Michael Buffer

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"Let's get ready to rumble" redirects here. For the PJ & Duncan song, see Let's Get Ready to Rhumble.

Michael Buffer
Buffer in 2006
Born (1944-11-02) November 2, 1944 (age 79)[1]
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation(s)Ring announcer, actor
Years active1982–present
Known for"Let's get ready to rumble!" catchphrase
Children2
RelativesBruce Buffer (brother)
Websitewww.letsrumble.com

Michael Buffer (born November 2, 1944) is an American

MC") for boxing, professional wrestling, and National Football League events. Pioneering a distinct announcing style in which he rolls certain letters and adds other inflections to a fighter’s name, and known for his trademarked catchphrase: "Let's get ready to rumble!", he was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.[2]

Early life

Buffer was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 2, 1944.[1] His father was enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II.[3] Buffer's parents divorced when he was 11 months of age, and he was then raised by foster parents, a school bus driver and housewife, in Roslyn, Pennsylvania.[4] He enlisted in the United States Army during the Vietnam War at age 20 and served until age 23. He held various jobs including a car salesman, then began a modeling career at age 32 before becoming a ring announcer at age 38.[3]

Career

Boxing

In 1982, Buffer began his career as a ring announcer. By 1983, he was announcing all boxing matches promoted by Bob Arum's Top Rank on ESPN, which gave him a national identity at a time when ring announcers were strictly locally hired talent.[5] By 1984, Buffer developed the catchphrase "Let's get ready to rumble!" in his announcing, which gained enormous popularity. He began the process of obtaining a federal trademark for the phrase in the 1980s, acquiring it in 1992. Consequently, Buffer has earned in excess of $400 million with the license for his trademark.[6]

By the late 1980s, Buffer was the exclusive ring announcer for all bouts in Donald Trump-owned casinos. Trump said of Buffer, "He's great, he's the choice, he has a unique ability...I told my people, 'We got to have him.'"[4] Buffer's work was also admired by many boxing greats. Sugar Ray Leonard once told Buffer, "When you introduce a fighter, it makes him want to fight."[7]

In 2018, Buffer signed with

Matchroom.[8][9]

Wrestling

Buffer was formerly the exclusive ring announcer for

WWF wrestler Triple H created the phrase "Let's get ready to suck it!" to mock him, as part of his D-Generation X
gimmick.

On

superkicked by Shawn Michaels, causing him to fall over. As well as being in the commercial for the event, he was the guest ring announcer during the Royal Rumble match
itself.

Other sports

During his career, Buffer has announced the

Volunteer 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, and NFL playoff games. He was a guest announcer at the 1999 Indianapolis 500 and the 2017 United States Grand Prix.[12][13]

Buffer, like his brother Bruce, announced early UFC fights, starting at

Versus boxing retro show Legends of the Ring, produced by Top Rank, Inc., where he was ring announcer for most of their top matches.[citation needed
]

On July 19, 2008, he announced the Affliction: Banned mixed martial arts show. On November 10, 2008, Buffer started the heads-up action between the two remaining players, Peter Eastgate and Ivan Demidov at the 2008 World Series of Poker final table with a modified version of his trademark statement: "Let's get ready to shuffle up and deal."[citation needed]

On September 12, 2021, Buffer announced for NBC's Sunday Night Football matchup, where the Los Angeles Rams hosted the Chicago Bears at the first regular season NFL game with fan attendance in SoFi Stadium.[14] He later announced at the Rams' first home playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals on January 17, 2022,[15] and two weeks later, during the 2022 NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers.[16]

Other appearances

Buffer has appeared on various talk shows hosted by Jay Leno, David Letterman, Arsenio Hall, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon. He has also appeared on Saturday Night Live, In Living Color, Mad TV and The Howard Stern Show.[17]

He appeared on

Dancing with the Stars to announce Sugar Ray Leonard week 3 dance. Buffer has also served as ringside announcer for the syndicated television game show The Grudge Match
, hosted by Steve Albert and Jesse Ventura.

In the 1997 film Hercules, Hades uses Buffer's catchphrase "Let's get ready to rumble!" during Hercules' fight with Hydra.

He has played himself in various films including Ready to Rumble and Rocky Balboa, and in 2008 Buffer appeared as Walbridge, the main villain in the comedy You Don't Mess with the Zohan.[10] His "Let's get ready to rumble!" soundbite is used briefly in the 2004 film Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. He also appeared in the 2019 remake of Dumbo, portraying a ringmaster who delivers the line "Let's get ready for Dumbo!" in his trademark cadence.

Buffer has been animated in

TV series Phineas and Ferb in the episode "Raging Bully", as the voice of the announcer for the big thumb-wrestling match with Phineas and Buford. [citation needed] Buffer appeared in the extended version of the Muppets webisode "Food Fight", where he is seen announcing the cooking competition between Gordon Ramsay and the Swedish Chef
.

He's regularly featured in music, including on the introductory track of

Ant & Dec song "Let's Get Ready to Rhumble". [citation needed] He recorded the introduction track for country artist Josh Turner's 2012 album, Punching Bag
.

In 2013, Buffer appeared in Progressive Insurance commercials, promoting their program of combining different coverages into one policy, with a parody of his famous phrase - "Let's get ready to bundle!"[19]

Buffer reproduced as an action figure in both Toy Biz's WCW line and Jakks Pacific's Rocky line.

In 2022, Buffer introduced Daddy Yankee's final album Legendaddy.

Trademark

Buffer began using the phrase "Let's get ready to rumble!" in 1984. By 1992, he acquired a federal trademark for the phrase. Buffer uses his famous phrase in various licensing deals including the platinum selling album

Progressive Insurance
in which he says "Let's get ready to bundle!" As of 2009, the catchphrase has generated $400 million in revenue from licensing the trademark.[20]

Personal life

Buffer's fame has reunited him with long-lost family members. In 1989, Buffer was contacted by his birth father, who introduced Buffer to his half-brothers after seeing him on television.[21] In the mid-1990s, Buffer brought along one of his half-brothers, Bruce Buffer, as his agent/manager. This grew into a business partnership to increase licensing productivity of the trademark.

Buffer first wed at age 21, but the marriage ended in divorce after seven years. He has two sons from his first marriage. More than 25 years passed before he remarried in 1999. He and his second wife divorced in 2003.[5]

On September 13, 2007, while making an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, he proposed to his current (third) wife, Christine. Buffer currently resides in Southern California. His half-brother Bruce is an announcer for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a leading mixed martial arts promotion.

In 2008, Buffer was treated for throat cancer.[22]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1988 Homeboy Ring announcer
1989 Harlem Nights Ring announcer
1990 Rocky V Himself/Ring announcer
1995 Virtuosity Emcee
1999 Play It to the Bone Himself/Ring announcer
2000 The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave Himself/Sports commentator Direct-to-video
Ready to Rumble Himself/Ring announcer
2003
More Than Famous
 		Himself
Game Over Himself/Ring announcer
Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star Himself
2004 Fade to Black Himself
Against the Ropes Himself/Ring announcer
2005 The L.A. Riot Spectacular Himself
2006 Rocky Balboa Himself/Ring announcer
BoxinBuddies: Knockout Juvenile Diabetes Mik O' Tux Animated short
2008 Cornered: A Life Caught in the Ring Himself
You Don't Mess with the Zohan Grant Walbridge
2009 2012 Himself/Ring announcer
2010
Love and Other Drugs
 		Pfizer Convention MC
The Fighter Fight announcer
2011 The Green Card Tour: Live from The O2 Arena Himself/Announcer Russell Peters direct-to-video comedy special
2012 Vanilla Ice Archive Himself
2013 Maravilla, la película Himself
Grudge Match Himself/Ring announcer
2015 Creed Himself/Ring announcer
2018 Creed II Himself/Ring announcer
Holmes & Watson Himself
2019 Dumbo Baritone Bates
2021 Rumble Stoker Announcer
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1985–present
Top Rank on ESPN
 		Himself/Ring announcer Numerous episodes of both the original ESPN series and the 2017 ESPN revival
1988–2017
HBO Boxing
 		Himself/Ring announcer 57 episodes
1989 Showtime Championship Boxing Himself/Ring announcer Episode dated November 4, 1989
1991–1992 The Grudge Match Himself/Ring announcer
1991–2017 Sky Sports World Championship Boxing Himself/Master of Ceremonies
1992 Evander Holyfield vs. Riddick Bowe Himself
1993 Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson Himself
1994 Evander Holyfield vs. Michael Moorer Himself
Saturday Night Live Himself Season 20 episode 9: "George Foreman/Hole"
Uncredited
1995 Mad TV Himself Season 1 episode 4: "Life With Buffer"
1996 Weird Science Himself Season 4 episode 2: "Men in Tights"
The Simpsons Himself/Ring announcer Season 8 episode 3: "The Homer They Fall"
1998–2000 Celebrity Deathmatch Himself Pilot: "Deathbowl '98"
Season 2 episode 1: "Deathbowl '99"
Season 3 episode 1: "Deathbowl 2000"
1998 Monday Nitro Himself 3 episodes
South Park Himself Season 1 episode 10: "Damien"
1999 Mad About You Announcer #2 Season 7 episode 17: "Separate Beds"
2000 Clerks Himself Season 1 episode 4: "A Dissertation on the American Justice System by People Who Have Never Been Inside a Courtroom, Let Alone Know Anything About the Law, But Have Seen Way Too Many Legal Thrillers"
2002–2013 Promi-Boxen Himself/Ring announcer
2002 Celebrity Boxing Himself/Ring announcer
Inside Schwartz Himself Episode: "It's All in the Footwork"
No official date for the episode as it went unaired
2003 Man vs. Beast Himself
Maximum Surge Himself/Ring announcer TV film
2004 Open Access Himself Season 1 episode 4: "Miami"
Jeopardy! Himself/Video clue presenter Season 20 episode 170: aired April 30, 2004
Las Vegas Himself/Contest announcer Season 1 episode 11: "Blood and Sand"
Season 1 episode 20: "The Strange Life of Bob"
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Himself Season 2 episode 10: "The Broadbent Family"
2005 50 Hottest Vegas Moments Himself
Entourage
 		Himself Season 2 episode 6: "Chinatown"
2006 Legends of the Ring Himself/host Unknown episodes
2007 Polizeistund' ade - Das Abschiedskonzert von Klaus & Klaus Himself
The World Awaits: De La Hoya vs. Mayweather Himself
Saturday Night's Main Event XXXV
 		Himself Season 2 episode 2: August 18, 2007
BET Awards Himself
Janice & Abbey Himself Season 1 episode 5: "Success?"
Deal or No Deal Himself Season 3 episode 20: aired December 10, 2007
2008 Phineas and Ferb Event announcer Season 1 episode 6: "Raging Bully"
RAW
 Himself Season 16 episode 10
American Idol Himself Season 7 episode 41: The Final Two Perform
2009 Pacquiao vs. Hatton: The Battle of East and West Himself
The Great Debate Himself/host/Emcee
2010 The Bold and the Beautiful Himself Episodes #5965 and #5966
2011 Lucian Bute: L'Homme, L'Athlète Himself
2012 America's Next Top Model Himself
Kelly Osbourne
NBC Sports Network Fight Night Himself/Ring announcer
2013 Legendary Nights Himself Season 2 episode 1: "The Tale of Gatti-Ward"
2014 Who Is... Himself 1 episode
2015 30 for 30 Himself Episode: "Chasing Tyson"
2017 Mano a Mano: The Battle for Mexico Himself
2017 2017 United States Grand Prix Announcer
Video Games
Year Title Role Notes
1993 Prize Fighter Himself/Announcer
1996 Pitball Announcer
1997 ClayFighter 63⅓ Announcer [23]
1999 Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Himself
2000 Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 Himself/Rumbleman
2009
Ready 2 Rumble Revolution
 		Himself/Rumbleman

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "IBHOF".
  2. ^ Dr. Robert Goldman (March 14, 2019). "2019 International Sports Hall of Fame Inductees". www.sportshof.org. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Article Two – December 1998". Boxing Monthly. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  4. ^ a b O'Brien, Richard (June 1992). "Let's Get Ready to…". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 76. pp. 72–78.
  5. ^ a b "Boxing - Columns - Thomas Hauser". Archived from the original on October 18, 2006.
  6. ^ O'Reilly, Terry (January 5, 2017). "The Crazy World of Trademarks". Under the Influence. CBC Radio. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  7. ^ "Michael Buffer – iSB Keynote Speakers and Entertainment". Internationalspeakers.com. Archived from the original on January 14, 2007. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  8. ^ "Canelo Alvarez, Michael Buffer Take Shots At Pay-Per-View In DAZN Ad". Sports Business Daily. November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  9. ^ Steinberg, Brian (September 17, 2018). "'Sugar' Ray Leonard, Brian Kenny Among Ringside Team for DAZN Boxing". Variety. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Michael Buffer". IMDb. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  11. NHL
    .com    . Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  12. ^ "The big build up: Michael Buffer's driver introductions in Austin".
  13. ^ "A History of Formula One in the USA".
  14. ^ Jackson, Stu (September 12, 2021). "Game Recap: Rams open 2021 season with 34-14 Sunday Night Football win over Bears at SoFi Stadium". www.therams.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022. A pre-game opening ceremony began the festivities, then the legendary Michael Buffer's "Let's get ready to ruuummmble!" christened it prior to kickoff.
  15. ^ "Michael Buffer opens Cardinals-Rams with iconic introduction". NFL.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  16. ^ "Michael Buffer gives epic introduction for NFC Championship". www.audacy.com. January 30, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  17. ^ "Stern Show News". MarksFriggin.com. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  18. ^ Rohn, Jake (May 10, 2019). "#DXCLUSIVE: Michael Buffer Reveals Unrealized Tupac Collaboration". HipHopDX. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  19. ^ "Progressive TV Commercial Featuring Michael Buffer". www.ispot.tv. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  20. ^ Berman, John; Milberger, Michael (November 9, 2009). "'Let's Get Ready to Rumble' Worth $400M". abcnews.go.com (Interview). Interviewed by John Berman. ABC News. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  21. ^ "Hollywood Reporter". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved November 24, 2007.
  22. ^ "Michael Buffer Battles Cancer". April 10, 2008.
  23. ^ "Clayfighter 63 1/3 (1997 Video Game)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved November 25, 2021. Buffer's role has been confirmed using a collage of screenshots of the game's list of voice actors found in its closing credits which can be accessed by clicking on the text saying "Official Credits."{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)

External links

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