November 2021 Sports Card & Memorabilia Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/7/2021
Rare 1898 Postcard of the Legendary Boxing Championship Fight in 1860 - John C. Heenan (USA) Vs. Tom Sayers (England) Graded SGC Authentic (Not Many Exist!). We could not find any other similar postcards to come to market - so this is a very rare item! On the morning of 17 April 1860 boxing's inaugural "world title" international boxing match took place and, illegal as it may have been, sporting historians on each side of the Atlantic accept that Heenan v Sayers, US v England, in a Hampshire field, was the original "fight of the century". The defining moment in the bare-knuckle fight came in the 37th round when Heenan almost illegally strangled Sayers by forcing his head down over the top rope. Amidst scenes of chaos, the ropes were cut, the crowd surged into the fighting area. Although it is generally believed that the police intervened at this point and stopped the fight, this was not the case.
The mayhem brought on by the ring invasion was brought to near-order and the ring was re-pitched yards away. The fight restarted with neither man able to box proficiently. Heenan was to say much later that he was nearly blind when the second bout began. The fight went on for five rounds until the police were seen approaching, causing the crowd and fighters to immediately disperse.
The referee had little option but to declare a draw, but the American Heenan complained bitterly that police had colluded with Sayers's supporters in breaking up the fight as soon as it became clear that the Englishman was beaten. Sayers's supporters protested that their man, not Heenan, had actually been the winner. The wrangling went on for some weeks.
Condition: PR-GD
Rare 1898 Postcard of the Legendary Boxing Championship Fight in 1860 - Heenan (USA) Vs. Sayers (England) - SGC Authentic (Not Many Exist!)
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