Tom Hyer

Tom Hyer (January 1, 1819 – June 26, 1864) was an American bare-knuckle boxer. He became a heavyweight boxing champion after defeating Country McCloskey in a long brutal fight in New York on September 9, 1841, though there was no sanctioning body to recognize his championship. Until he retired in 1851, he was widely celebrated as the first Heavyweight Boxing Champion of America. His victory increased American participation in boxing, and made him a celebrity; generating fight coverage and publicity in hundreds of American newspapers.

Hyer was a brawler and engaged in several bar fights. The fights he had as a result of his political association with the nativist Bowery Boys' anti-immigration gang in 1855, were often particularly violent, and often involved weapons. Provided by Wikipedia