7 February — following years of inactivity, American champion
Tom Hyer finally returns to the ring and fights
Yankee Sullivan at Stillpond Creek in Maryland. Hyer wins in the 16th round. The fight should have taken place at Rock Point, Maryland, on 10 January but the police forced its cancellation.[1]
William Thompson retains the Championships of England but there is no record of any fights involving him in 1849.[2]
23, 24 & 25 July — a match between
Sheffield and
Manchester at
Hyde Park Ground,
Sheffield is styled "Yorkshire v Lancashire" and is therefore both the first match to involve a Lancashire county team and the inaugural Roses Match. Yorkshire win by 5 wickets.
15 December —
Oxford is awarded the 10th
Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race following the disqualification of
Cambridge. This is the first and last time that the race is contested twice in the same year.