HEENAN, JOHN C.-THOMAS SAYERS ORIGINAL PRINT (1860)

On April 17, 1860 at Farnborough, England American John C.Heenan fought the great English champion Thomas Sayers in a great international boxing contest. Heenan is claimed by Americans to have been winning that fight when Sayer's supporters entered the ring, causing the contest to be disbanded and declared a draw. Following the draw Champion belts were made for both fighters. The bout is memorable in the history of pugilism and incidentally was the cause of putting an end to bare-fist prize fighting in England. Heenan was later acclaimed as the English Heavyweight Champion. According to Lord Redesdale, who witnessed the fight, Sayers was winning when the Americans rescued Heenan by interrupting the fight. Lord Redesdale described these Americans as 'a very low class, and I am bound to say I did not see an American gentleman among them. The men whom I knew afterwards in New York would have been as disgusted as I was'. Offered here is an original print from 1860 entitled, BLOODY, BRUTAL, AND BLACKGUARD PRIZE-FIGHT IN ENGLAND BETWEEN HEENAN AND SAYERS ON APRIL 17, 1860 put out by Harpers Weekly picturing the men in the irng with crowd looking on.
This is an original Harpers Weekly print on heavy stock paper. Bold, clear image. Clean front and back. Not ripped or torn. Mild center crease. Matted and mounted. 15 1/2" x 21 1/2."