Ring announcer
Encyclopedia
A ring announcer is a paid in-ring (and sometimes, on-camera) employee for a boxing
, professional wrestling
, or mixed martial arts
event or promotion. The primary duties of a ring announcer are as follows:
In boxing and mixed martial arts bouts such as UFC, fight introductions take place after both fighters have made their entrance and are inside the fighting area (the ring, cage, or UFC's trademark Octagon). The typical format for ring introductions (though wording and delivery style may vary from one announcer to another) takes the following form as in this example introduction of UFC fighter Rich Franklin
, written in the style of announcer Bruce Buffer: "Introducing first: fighting out of the (either red or blue) corner, this man is a Freestyle fighter. He stands 6-feet-1-inch tall, weighing in at 185 pounds. He holds a professional mixed martial arts record of 20 wins and 2 losses, with 10 wins by knockout (At this point, if the fighter being announced holds a championship title, the ring announcer will say what it is in the format of "He is the current, reigning, and defending _____ Champion..."). Fighting out of Cincinnati, Ohio: Rich..."Ace"...FRANKLIN!"
In professional wrestling, the common format used by most ring announcers (which, again, may vary depending on the style of the announcer) usually resembles this written example introduction of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan: "Making his way to the ring (or, depending on where the wrestler is when the ring announcer begins the introduction, "Coming down the aisle," "About to enter the ring," or "Currently in the ring"), from Venice Beach, California, weighing 303 pounds (If the wrestler being announced holds a championship title, the ring announcer will state which title it is at the point in the introduction, in the format of "He is the current _____ Champion..."), Hulk...HOGAN!"
In professional wrestling, the ring announcer also will state the stipulation
required to win the contest. For example, when a ring announcer says, "The following contest is scheduled for one fall," it is being conveyed that the upcoming match is a professional wrestling match that will be contested under traditional rules that can be won or lost by a single pinfall, submission, disqualification, or count-out. However, as it has been well documented, professional wrestling promotions have invented new match types over the years, creating new stipulations and objectives that a wrestler must perform in order to win the bout. One of a ring announcer's duties is to convey those stipulations to the arena and television audiences before introducing the match participants.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, or mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
event or promotion. The primary duties of a ring announcer are as follows:
- To introduce the participants involved in the scheduled matches to the viewing audience, be it strictly an arena audience (as in a professional wrestling house showHouse showA house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
), or a live televised event.
In boxing and mixed martial arts bouts such as UFC, fight introductions take place after both fighters have made their entrance and are inside the fighting area (the ring, cage, or UFC's trademark Octagon). The typical format for ring introductions (though wording and delivery style may vary from one announcer to another) takes the following form as in this example introduction of UFC fighter Rich Franklin
Rich Franklin
Rich Jay Franklin II is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion.-Background:...
, written in the style of announcer Bruce Buffer: "Introducing first: fighting out of the (either red or blue) corner, this man is a Freestyle fighter. He stands 6-feet-1-inch tall, weighing in at 185 pounds. He holds a professional mixed martial arts record of 20 wins and 2 losses, with 10 wins by knockout (At this point, if the fighter being announced holds a championship title, the ring announcer will say what it is in the format of "He is the current, reigning, and defending _____ Champion..."). Fighting out of Cincinnati, Ohio: Rich..."Ace"...FRANKLIN!"
In professional wrestling, the common format used by most ring announcers (which, again, may vary depending on the style of the announcer) usually resembles this written example introduction of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan: "Making his way to the ring (or, depending on where the wrestler is when the ring announcer begins the introduction, "Coming down the aisle," "About to enter the ring," or "Currently in the ring"), from Venice Beach, California, weighing 303 pounds (If the wrestler being announced holds a championship title, the ring announcer will state which title it is at the point in the introduction, in the format of "He is the current _____ Champion..."), Hulk...HOGAN!"
- It is also common for the ring announcer to state the underlying rules of the match to be held. In boxing and MMA, the announcer will state the number of roundRoundRound or rounds can mean:* The shape of a closed curve with no sharp corners, such as an ellipse, circle, rounded rectangle, or sphere* Roundness , the smoothness of clastic particles...
s scheduled for the fight, as well as how many minutes each round will last.
In professional wrestling, the ring announcer also will state the stipulation
Stipulation
In the law of the United States, a stipulation is an agreement made between opposing parties prior to a pending hearing or trial. For example, both parties might stipulate to certain facts, and therefore not have to argue those facts in court. After the stipulation is entered into, it is...
required to win the contest. For example, when a ring announcer says, "The following contest is scheduled for one fall," it is being conveyed that the upcoming match is a professional wrestling match that will be contested under traditional rules that can be won or lost by a single pinfall, submission, disqualification, or count-out. However, as it has been well documented, professional wrestling promotions have invented new match types over the years, creating new stipulations and objectives that a wrestler must perform in order to win the bout. One of a ring announcer's duties is to convey those stipulations to the arena and television audiences before introducing the match participants.
- Lastly, when a bout reaches a conclusion in either boxing, MMA, or professional wrestling, it is the ring announcer's duty to announce the winner. If a boxing or MMA fight lasts through all scheduled rounds, the announcer will read the fight judges' scorecard totals, resulting in the match being ruled either a unanimous, majority, or split decision victory for one of the fighters, or a draw. In MMA, if the stoppage comes due to a submission, the announcer will publicly disclose the time of the stoppage, method of submission or type of knockout, and the victor. In both boxing and MMA, the announcement is usually done inside the ring or cage in most professionally run shows, regardless if amateur or professional bouts were showcased. In Professional Wrestling, the winners name is announced after the bell has been sounded and usually this announcement is performed outside of the ring.
List of notable ring announcers
- Michael C. Williams (Boxing, MMA)
- Michael BufferMichael BufferMichael Buffer is an American professional ring announcer for boxing and professional wrestling matches. He is known for his trademarked catchphrase, "Let's get ready to rumble!" He is known for pioneering a distinct announcing style in which he rolls certain letters and adds other inflections to...
(Boxing, K1, MMA, formerly WCWWorld Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
) - Bruce BufferBruce BufferBruce Anthony Buffer is the main octagon announcer for Zuffa main events. On UFC broadcasts, he is introduced as the "Veteran Voice of the Octagon." He is the half brother of the well-known boxing and wrestling ring announcer Michael Buffer, and is President and CEO of their company "The Buffer...
(Octagon announcer for UFC) - Bret "Hollywood" FreemanBret Freeman- Known for :Flamboyant dressJeffery West shoe collection Catch phrase, "It's Go Time!"]]Is a dual nationality MMA ring announcer and is the voice of most major MMA promotions across Europe and the Middle East including Cage Rage UK's Ultimate Challenge, Cage Warriors, Cage Contender, IFPA and...
(MMA Ring Announcer for Cage Rage Ultimate Challenge, Cage Warriors, Cage Contender and IFPA) - Joe A. MartinezJoe A. MartinezJoseph Anthony Martinez is the ring announcer for Golden Boy Promotions, "Solo Boxeo-Tecate" on Telefutura. Joe A. Martinez is a Communications graduate of California State University, Fullerton....
(Cage announcer for WECWorld Extreme CagefightingWorld Extreme Cagefighting was an American mixed martial arts promotion. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship , in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135, 145 and 155 lbs. To accommodate the smaller...
, Solo Boxeo-Tecate [Golden Boy Promotions]) - Jimmy Lennon Jr.Jimmy Lennon Jr.Jimmy Lennon, Jr. is an American boxing ring announcer who is employed primarily by Showtime as ring announcer for its Showtime Championship Boxing events and Strikeforce mixed martial arts programming...
(Boxing, MMA StrikeforceStrikeforceStrikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...
) - Lenne HardtLenne HardtLenne Hardt is a voice actress and ring announcer for Japanese mixed martial arts organizations including DREAM and the now-defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships.-Biography:...
(MMA PRIDE, DREAMDREAM (mixed martial arts)Dream is a mixed martial arts organization promoted by former PRIDE FC executives and K-1 promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group. DREAM replaced FEG's previous-run mixed martial arts fight series, Hero's. The series retains many of the stylistic flourishes and personnel from Pride FC...
) - Joe York (Boxing, MMA)
- Perry Cale-Boxing,Kickboxing,MMA-The Contender Asia,Contender USA, Main Event PPV, SKY NZ/li>
- Kei Grant (MMA PRIDE, DREAMDREAM (mixed martial arts)Dream is a mixed martial arts organization promoted by former PRIDE FC executives and K-1 promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group. DREAM replaced FEG's previous-run mixed martial arts fight series, Hero's. The series retains many of the stylistic flourishes and personnel from Pride FC...
)
Professional wrestling
- Mike McGuirkMike McGuirkMichelle McGuirk is an American professional wrestling personality, best known as a ring announcer for the World Wrestling Federation from 1987–1994. She is the daughter of Leroy McGuirk.-Professional wrestling career:...
(former WWE ring announcer during the World Wrestling Federation era of the late 1980s to the early 1990s) - Howard FinkelHoward FinkelHoward Finkel is a professional wrestling ring announcer currently working with WWE in a variety of roles. Hired in 1975 by Vincent J. McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation, "The Fink" was the first person brought in to Vincent K...
(formerly the sole WWE ring announcer for the majority of their cable television and pay-per-view events; announcing duties now only occasional) - Lilian GarciaLilian GarciaLilian Annette García , is a Spanish-American singer. She is best known as the former ring announcer for WWE's Raw brand. During her time in WWE, she became the first Diva to remain with the promotion for ten years.-Early life and career:...
(former WWE RawWWE RAWWWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
ring announcer) - Justin RobertsJustin RobertsJustin Jason Roberts is an American professional wrestling ring announcer, currently working for WWE appearing on its Raw brand.-Career:...
(current WWE Raw ring announcer) - Tony ChimelTony ChimelAnthony "Tony" Chimel is an American professional wrestling ring announcer, currently employed by WWE working as the ring announcer for SmackDown brand.-WWE :...
(current WWE SmackDown ring announcer) - Ricardo RodriguezRicardo Rodriguez (wrestler)Jesús Rodríguez is a Mexican-American professional wrestler and ring announcer, currently signed to WWE, performing on its RAW brand under the ring name Ricardo Rodriguez as Alberto Del Rio's personal ring announcer and occasional wrestler.-Early career:Rodriguez formerly wrestled for promotions...
(current WWE Raw - only for Alberto Del Rio) - SavannahAngela FongAngela Carolyn Fong is a Canadian professional wrestler, model, cheerleader for the CFL's British Columbia Lions and actress best known for her time at World Wrestling Entertainment as known by her former ring names Miss Angela during her time at the developmental territory FCW and as Savannah...
(former WWE NXTWWE NXTWWE NXT is a sports entertainment television program produced by WWE that debuted on February 23, 2010. Described as a hybrid between reality television and WWE's scripted live event shows, the premise of the show follows select talent contracted to WWE's developmental territory Florida...
/WWE ECW/FCWFlorida Championship WrestlingChampionship Wrestling from Florida was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling...
ring announcer) - Jamie KeysBrittany BeedeBrittany Beede is an American model and professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she took part in the third season of NXT under the ring name Jamie...
(former WWE NXT/FCW ring announcer) - Jeremy BorashJeremy BorashJeremy Borash , is an American professional wrestling play-by-play commentator, announcer, ring announcer, booker, interviewer, producer and website designer...
(former WCW and (current TNATotal Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
Impact Wrestling ring announcer and current TNA backstage interviewer) - Christy HemmeChristy HemmeChristina Lee "Christy" Hemme is an American actress, singer, model, professional wrestling valet and former professional wrestler. Hemme is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, as a backstage interviewer and ring announcer.-Early life:Hemme was born in Poway, California, but she...
(current TNA Impact Wrestling ring announcer) - Gary CappettaGary Michael CappettaGary Michael Cappetta is an American professional wrestling ring announcer, author, voice over artist, screenwriter and stage performer...
(former WWF, NWA, and WCW ring announcer) - David PenzerDavid PenzerDavid Penzer is an American professional wrestling ring announcer, most recently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling between 1995 and 2001....
(former WCW and TNA ring announcer) - Bobby Cruise (Ring of HonorRing of HonorRing of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
ring announcer) - "Mean" Gene OkerlundGene OkerlundEugene "Mean Gene" Okerlund is a semi-retired American professional wrestling interviewer and announcer. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 by Hulk Hogan...
(AWAAmerican Wrestling AssociationThe American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
/WWE/WCW; continues to make sporadic appearances for WWE) - Kieran "Duke" Burns (Australasian Wrestling Federation/ New Horizon Pro Wrestling Ring Announcer)
- Bob Artese (Former ring announcer for the original ECWExtreme Championship WrestlingExtreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
promotion; also appeared as a ring announcer for the ECW reunion pay-per-view, ECW One Night Stand, now known as WWE Extreme RulesWWE Extreme RulesExtreme Rules was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 7, 2009 at the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the first event promoted under the Extreme Rules name and initially noted by WWE to be a direct...
) - Stephen DeAngelis (Also a former ring announcer for the original ECW promotion; currently performs ring announcing duties for several Northeast independent wrestling promotions)
- Eden Stiles (real name Brandi Reed) (current WWE SuperstarsWWE SuperstarsWWE Superstars is a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that originally aired on WGN America in the United States. It debuted on April 16, 2009 and ended its domestic broadcasting on April 7, 2011...
ring announcer for both WWE brandsWWE Brand ExtensionWWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
)