Even if you’ve never watched a single second of a boxing match, you’re certainly familiar with the most popular catchphrase in the sport: “Let’s get ready to rumbleeeeee!” Michael Buffer’s legendary, booming voice has filled countless arenas with the phrase, delighting boxing fans around the world.
Buffer has parlayed those five words into a very successful career and built a legacy beyond his wildest imagination. He’s appeared in shows and movies such as South Park, Rocky, and Love and Other Drugs, and his catchphrase was the namesake for the boxing video game series Ready 2 Rumble.
Buffer earns between $25,000 and $100,000 every time he steps into a ring. Remember, he’s not fighting — he’s only introducing the competitors. While that’s an impressive per-fight income, it’s just the tip of what Buffer has made throughout his career. Thanks to some incredible business savvy, Buffer is quite wealthy, with a net worth of $400 million. Here’s how he made that wealth happen.
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Michael Buffer was born in Philadelphia on November 2, 1944. When he was only 11 months old, his parents divorced and he went to live with his foster parents. He enlisted in the Army during the Vietnam War, serving for three years. When he returned, he spent 15 years trying to launch an acting and modeling career, with limited success.
By age 38, Buffer knew something needed to change. He had always been a boxing fan, but he found ringside announcers were dull and predictable. He thought his charismatic personality could land him a job, so he embellished his resume to show more experience than he actually had. It worked — he hosted his first boxing gig in 1982, and within a year, he was announcing every match promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank on ESPN.
As Buffer’s popularity grew, he thought a catchphrase could propel him to new heights, perhaps making him the most popular announcer in the world. He tried a few ideas, but nothing stuck at first. “Man your battle stations” fell flat, and “fasten your seatbelts” didn’t get the crowd going, either.
Then Buffer remembered something Muhammad Ali once said: “I’m so pretty, I’m ready to rumble. Rumble, young man, rumble.” He also thought about a catchphrase from New York sports announcer Sal Machiano: “We’re ready to rumble from Resorts International.”
Combining the two, Buffer’s “Let’s get ready to rumble!” was born.
After he unleashed the catchphrase, Buffer’s popularity exploded. He became the exclusive ringside announcer for every boxing match hosted at Donald Trump’s casinos, and voiced all World Championship Wrestling main events until the league disbanded in 2001. He ended up with dozens of cameo appearances in movies and TV shows, fulfilling that acting dream after all.
But there was one problem: Buffer’s phrase was popping up everywhere — said by people other than Buffer himself. They were using his words without offering him any credit or compensation. Buffer’s half-brother Bruce suggested the announcer trademark his catchphrase. Bruce noticed NBA coach and executive Pat Riley trademarked the term “three-peat” when his Los Angeles Lakers were attempting to win a third title in 1989, and the phrase regained popularity during the 1992-93 season, when the Chicago Bulls were going for their first three-peat.
Taking Bruce’s advice, Michael Buffer trademarked the phrase, and now gets paid anytime someone uses it in a commercial or other media. Buffer has also appeared in campaigns using a variation of the phrase, including Progressive’s “Let’s get ready to bundle!” and Kraft Cheese’s “Let’s get ready to Crumble!” advertisements.
In all, Buffer’s trademark has generated more than $400 million. All from five simple words.
Though he still announces occasionally — he introduced multiple playoff games during the 2022 NFL postseason — Buffer said he has plans to sell his famous catchphrase when he retires.
Whoever buys it will have to pony up — as Buffer has shown throughout his career, he’s always ready to rumble.
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