By Joe Hewlett
Phil Seymour will be the ring announcer for ITV’s first ever box-office event with Chris Eubank Jr headlining the show.
The man from York has an impressive CV which includes being a ring announcer for the likes of rugby league, UK wrestling, darts and boxing.
But it all started from sheer coincidence.
Seymour exclusively told Yorkshire Voice: “I used to do some voluntary work at my local rugby club. I would sell programmes one week and work on the burger stand the following week. One weekend, the announcer for the rugby game informed the chairman that he wouldn’t be able to work for a few weeks as he had hurt his back. So, I said to the chairman that I would do it.
“After the game the chairman came up to me and said he was really impressed with my performance and offered me the job. Before I knew it, Wakefield Trinity phoned me up asking if I could work for them as an announcer but this time it was paid work so I took it instantly.
“After one of the games I received a phone call from someone who worked for Sky Sports. He told me that he had been to the game and thought I had a great voice, the sort of voice that would be perfect as an announcer in boxing. I remember I was with some friends for my birthday and I had turned 35, I was a little bit drunk but I remember telling them that I would announce a world title fight by the age of 40.”
“By the age of 37 I announced the fight between Jamie McDonnel and Julio Ceja which was for the IBF world title,” he said.
It isn’t all glamourous though as Seymour has travelled from Belfast to make it to the weigh in between Chris Eubank Jr and Renold Quinlan.
During the week, he works as a sales manager for Mercedes and travels all over the UK daily.
He said: “One day I’ll be at the Isle of White and Belfast the next.
“But I enjoy staying busy and the long journeys are worth it to do the things I am doing, which includes being at the Olympia Saturday to cover the PPV card on ITV.”