SAYERS, TOM ORIGINAL CURRIER & IVES PRINT (1860)

Thomas Sayers, also known as Tom Sayers (25 May 1826 - 8 November 1865), was an English pugilist. During his career as a bare-knuckle fighter, at the time illegal, he was only once defeated. At 5 feet 8 inches in height with a fighting weight of under 11 stone, he was the first boxer to be declared the World Heavyweight Champion. His fighting career lasted from 1849 until 1860, when a match billed as the contest for the "World Championship" ended in disarray. An unprecedented public collection funded his comfortable retirement, but he died only five years later at age 39. Offered here is an original print of Tom Sayers by Currier & Ives and dated 1860.
This original Currier & Ives print pictures Tom Sayers in full fight pose. Bold color. Framed in a period frame. Very minor foxing and spotting and a bit of discoloration on the glass in the frame. Quite scarce. 11 1/2" x 15 1/2."