Went Under the Knife for Throat Cancer, Legendary Announcer Michael Buffer Reveals How He Was “Ready to Rumble” for One Last Time Before Life Saving News

Since the time a tweet commemorating Manny Pacquiao‘s 2008 victory over Juan Manuel Marquez came out, the feed has been abuzz with a varied array of responses. However, probably unbeknownst to many, it struck a personal chord in one specific corner. There is no way Michael Buffer could have forgotten that day.

The great boxing announcer quickly responded when one of the users tagged him while replying back to Boxing History‘s post on the fight. Indeed, what Buffer shared would likely have been unknown or forgotten by most fans and followers. But definitely, it would resonate with many as they went through it. Despite the prevailing challenges, Michael Buffer persevered and proceeded with the announcements.

Michael Buffer: The Voice of Courage

A short, one-minute clip around the time the Pacquiao-Marquez fight was about to begin showcased Michael Buffer with his trademark introductions. “Ladies and gentlemen, from the Mandalay Bay of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA: Welcome to the main event of the evening: 12 rounds of boxing for the WBC super featherweight championship of the world…it’s time for the most famous phrase in boxing history, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s get ready to rumble….”

But behind that imposing and assuring announcement remained a predicament. Michael Buffer, as he shared today, had learned about the cancer that afflicted his throat by that time. He revealed that the week following the fight, he had surgery. More so, there was no surety whether he would be able to speak again or not. “On this particular night, I had just been diagnosed with throat cancer and was scheduled to have surgery the following week without any guarantee that I’d be able to speak again..” wrote Buffer.

Nevertheless, he decided to plough on, as anyhow he would be retiring. Hence, he might as well proceed with a big ‘LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!’ for which he had acquired a federal trademark in 1992. He continued, “I figured let’s go out with a big “LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!”® as I’m probably retiring!”

But thankfully, as it turned out, the doctors successfully treated the tumors, and as a result, he could get back to work after a month.

Knocked Down, But Not Out

It has been over sixteen years, and he happily remains cancer-free. He said, “My tonsils and all the lymph nodes on the left side of my throat, plus tumors, were removed by the great Dr. Dale Rice at USC Hospital, and 30 days later I was back to work. Now, 16 years later, I’m still cancer-free!”

One of the users replied, “Your voice will be heard for many, many more years; there will always be someone ready to rumble.”

Nearly a decade after the fight, in 2019, the International Sports Hall of Fame inducted Michael Buffer into their ranks. The legendary announcer started using his famous phrase in 1984. Since he got it covered under a trademark, the phrase has, over the years, reportedly earned him over $400 million.

March 15, 2008, was a memorable day for Manny Pacquiao. On this day, he became the first Asian or Filipino to become a four-division world champion. He defeated Marquez during their rematch to become the new WBC and Ring super featherweight title holders.

Read More: How Are Bruce Buffer and Michael Buffer Related? Are the UFC and Boxing Announcers Brothers?

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Also Read: “Absolutely Not Worth That Much”: Legendary Ring Announcer Michael Buffer Addresses Net Worth Claims