A STAFFORDSHIRE FLAT BACK POTTERY GROUP OF BOXERS... Lot 20

A STAFFORDSHIRE FLAT BACK POTTERY GROUP OF BOXERS JOHN HEENAN AND TOM SAYERS 19th CENTURY, modelled in boxing stance, bare-chested and dressed in blue and orange belted trousers, on naturalistic base, inscribed with their surnames. 23cm high, 15cm wide The first ‘world title’ in international boxing took place in a field at the back of the Ship Inn in Farnborough, Hampshire on April 17th 1860 and lasted an astonishing 2 hours and 27 minutes. The two competitors were the American John Heenan and Briton Tom Sayers, both bare knuckle fighters. They went to 37 rounds before the fight was abandoned by the referee. It was declared a draw and both were awarded championship belts. Prize fighting was illegal in the 19th century and so they opted for an unofficial location, somewhat out of sight. The rural field also provided a potential escape route for the fighters if the Hampshire Constabulary showed up, which they did, Heenan and Sayers could cross the Blackwater River and be over the county border into Surrey. A crowd of 12,000 strong attended the fight, worked up into a bloodthirsty mania. The brutality of it shocked the rest of the nation and Parliament ushered in legislation to finally put and end to bare-knuckle fighting. For Heenan and Sayers it was not the end of their professional relationship but strangely led to a blossoming friendship. They went on to tour the country putting on exhibition fights that commemorated the faithful day in Farnborough. The Staffordshire pottery workshop began to make these figural groups in 1860 recognising the historic importance of the fight in boxing history.