Ring announcer for Paul vs. Tyson is from Colorado

DENVER — Friday night’s boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson may end up being one of the most-watched boxing matches in recent history. 

A Colorado man will be in the ring for a piece of the action. 

Kody Mommaerts, also known as “Big Mo,” will be the ring announcer for the fight between the 27-year-old influencer and the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion. 

“I’m in the ring, in the tuxedo, introducing the fighters and bringing them out to the ring,” Mommaerts said. 

It’s a deceptively simple job. In theory, all a ring announcer needs to do is read the boxers’ names. In practice, the best announcers deliver their introductions with panache. Who could forget famous announcer Michael Buffer, with his signature line, “Let’s get ready to rumble!” 

Mommaerts has carved out a niche of his own through his youth — he’s 29 — and his size. The 6’6” ring announcer played football growing up in Colorado, first as a state champion at Monarch High School, and eventually as an offensive lineman for the University of Northern Colorado. 

“I’m a little bit smaller than I was when I played up there,” Mommaerts said. “I’ve changed a little bit. But UNC is where I discovered an ability to present and host events. I started hosting events toward the end of my football career and realized I’m pretty good at public speaking. 

Mommaerts got his start as a ring announcer calling regional events for the Sparta combat sports promotion, which is based out of Colorado. 

He quickly gained a following. That led to more work, which put Mommaerts in front of an international audience. 

“I’ve gotten to do some amazing shows in the U.K.,” Mommaerts said. “I did a fight in Dubai with Hafþór Björnsson, who played The Mountain in Game of Thrones. There’s too many to count. I’ve been able to do a lot of great fights, a lot of great shows, but none compared to the one on Netflix.” 

The Paul vs. Tyson event starts at 6 p.m., Nov. 15. 

It is streaming on Netflix. There are also a handful of bars in the Denver area showing the fight. 

Mommaerts said he prefers to remain neutral, but he did provide some intel ahead of fight night. 

“I can tell you that Mike Tyson is ready to go,” Mommaerts said. “He actually even said, the shorter the introduction the better. I just want to get going with the fight.”