Boxing

Netflix Find Their Voice: Meet Kody ‘Big Mo’ Mommaerts, The Ring Announcer For Mike Tyson Vs Jake Paul

Netflix have built a top tier team to bolster their first live event including MC Kody ‘Big Mo’ Mommaerts.
Netflix have built a top tier team to bolster their first live event including MC Kody ‘Big Mo’ Mommaerts. / Netflix.

By Harrison Minihane

Netflix are just over one week out from airing their first ever live sporting event as Jake Paul battles Mike Tyson as they headline this must-see boxing mega-event streaming live in front of 80,000 fans from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Netflix have built a top tier team to bolster their first live event including Roy Jones Jnr, Kate Scott (formerly Kate Abdo), and Andre Ward. Only one man will stand center of the ring as the pair lock eyes for the final time before the blows begin. That man is the towering ring announcer and MC Kody ‘Big Mo’ Mommaerts.

Big Mo told Sports Illustrated “It is an honor that Netflix chose me to MC their first live sporting event. It is a huge moment for television, and a huge moment for boxing. It shows the direction that boxing is moving. We’ve seen broadcasters come and go, but for a giant like Netflix to decide that they want to enter sports with boxing first shows the power of the sport and the resurgence it has had over the past few years.”

Kody ‘Big Mo’ Mommaerts, 28, has been tasked with hyping the 80,000 capacity crowd and gripping millions of viewers world wide in the moments before the first bell sounds, a task he is no stranger to. The chief-support bout, Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano II, has Big Mo equally excited.

“I was fortunate enough to announce Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall a few years ago. At the time, that was the biggest female fight ever coming off of the heels of the first fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. This rematch could be even bigger. It shows the growth of women’s boxing. We have real star power. To be involved in these massive moments for women’s boxing is a great privilege.”

The surreality of announcing the 58-year-old legend, ‘Iron’ MIke Tyson to the ring for potentially his final bout is not lost on Mommaerts. “I’ve always had faith in my ability to host big shows, and I’ve always had the desire to take my career to the biggest stage possible. But the fact that I am going to be announcing Mike Tyson is really a trip for me. I never thought that would be happening. This is someone who carries almost a mythological presence with him when you consider what he has done both inside and outside of the ring and the life he has lived. The fact I get to play even a small part in his legacy is an honor for me.”

American Kody ‘Big Mo’ Mommaerts has asserted himself as the UK’s premiere ring announcer as he’s hosted some of the biggest nights of boxing on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, and NBC’s Peacock in the US. His energy, youth, and dynamism have allowed him to excel with many heralding him as the heir to Michael Buffer. The opportunity to host an event of this magnitude in his homeland is an exciting one for Mommaerts.

“Coincidentally this will be the first major event that I have done in America. A lot of the big fights that I have done to this point have been in the UK, Europe, and the Middle East. The fact that I get to finally do a big event in America is going to be awesome. It is at the Cowboy’s stadium which is just surreal for me.”

The blockbuster bout suffered a setback earlier in the year when Mike Tyson was forced to withdraw with injury. It has been almost two decades since the 58-year-old last competed in a professional bout, when he suffered a defeat to Kevin McBride. In his emotional post-fight interview ‘Iron’ Mike made the tough decision to hang up the gloves.

His return to the ring against ‘The Problem Child’ Jake Paul has divided opinions, but it has captivated the imagination and eyeballs of the world. The highly anticipated bout is expected to break all gate and viewing records.

Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson takes place on Friday 15th November from the AT&T Stadium, Texas, featuring the highly anticipated rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. Watch the action live on Netflix.

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