Marc Burkett

From The Great Outdoor Fight

Marc Burkett, 1994 Champion (1974-Present) is perhaps the most charismatic champion in recent history. Born to well-to-do parents in an Ohio suburb, Marc was a dedicated, serious and quiet youngster who came out of his shell at the age of 14 when he tried out for his middle school's football team. Joining their ranks as 2nd string quarterback, Burkett formed fast friendships and, though the help of legendary retired coach Ron Ziedler, learned tactics that would end up invaluable later in the development of his personal Fight strategy. Throughout high school (he was voted homecoming king his senior year) he remained popular and full of effusive charm. On the heels of these good feelings, he learned of the Great Outdoor Fight through one of his clients (he worked part-time as a personal trainer at a nearby Dayton gym) and decided that the formations Ziedler taught him in youth would be an effective starting point in building a winning Fight strategy. He planned for a full year before entering the Fight at 19, among the youngest entrants in an aging crowd mired in the malaise of the infamous "80s Slump".

[edit] The First Three Fights

The 1987 fight set the pace for a series of disappointing runs for Burkett. Though youthful, he managed to rally a group of 35 first-time contenders around him (Burkett's 35) and proceeded to lay low, eliminating competition as it came and using clever formations to divert large attacking groups into one another. Burkett had an unusually loud voice; this proved to be most useful in reorganizing his formations mid-struggle. His group performed well and all lasted to the third day.

It was on this third day, however, that Burkett seemed, to his compatriots, to 'lose faith' in what he was doing. "It's too easy," he remarked to Burkett's 35 member Karl Chen, "and it's not right I win this fight, the state it's in. It's a disgrace." At this point he sent his group out to battle the remaining men, staying behind with a sad smile on his face. Without his guidance his men fell quickly, and the remaining body of contestants, though small, was perhaps too much for the young Burkett. He fell 2,984th, 17th man standing.

Three years later, Burkett made a repeat performance of his 1987 loss. He sent his men in too early, deliberately leaving himself more fighters than he could take on his own. The sad smile that graced his face in the 1987 fight was seen here too, and the heartbreaking nature of his losses led thousands of fight enthusiasts to send letters encouraging him to excel, many bordering on threatening. Despite these, Burkett had another "sad smile" fight in 1992, though he made sure to eliminate himself and his men early to escape Mikhail Gouzenko's cannibalistic rampage of that year. All that changed, however, when Ted Parrish's win at the 1993 fight announced a potential return of the Fight to its glory days. Finally, Burkett felt the time was right to secure the victory on his own terms.

[edit] The Championship Fight

Burkett began this fight as he had the previous three; his formations were still varied and fresh and allowed him and his 35 plenty of room to breathe and stay well rested.

The two main armies of the fight were led by Peter Brannigan (see the 1994 fight for more information) and Pauly "Split" Lipscomb. On the morning of day three, Burkett smiled again - this time, it was beaming and genuine. Burkett sent in his men early on day three - they fought bravely, but all were eventually defeated. One man shy of three dozen opponents remained, all of them still strong. This was a position with which Burkett was very familiar.

Under normal circumstances, this is an enviable position to be in: your troops have eliminated all but a handful of the last contenders before being eliminated themselves, leaving you to fight only your enemies without having to turn on the ones that protected you. However, given Burkett's history in these positions, observers wrote off his chances of becoming Champion that year. Everyone who knew about his previous fights was sure he'd blown it again: too many strong contenders for one man to handle. However, he charged first into Pete Brannigan's crowd, then into Lipscomb's. The following is a list of highlights of the 35 remarkable takedowns Burkett performed on his opponents (sometimes referred to as Burkett's "other" 35):

• Eldon Henderson (thumb through the jaw) Eldon made a full recovery and ended up Champion some years later.
• "Giddy" Lawrence Giles (both feet torn off at the ankles, left foot used to hammer the right into his chest) Giddy lived with his own foot planted deeply in his lung for several months, finally succumbing to the injury in January 1995. Though never fore or since seen in the Fight, this takedown is referred to as the Railroad Spike.
• Jules G. Greer (classic Jibblies Punch) Burkett, not a particularly short man, was on his knees at the time. It is said that Greer was not actively defending himself, instead shedding tears of joy in the knowledge that Burkett's rally marked the triumphant return of the Fight.

Fight historians hope to piece together information on all 35 takedowns for a television special on Burkett's 1994 performance.

[edit] After the Fight

After the 1994 fight, Burkett returned a hero to his old Ohio hometown. He currently lives there with his wife, Ida, and his four children. He continued working at the local gym throughout his career, and bought it from its previous owner, Travis Lansky, in 2002. He currently owns and manages the gym full-time, and coaches the local football team at the nearby middle school where he first learned his lifetime passion for football. By all accounts, he is still as friendly and charming as ever; willing to sign autographs and give interviews, but not allowing the fame of winning the Fight to get to his head. "Now all I want is the best life I can give to my kids," he responded recently when asked whether he would return to the Fight in some capacity. While the precise decision-making methods of the Ruling Body are unknown, it is assumed he participates by proxy in matters of policy each year.

[edit] Record

• 1987 - eliminated day 3, 17th left standing.
• 1990 - eliminated day 3, 29th left standing.
• 1992 - eliminated day 3, 81st left standing.
• 1994 - Champion, Last Man Standing.