Michael Buffer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Buffer
|
|
|---|---|
Buffer in 2006
|
|
| Born | November 2, 1944 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
|
| Occupation | Ring announcer, actor |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Known for | "Let's get ready to rumble!" catchphrase |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Bruce Buffer (brother) |
Michael Buffer (born November 2, 1944) is a famous American ring announcer. He is known for his unique voice and for announcing big events like boxing and professional wrestling matches. His most famous saying is "Let's get ready to rumble!", which he even has a trademark for! In 2019, he was added to the International Sports Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Start
Michael Buffer was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 2, 1944. His parents divorced when he was very young. He was raised by foster parents in Roslyn, Pennsylvania. When he was 20, he joined the United States Army and served for three years. Before becoming an announcer, he worked as a car salesman and later became a model. He started his career as a ring announcer when he was 38 years old.
A Career in Announcing
Boxing World
Michael Buffer began announcing boxing matches in 1982. By 1983, he was announcing for Top Rank boxing events on ESPN. This made him well-known across the country. In 1984, he started using his famous phrase, "Let's get ready to rumble!" This saying became incredibly popular. He got a federal trademark for it in 1992. This trademark has helped him earn a lot of money over the years.
Many boxing legends admired his work. Sugar Ray Leonard once told Buffer that his introductions made fighters want to win. In 1991, Buffer started working with HBO as their main ring announcer. He also announced for DAZN boxing broadcasts starting in 2018.
Wrestling and Other Sports
Buffer was also the main announcer for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) until 2001. His contract with WCW meant he couldn't announce for other wrestling groups.
He has announced for many other major sports events too. These include the MLB World Series, the Stanley Cup Finals in hockey, and NFL playoff games. He even announced at the 1999 Indianapolis 500 car race.
Buffer also announced some early mixed martial arts fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In 2008, he announced the final game of the 2008 World Series of Poker. He changed his famous phrase to "Let's get ready to shuffle up and deal" for that event!
More recently, in 2021, he announced for NBC Sunday Night Football games. In 2024, he even announced a draft pick for his hometown hockey team, the Philadelphia Flyers.
Other Appearances
Michael Buffer has appeared on many popular TV shows. He has been on talk shows like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Show with David Letterman. He also appeared on comedy shows like Saturday Night Live and Mad TV.
He was on Deal or No Deal in 2007 and announced the finale of American Idol in 2008. He has also been in several movies, often playing himself as a ring announcer. Some of these films include Ready to Rumble and Rocky Balboa. In the 2019 movie Dumbo, he played a ringmaster and said, "Let's get ready for Dumbo!"
Buffer's voice and catchphrase have been used in many places. They've been in cartoons like The Simpsons and South Park. His voice has also been featured in music, including songs by Tupac Shakur and Ant & Dec. He even appeared in commercials for Progressive Insurance, saying "Let's get ready to bundle!"
His Famous Trademark
Michael Buffer started using "Let's get ready to rumble!" in 1984. By 1992, he had officially trademarked the phrase. This means he owns the rights to it. He licenses his phrase for many products. These include the music album Jock Jams and video games like Ready 2 Rumble Boxing. He has also used variations of the phrase in ads, such as "Let's get ready to Win Big!" for Mega Millions. As of 2009, his catchphrase had made over $400 million from licensing!
Personal Life
Michael Buffer's fame helped him reconnect with his birth family. In 1989, his birth father found him after seeing him on TV. Michael also met his half-brothers this way. One of his half-brothers, Bruce Buffer, later became his agent and manager. Bruce is also a well-known announcer for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Michael has been married three times and has two sons from his first marriage. He proposed to his current wife, Christine, on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2007. He lives in Southern California.
Images for kids
-
Buffer in 2006
