A BOXING legend has thrown his weight behind the Evening Times campaign to save the Hampden Roar.

Michael Buffer, the iconic boxing Ringmaster of Ceremonies, who introduced Saturday’s William Hill Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park, backed the campaign.

Buffer is an undisputed voice of the boxing world and spoke with authority after experiencing the Hampden Roar for the first time as Celtic won a historic double treble with a 2-0 win against Motherwell.

The Scottish FA Board will decide in the summer whether Hampden will retain its status as national stadium beyond 2020, or whether to relocate to the home of Scottish Rugby, BT Murrayfield.

Buffer declared it a no-contest, he said: “I said before the game that I couldn’t wait. Football is the world’s game but it was invented right here in Scotland and the supporters are as legendary as the sport itself.

“I have travelled the world principally with boxing but fortunately with many other sports. The atmosphere as I walked out that tunnel was like nothing I have experienced before.”

“I’ve been blessed to frequent the the Mecca of boxing in the States - Madison Square Garden - along with all the big fights in Las Vegas. I’ve announced baseball’s World Series, the NHL Stanley Cup Championships, NBA Championship Finals, NFL Championship games, NASCAR races and the Indy 500 along with the Formula 1 US Grand Prix.

“The legendary Hampden Roar is unique to any of those sporting venues. It has history, it has heritage, it has hosted some of the most iconic games in world football history – you cannot place a value on that and you cannot risk ruining that legacy.”