FIFA Brings in Legendary Ring Announcer to Electrify Club World Cup Semifinals
FIFA has reportedly enlisted the services of iconic ring announcer Michael Buffer to enhance the excitement for the remaining matches of the Club World Cup as the competition reaches its semifinal stage.
The two semifinal matches and the championship game will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, beginning with the clash between Chelsea and Fluminense on Tuesday. Real Madrid will subsequently face European titleholders Paris Saint-Germain at the same venue twenty-four hours afterward.
The winning teams will then make their way back to MetLife for the championship match on Sunday, July 13.
According to the Daily Mail, Buffer is anticipated to be present at all three matches, presenting the teams to the spectators as part of the pre-game team entrances.
The competition has experienced challenges with sparse attendance and lackluster atmospheres, though matches featuring Real Madrid, PSG, and to some extent Chelsea, have regularly attracted bigger audiences than others. Ticket costs have been reduced for matches due to underwhelming sales figures.
However, incorporating elements like a walkout announcer at this point should contribute to the spectacle, adding a uniquely American flair that is seldom witnessed in European football.
The 80-year-old Buffer is globally recognized for his distinctive vocal delivery and creating his registered trademark phrase: "Let's get ready to rumble!"
Following his military service in Vietnam and various employment experiences, he didn't enter the ring announcing profession until he was 38 years old in the early 1980s. However, within just a few years, he had crafted the five-word expression that has contributed to building a personal wealth estimated at $400 million.
Buffer maintains established connections with DAZN, FIFA's worldwide Club World Cup broadcast partner, having been contracted in 2018 to exclusively announce all their boxing coverage. DAZN has also utilized a boxing-themed advertisement, featuring Buffer, to market the Club World Cup.
Buffer's younger half-sibling, Bruce, is likewise a ring announcer and possesses his signature phrase that he delivers before all UFC headline events: "It's time!"