grant, who was anxious to begin, led off with his left, slightly reaching Tom’s forehead, and jumped away from the return. Sayers followed him up, when Grant tried to repeat the dose on the forehead, but was prettily stopped. Sayers at length got home with his right on the ribs, which was followed by heavy counter-hits, Grant on the left cheek, and Sayers heavily on Grant’s nose. Ditto repeated, when Sayers gained “first blood” from a cut over that organ. Grant then went in to force the fighting, but Sayers stepped back, jobbed him again on the nose, cleverly stopping the return. Counter hits succeeded, Sayers catching a nasty one on the left side of the head, and on getting back slipped down.
2.—Grant tried to lead off several times, but was on each occasion well stopped. He returned the compliment by twice stopping Sayers, and then lunged out his right, catching Sayers heavily under the left ear. Tom countered him with effect on the nose, and a close following, both were down; Sayers under.