Michael Buffer, the suave ring announcer who is famous for belting out “Let?s get ready to rumble” in major fights in the US, will take center stage during the Manny Pacquiao versus Oscar Larios 12-round superfeatherweight brawl at the Araneta Coliseum on July 2.
“Mr. Buffer is under contract with HBO and he has been given the go-signal to come to the Philippines and be the ring announcer for Manny?s fight,” said marketing man Eric Pineda, who is lending a hand in the megabuck Pacquiao headliner at the Big Dome.
Buffer, according to Pineda, has agreed to cut down on his talent fee so he could make his first trip to the Philippines.
Buffer?s only other request was that he be given a bodyguard in the entirety of his brief stay.
A former commercial model, the 61-year-old Buffer is a familiar face in blockbuster boxing events not only on US soil, but even overseas.
He has delivered that famous line in Japan for boxing and mixed martial arts and even during the NBA Finals and has the legal right to use the catchy phrase.
Buffer?s main rival in the business is the equally-svelte Jimmy Lennon Jr. who does his act mainly for Showtime, which competes with HBO in showing big-time boxing cards. Lennon is the son of the late legendary ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Sr.
