Translator: Mingyu Cui Reviewer: Denise RQ
Welcome to the main event, presented by TEDx.
This talk is scheduled for five rounds
in the welterweight division.
Introducing first,
the man speaking out of the TEDxFoggy Bottom blue corner.
If you haven't figured it out yet, I am a professional ring announcer.
It's a very obscure, and a particularly peculiar way
in which to make a living.
In fact, including myself,
there are probably fewer than 10 people on the planet
currently doing this full time,
without the benefit of some other full-time job
to fall back on.
There simply are no degrees to obtain
and no institutions to attend
to aid one in becoming a ring announcer.
You put one foot in front of the other,
and either you succeed or you don't.
I fully embraced the rebellious, the risky, and the often absurd nature
of what I do for a living.
Elegance meets violence.
Imagine with me
an individual dressed in formal wear as I am now, wearing a tuxedo,
standing in the center of a cage.
Yes, an actual cage.
Sometimes a ring.
Flanked to my left and right are two individuals heavily muscled,
with bad intentions on the brain,
and dressed in essentially, their underwear or something close to it;
two men, sometimes two women.
I introduce these individuals with great fanfare.
I then slide out of the way to the comfort, convenience,
and most importantly, the safety of a ring or a cage-side seat.
I then watch as these two individuals beat each other.
I occasionally get a drop or two of blood on the white tuxedo jacket,
but nothing a bit of peroxide can't take care of.
Fighting is a sport.
It's a very popular one.
It's also very violent, and it's not for everyone.
But there's something about fighting that speaks to us as human beings.
Maybe it's because it's so beautifully simplistic and easily understood.
Maybe it has something to do with conflict resolution.
Two people go after one another, one gets the better of the other,
that person wins, the other loses,
and it's over.
Aggression, triumph, defeat.
Very simple.
My first big break as a ring announcer came several years ago,
when I was given the opportunity to announce an event in Moscow, Russia.
An event so amazing I have yet to fully process
the fact that I was actually a part of it.
Imagine with me, snipers positioned at the top of the arena,
Vladimir Putin sitting on the front row.
And 22,000 people jam-packed inside of Moscow's Olympic Stadium.
A grand scene indeed.
I've had the opportunity to travel from London to Los Angeles
and many points between and beyond.
And I've been to beneficiary of many learning opportunities
along the way.
I have learned that self-employment
is not for the weak-willed or the faint of heart.
I have learned that Kiev, Ukraine is a beautiful place.
I have learned that Popeyes in Dubai
will deliver chicken directly to your hotel room.
(Laughter)
And ladies and gentlemen, that is 117% amazing.
(Laughter)
I've also had the opportunity on many occasions
to announce more than my fair share of events,
inside of dusty warehouses,
high school gyms, and nightclub parking lots.
And I have dressed inside of a bathroom stall;
put on a tuxedo inside of a bathroom stall
on many more occasions than I care to recall.
There's nothing wrong with living your working life inside of the box.
But I found that it's simply not for me.
In fact, I believe it's not for a lot of people.
If you're an individual considering making a move
and taking the step outside of the box in your working life,
I commend you,
and I would like you to know that beyond the confines of the box,
there's plenty of room.
In fact, I say to you,
on behalf of the world's rebels, misfits, and dreamers,
you are welcomed with open arms.
Thank you.