Modern boxing is widely considered to start from the conception of the Queensberry rules. These made it so that boxers had to wear gloves, rounds were to be 3 minutes and it laid out what it means for a boxer to be considered down. Even with these rules there’s many ways the sport of boxing has changed since these were installed in 1967.

The biggest thing these rules do not entice is how long matches go for. Today, boxing matches go for 12 rounds but in the 1800’s matches could go forever even over 100 rounds. That’s exactly what happened in 1893 when Andy Bowen fought Jack Burke for the Lightweight Title of the South. 

The longest fight in boxing history lasted 110 rounds clocking in at 7 hours and 19 minutes. While a fight this long may seem like it would be a brutal war filled with excitement it was the exact opposite. With nearly 9,000 people in attendance the fight ended in a draw with many of the crowd leaving halfway through the fight. The fans were bored and disappointed in the showing but how did the fighters feel?

Andy Bowen weighed in at 129 pounds with Jack Burke weighing in at 130 pounds. When weighed again at the end of the fight, they had both lost nearly 10 pounds each. The fight started strong with Burke having his way against Bowen yet Bowen stayed in the fight refusing to go down. Around the 50th round, Bowen stopped punching back as much and it was discovered that he had broken both of his hands during the fight. While the match went on for 57 more rounds it was 2 men just trying to stay standing for much of the fight.

Referee John Duffy decided he had seen enough and in the 108th round told the fighters they had 2 more rounds before he ended it. The last 2 rounds saw no punches thrown by either fighter as they could barely even hold their arms up. The ref declared a no contest after over 7 hours of fighting. The men split the $2,500 purse which is worth over $70,000 in today’s money. Neither of these fighters would be the same again.

Andy Bowen went on the fight 2 more times in his life. One month after the historic bout Bowen fought in an 85 round fight against Jack Everhardt. He then went on and fought George “Kid” Lavigne in 1894 and fractured his skull when he hit his head on the canvas in the 18th round. Bowen died the next day at 27 years old.

Jack Burke would go on and fight more throughout his life before dying in 1942 due to injuries in a car accident. While the fight was brutal for both men, they forever live on in boxing history and are legends to many.

https://wakelet.com/wake/ce6aa9ea-9116-4682-bd03-bdf35d6b78a2

Alongside 3 student colleagues, I looked into the world of social media and its relationship with sports. Living in the digital world, social media has taken over so many of our lives. Me and 3 other students at Arizona State University delved into how people in the sports world utilize social media for their benefit. Click the link below to be redirected to the site we made for our story.

https://mburks4.wixsite.com/socialsports

Hello my name is Fabian Valdez and I am a student journalist at the Walter Cronkite School at Arizona State University. I decided to join the sports journalism field because of my passion for sports and telling stories in new and intriguing ways. My goals are to move into the world of Broadcasting however I am eager to improve all journalism facets. This portfolio will be a place for me to document my journey through the journalism field and include anything from my sports debate radio show to stories I have written.

Resume

Skills

I am a Goal Oriented team player who focuses on the task at hand. I am a very hard worker and understand the importance of deadlines and efficiency. I have worked in Retail for the last 2 years and have gained experience working with customers and engaging with them in a respectful manner.

Experience

January 2017- May 2017

Robeks Fresh Juices and Smoothies, Tucson AZ–​ Sales Associate

• Associate making smoothies and juices
• Maintaining the kiosk and cleaning the area
• Organizing and promoting our products

October 2017- July 2019; December 2019

TJ Maxx, Tucson AZ – Store Associate​       

• Customer Service providing a joyful experience
• Floor associate responsible for cleaning, organizing, and distributing merchandise
• Cashier helping customers complete their shopping experience

August 2019- Present

Blaze Radio– Saturday Sports talk show

• Co-host of a sports talk radio show on the 4^th ranked Student radio station in the U.S (Princeton)

Education

August 2015- May 2019

Canyon Del Oro High School–​ High School Diploma

I studied at Canyon Del Oro High School in Oro Valley for my high school Education. I graduated with my high school diploma with a 3.34 GPA.

August 2019- Present

Arizona State University–​ Sports Journalism

I am currently studying sports journalism at the Cronkite School at ASU.  

Awards

I was honors roll all 4 years of high school. I was given a resident Dean’s Award for $6000/yr for attending ASU. I was Associate of The Quarter at TJ Maxx for spring of 2018.

References

Available upon request