The Longest Match in Boxing History that Lasted 110 Rounds Over 7 Hours

Seven hours of carrying out any strenuous activity is a task in itself. To imagine two people engaging in a boxing match for over seven hours sounds unbelievable—but it really happened.

At 9 pm on April 6, 1893, two men went at it in the ring in New Orleans, and they wouldn’t exit it until well after 4 am the following day.

**The two competitors, Jack Burke and Andy Bowen.**

The grueling, bloody event would end up in the Guinness Book of Records for the record-breaking length of the bout.

The match took place over 130 years ago and remains the longest boxing match ever. It was a brutal affair, with one fighter suffering broken bones in both his hands—and yet the fight was still allowed to continue.

More than that, the boxers refused to relent, and they quite literally fought until they couldn’t stand up.

Discover the history of the renowned boxing event and the men who inadvertently spent seven hours battling it out in the ring.

Meet Andy Bowen And Jack Burke, The Record-Breaking Boxers

The two men going head to head were New Orleans native Andy Bowen and Chicago-born Jack Burke.

Andy was born in May 1867, and his first professional boxing match was in 1887, at the age of 20. Andy was a born fighter, and this was proven in his record.

His first 12 fights saw the young boxer winning easily most of the time, though his first fight ended in a draw.

Andy was a short, stocky man who relied on his stamina and scrappiness rather than smooth boxing abilities, but his technique proved entertaining for the crowds who flocked to see him fight.

His 22nd fight was with Jack Burke, the less experienced of the two boxers. Born in 1869 in Illinois, Jack was a talented fighter.

**Poster made in honor of the famous event.**

In contrast to his opponent, he had light footwork and was a calculated boxer. Despite his lack of experience compared to Andy, he was still a formidable opponent.

Neither man could possibly know that their match would end up going for 110 rounds, last over seven hours, and end up being the longest bout of all time.

The Grueling Brawl

The fight occurred at the Olympic Club in New Orleans, Louisiana, and round one began at 9:15 pm.

It was set to be a massive payday for the winner; the purse was allegedly $2,500 (around $85,000 today). Back in the 1800s, boxing wasn’t the sports entertainment money-making machine it is today, so the cash at stake was uncommonly large for this match.

While boxing was rising in popularity at the time—fans who didn’t attend the bouts would listen to it on the radio—it was still a relatively new sport.

It was becoming more mainstream in the USA in the 1800s, forming solid roots in Boston, New York City, and New Orleans.

The lightweight championship belt was also on the line that fateful April evening, meaning both men were willing to do whatever it took to have their hand raised after the final bell rang.

The 11,000-strong crowd was loud and lairy as the fight kicked off, and as they expected, it began as an exciting affair.

At one point, Jack knocked Andy Bowen to the canvas, and the crowd was captivated by the younger fighter’s agility. Then, in the following round, Andy was dominating the bout, knocking the less experienced Jack Burke onto his back.

The back-and-forth was enthralling for the paying customers (who each paid a couple of dollars for a ticket, meaning the event made at least $22,000, a considerable amount for the time).

Round after round, the fighters went at it with no clear winner in sight. In fact, Jack had managed to punch his opponent with such force he’d caused a nasty cut above his eye, leaving his face bloodied throughout the remainder of the fight.

It got to round 30, and the crowd was beginning to wane just as much as the boxers in the ring were. They’d spent all of their energy and enthusiasm and soon became restless that the fight showed no signs of ending.

As the two men hashed it out in the ring, both fatigued but unwilling to give up, the crowd fell silent as the night went on. The fight spilled into the following day, with many of the spectators now asleep in their seats as the fight took place before them.

In round 48, Jack was almost knocked out by his opponent, who seemed to get his second wind. In fact, Andy Burke had landed so many devastating punches on Jack that the latter’s forearms were swollen to twice their usual size.

Jack had clearly been landing plenty of punches, too, so much so that he’d broken the bones in both hands. Allegedly, his hands were injected with cocaine so he could continue.

Not that Andy wasn’t suffering himself as the bout continued: he had blood pooling in his eye from the cut above it.

The Fight Continues

By this point, it was the early hours of April 7. Among the few people in the crowd still watching were spectators slumped in their seats, many of them asleep. Others decided they’d had enough and left the venue to go home.

No doubt the men in the ring—and the referee—also felt fatigued.

Round 100 saw both men still swinging but unable to land any significant punches. The pain and exhaustion meant neither man was doing much damage to the other by this point.

Until, in round 105, Andy Bowen attempted to swing for his opponent but wound up slipping. He slipped directly onto Jack’s elbow, badly injuring his jaw.

Still, the fight continued.

It was more a spectacle of two exhausted men circling one another by this stage, though the bout wasn’t stopped, nor would either man give up.

It appeared the fighters and the referee were the only men still invested in the fight: the crowd had all but given up having any interest.

The bell rang for round 110, and it was clear neither fighter had anything left in their tank. They struggled to get up from their stools to start the round, so officials finally put an end to the match.

After 110 rounds, 7 hr 19 min, and multiple broken bones, and blood, sweat, and tears, the results were in.

There was no winner. It was a draw. Safe to say, everybody was deflated, especially the fighters.

**Where the fight was held. The Olympic Club in New Orleans, Louisiana. Photo via X.**

Andy Bowen was vocal about how he felt the result was a robbery. As the results were announced, he shouted to the crowd, condemning the judges’ decision. Jack Burke, perhaps too fatigued from the fight, didn’t argue.

He was severely beaten and swollen: his arms were double their usual size, his hands broken, his ears swollen, his torso covered in purple welts.

The Aftermath Of The Fight

Jack Burke was bedridden after the fight, allegedly for weeks, as he recovered from his plethora of injuries. Andy Bowen, by some accounts, sought treatment for nothing except the cut above his eye.

Nowadays, professional boxing fights typically don’t exceed 12 rounds, and a fight like this one simply wouldn’t be allowed to happen. However, this match took place in the 1800s, when rules were still being ascertained and finalized.

In the end, the exhausting and brutal fight didn’t put either boxer off stepping into the ring again.

A year after the record-breaking fight, Andy Bowen fought once more, this time against George “Kid” Lavigne again at the Olympic Club in New Orleans. It would be his 27th fight, and it would also be his last.

In round 18, Kid Lavigne knocked Andy to the floor, and he hit his head fatally on the hard wooden canvas. He never regained consciousness. He was just 27 years old.

Kid Lavigne was initially arrested for murder, though charges were never pressed after an inquest found him innocent of any crime.

Jack Burke quit boxing entirely in 1904 and passed away aged 44 due to a heart attack.

Their fight remains—and likely will remain—the longest boxing match in history.