Sam Collyer
Appearance
Sam Collyer (Born: 1842; England; Died: December 7 1904; Brooklyn, NY) was a lightweight bare-knuckle boxer. He was of Scottish/French decent, and weighted between 115 and 125 pounds.
Early Life
Collyer was born with the name Walter Jamieson. He came to the United States as a boy. During the Civil he served with the Union, and won the Congressional Medal of Honor for Valor.[1]
Boxing career
Following the retirement of Owney Geoghegan the title of American Lightweight Champion was left vacant. Collyer won the crown when he defeated former champion Barney Aaron on June 20 1866 .[2]
Legacy
Sam Collyer was elected into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1964.