Akin "Ak" Reyes

Akin "Ak" Reyes, better known as Ak (born November 10, 1979), is an American radio personality and TV sports broadcaster. He is employed by SiriusXM, a national satellite radio station, and DAZN, a global live and on-demand sports streaming platform.[1][2][3][4]

Akin "Ak" Reyes
Reyes in September 2018
Born (1979-11-10) November 10, 1979
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
OccupationRadio and TV sports broadcaster and host
Years active2009 – present
Employer
  • SiriusXM
  • DAZN
Known for
  • The Ak and Barak show
  • Da Pull Up
Children2

Reyes brings a unique, fresh and stylish approach to radio and television whilst interviewing the biggest names in and around boxing, and entertainers, such as Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Charlamagne Tha God, Tweet, 50 Cent, Canelo Álvarez, Deontay Wilder, Brandy Norwood, Sheryl Underwood, Akon, and Michael Buffer, to name a few.[5][6]

Reyes is the lead host of the Ak and Barak show (streamed on SiriusXM and aired on DAZN) and Da Pull Up (aired on DAZN), with his co-host, Kamal Barak Bess.[3]

Early life

Reyes is of Puerto Rican descent, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He currently resides in New Jersey.[7]

Reyes and his brother, Shamir Reyes,[8] were introduced to boxing by their father; Reyes went on to have over 70 amateur fights as Shamir embarked on a professional boxing career, signed under Don King Promotions, which enabled Reyes to learn about the boxing business.[7]

Whilst in his 20s, Reyes worked as a fashion model, an actor, and for the family business.[7]

Personal life

Reyes is a father of 2 children, both of which follow in his footsteps as fashion models. His son, Taj Marley Reyes, is featured in campaigns for Nike, Gap, Zara, Levis, Target, Footlocker, and he walked in the 2020 Nike New York Fashion Week, tribute to the late Kobe Bryant.

Taj Marley Reyes (third from the left) walks in Nike NYFW runway show, tribute to Kobe Bryant in February 2020

Career

2009

Reyes and his friend, Saleem 'Hitchcock' Thomas, hosted a radio show that was dedicated to Hip hop. However, Reyes, an avid fan of boxing, incorporated the sport into the show. The duo interviewed former undisputed welterweight boxing champion Zab Judah, which kickstarted Reyes' career in boxing journalism and broadcasting.[9][10]

2015

Reyes and his co-host, Barak, accepted the opportunity to host a show on SiriusXM called 'The Hype Men'. The duo talked about boxing events, and included topics around pop culture.[7]

2016

Reyes and his co-host were employed to host their own show, called 'The Sweet Scientists', on Thisis50.com, a website platform owned by rapper, actor, director and producer, Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson.[7]

2018

DAZN "picked up" 'The Sweet Scientist', with Reyes and his co-host maintaining their position on the show.[3]

2019

Reyes and his co-host brought a new and exciting show to DAZN called 'Da Pull Up'. The duo pranks individuals who use social media platforms to 'troll' boxers. 'Ak and Barak' 'pull up' on the internet troll in a public setting, with the fighter they had disrespected online.[11]

Reyes and Barak currently host their own show called 'The Ak and Barak Show' on SiriusXM and DAZN.[12]

References
  1. "Akin Reyes – Host". SiriusXM. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  2. "DAZN & SiriusXM team up for new daily boxing show on SiriusXM Fight Nation". Hear & Now. 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  3. "At the Fights". The Ring. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  4. "DAZN AND SIRIUS XM TO LAUNCH NEW DAILY BOXING SHOW". DAZN Media Centre. 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  5. "50 Cent Talks Boxing, Music, + Much More W/ Ak & Barak". Thisis50. 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  6. "DAZN Announces Ak & Barak Show on SiriusXM". Barrett Sports Media. 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  7. chicpeajc (2018-06-07). "It Was All A Dream: Boxing with Ak". CHICPEAJC. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  8. "BoxRec: Shamir Reyes". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  9. Journal, Patrick Villanova | The Jersey (2014-04-15). "Cool and confident: Jersey City duo ready to launch Internet boxing TV show". nj. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  10. Journal, Michael Wright/The Jersey (2013-06-20). "Two Jersey City boxing fans build Internet radio show around interviews, debates". nj. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  11. ""Gimme Five Minutes!" | Zab Judah Pulls Up On Internet Troll With Ak & Barak". Thisis50. 2019-06-11. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  12. Fights, Ny (2019-11-11). "AK and Barak Have New DAILY Boxing Show on SiriusXM". NY FIGHTS. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.