What is the relationship between UFC's Bruce Buffer and legendary boxing and WCW announcer Michael Buffer?
Michael and Bruce Buffer are half-brothers. The two legendary ring announcers met each other for the first time in 1989 when they were adults. As surprising as it may sound, Bruce accidentally stumbled upon his half-brother after watching him on television.
According to the UFC announcing legend Bruce Buffer, he was left startled when he realized that the announcer, who he had been listening to throughout the 1980s, shared his surname.
"I saw this man (Michael Buffer) come out. This very handsome, debonair James Bond-style man with an incredible voice. All of a sudden, I’m becoming a fan and then he started putting his name on the TV screen and it said Michael Buffer and I thought ‘are you kidding me'?" Bruce Buffer told BT Sport.
Bruce later stated that he worked in the telemarketing industry at the time, which made it easier for him to access the phone directory in the United States. After his research, Bruce concluded that no one except his relatives in Philadelphia went by the surname of 'Buffer', which confused him.
Check Out: How Much Does Bruce Buffer Earn?
"My dad never told me that when he was serving in World War 2. He had gotten married at a young age, a son was born (Michael Buffer), and nine months later when he came back, they divorced... Michael was raised by foster parents under the name of Huber, but when he went into the army during the Vietnam war, saw his birth certificate, said his name was Buffer as he was never formally adopted as Huber," said Bruce.
Michael Buffer and Bruce Buffer run a company called 'The Buffer Partnership'
Michael Buffer was a big name in the world of combat sports in the 1990s. After learning about the existence of his half-brother Bruce, the legendary boxing announcer hired him as his agent. The two later went on to form a company called, 'The Buffer Partnership'.
Michael's signature phrase, 'Let's get ready to rumble' gained worldwide popularity throughout his decades-long career, which included time in WCW. He went on to trademark the phrase, subsequently earning more than $400 million as revenue.