Tolliss and Berger

Living 10 Belle Vue Cottages Pancras 1861. The famous fight between Sayers and Heenan has been described as 'the first world championship boxing match' and was certainly one of the last great prize-fights without gloves. Tom Sayers was the English champion and had defended his title successfully four times. Heenan was a claimant to the American Heavyweight title. It was the first real "sporting event" to attract attention from England, France and America There were members of parliament present at the match, officers from the Navy and Army, and literary figures such as William Thackeray and Charles Dickens.A week after the fight, Sayers was awarded the enormous sum of £3000, all of it raised by public subscription, with the proviso that he never fight again. He never did. He invested the money and spent the rest of his days as a man of leisure. Sayers quietly faded from public life, though he enjoyed driving his carriage through the city with his dog Lion - a gift from Lord Derby - sitting at his side. He was only 39 when he died of tuberculosis.A statue of the faithful hound was placed at the foot of Sayer's grave by loyal fans - and there they both lie to this day. Picture of the grave in the gallery