Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

(the announcers)

“Arturo, ‘Thunder,’ Gatti… Gatti” Mark Beira spoke into the microphone during the introductions. Even the ring announcer seemed to be old-school. There was nothing flashy about him. He had no exciting jingle like “Let’s get ready to rumble” or “It’s Showtime!” No. This guy was straight out of the golden era. He even repeated the last names of the boxers, just like they did back in the 1950’s, like “Irish, Micky, Ward… Ward.” Although their names were introduced with some splendor in Mark Beira’s voice, it was the basic introduction done in the old days, before “defensive” boxing became a way for quick boxers to rack up wins without ever actually fighting.