Talk about tough. Big G. Not just for the two fighters, but for the judges, referees and spectators. Some boxing fans and Guinness World Records readers may be familiar with the names Andy Bowen and Jack Burke, as well as the date April 6, 1893.
Because today 131 years ago Burke and Bowen had the longest club rivalry in boxing history. The two met at Bowen’s home in New Orleans, and the fight began at 9:15 that night, with legal violence lasting until 4:34 in the morning. No one who enters the Olympic Clubhouse leaves the same area. The two boxers, competing for the Southern Light Championship with a whopping $2,500 prize, will have an amazing experience unlike any new boxer. The reports are mixed (no surprise there), but the long-running fight is said to have been exciting. Actually, it’s been a long time. The fight at Royal Street lasted almost 30 rounds (!) and was brilliant. Both men hit the mat and fell to the floor, Texas Burke cutting Bowen above one of the eyes. Bowen was 25 years older, a more experienced boxer, and boxing at home. It was enjoyed by a crowd of 11,000 people (according to some reports, the exact number is difficult to determine) who paid an admission fee of $1 or $3. for now. In the 30th round, the pace of play slowed down and the fans got excited. And no matter what. And no matter what. It seemed that the only three people who were interested in the fight were the two samurai and the referee. Some fell asleep, and most of the audience had forgotten the historical importance that this boxing match would achieve. But besides being long, ridiculous, and impersonal, war is bad in other ways. Burke was nearly knocked out in the 48th round with severe pain in both arms, which reportedly doubled in size. In addition, both of Burke’s arms were broken. Reports say there is a bone sticking out of Burke’s arm. But he worked hard and refused to do what most paid viewers did and quit. At this point, Bowen was able to leave, the game was called a draw, and the bag was split down the middle. But Bowen said no and kept fighting. Burke’s hands were laced with cocaine this time. Burke is a skilled boxer, with an amazing fighting spirit and an incredible pain threshold, swinging, weaving, and feinting as he tries to pass while slipping and falling. Bowen can’t hit much. Fight, fight, fight, fight. In the 93rd round, the referee was tired and had to be replaced. However, the two soldiers continued.
In the 105th round — yes, the 105th round — Bowen was knocked down after missing a punch, the force of his jaw landing on his opponent’s elbow. The broken and damaged fighter falls. Stand up again! Finally, luckily, the fight ended after the 110th round. There is nothing left in the defender’s fight, and the defender does what he should have done a few rounds ago, and the fight has gone on for far too long. In the end, who will win? Nobody did, and the game ended in a draw. At dawn, the two exhausted warriors were brought home after a night of fighting, Burke’s body in worse shape than Bowen’s. In fact, Bowen had a lot of energy to shout about how he stole it. Of course, Bowen isn’t as bad as Burke. According to reports, Burke suffered: two broken arms, a frontal and swollen abdomen, black eyes and ears, and severe bruising to his side and back. After the battle, Burke was laid up for weeks, while Bowen, surprisingly, did not suffer any injuries except for a cut above his face, an injury he received a few hours later. before. Of course, no war lasts this long, and lessons are definitely learned. But they continued to fight.
In 1894 Bowen died after hitting his head on an unclothed floor in the 18th round of another fight. Burke died of a heart attack in 1913.
Together, these two great fighters occupy a very unique, though indisputable, place in boxing history.