Michael Buffer

About

Michael Buffer (born November 2, 1944) is an American ring announcer (or “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.

Buffer was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 2, 1944. His father was enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II. 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. 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.

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…