Delicious Orie is boxing clever on his long road to glory

Birmingham 2022 offers the biggest opportunity yet for the Bilston super heavyweight to deliver on his undoubted potential.

Orie will be among Team England’s gold medal favourites in a tournament which also represents something of a homecoming.

“For the past couple of years I’ve been boxing all around Europe," says the 25-year-old. "This will be my first tournament in England for a long-time and to have it so close to home, where I can have all my family and friends to watch will be amazing,” he says.

“It is a massive platform for me. It’s a chance to make people aware of who I am and where I have come from. It is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Few other athletes at the Games have as engrossing a story to tell as Orie. Of mixed Nigerian and Russian heritage, he lived in Moscow until the age of seven before dad Justin and mom Natalie moved the family to the UK in order to provide their children with more opportunities and escape the racism which impacted their lives in Russia too frequently.

Orie, who attended Colton Hill Community School and later Sandwell Academy, can still recall the early days in unfamiliar surroundings.

“I couldn’t speak a word of English. I only spoke Russian. Having to learn from scratch was tough,” he says. “As a child you tend to pick things up quite quickly but it was difficult, at the start.”

Orie is acutely aware and grateful for the sacrifices made by his parents on behalf of himself and his three younger siblings. Justin, who was born in Nigeria and was responsible for his son’s eye-catching moniker, impressed the importance of a good education at a young age and Delicious, the 6ft 6in giant, jokes how he was considered something of a “teacher’s pet”.

But his natural build and competitive spirit meant sport has always been a big part of his make-up. For a long time it was basketball, not boxing, which was his love. Orie dreamed of moving to America and playing in the NBA.

Then, at the age of 18, the sight of Anthony Joshua knocking out Charles Martin to claim his first world title sent him down a different path.

“I didn’t know a thing about boxing,” says Orie. “I’d never fought in my life. I’m just not an aggressive person.

“But watching Anthony Joshua inspired me. The fact he didn’t start boxing until 18 and went on to achieve what he did made me believe I could do the same.”

His parents, he admits, took some convincing.

Orie explains: “Turning around at that age and saying: ‘Mom, Dad, I want to give boxing a go as a career’. I think it would be fair to say it came as a shock.

“I think initially they thought it was a phase but over time they became convinced. When I was travelling over England winning tournaments there was probably a stage when they thought: ‘OK, maybe he’s on to something here!’.”

After getting an introduction to boxing at Wolverhampton ABC (where a chance meeting with future GB squad-mate and Olympic silver medallist Ben Whittaker also provided a source of inspiration), Orie’s move to Jewellery Quarter Boxing Club coincided with the start of his studies at Aston University.

For the next four years he excelled in both the classroom and the ring, becoming national amateur champion in 2019 and then, 12 months later, graduating with first-class honours in economics.

“I dedicated my whole life to boxing and academics,” says Orie. “I didn’t have time for anything else.

“I couldn’t have done it without the support of my mom and dad. University can be hard financially and where some students get a part-time job, I was using my extra time to box.

“A lot of credit has to go to my parents because they facilitated that, allowing me to push on and not worry too much about the cost of living.”

With his degree secured, Orie turned his full attention to boxing, following up his national title win by earning a full-time place on the GB squad. That led to the surreal experience of sparring his hero, Joshua, at the Sheffield Institute of Sport. The latter is his base during the week before he returns to the family home in Bilston at weekends.

“The lifestyle on the GB squad is intense but I can’t live without it,” he says. “I’m used to the regime and the discipline.

“I feel it is getting me up to the next stage, to international level, where I can mix it with the real top level athletes.”

Evidence of that came in the spring, when Orie claimed a bronze medal at the European Championships, the highlight so far of a year which, away from the ring, has been understandably tough. Orie has family living in both Russia and Ukraine.

“Russians and Ukrainians are like brothers, it has always been that way,” he says. “To have this hostility is horrible. I’ve got family on both sides who just want peace on harmony. All of this has been caused by just a few people.

“It’s not easy at all but I guess that is just how the world is. Thankfully all of my family are relatively safe. I just try and concentrate on the brighter side of things.”

The Games undoubtedly fall into that category. Long-term, Orie’s ambition is to win gold at Paris 2024 before turning professional and beginning his journey to a world title. But Birmingham 2022, he knows, is an important step on the climb to the top of the sport.

“I am playing the long game,” he says. “Honestly, I would not be in boxing if my aim wasn’t to win a world title.

“But you can’t play at this sport. You can’t cut corners, or skip levels. Sometimes, you have to learn the hard way.

“With the big boys, the super heavys, it only takes one shot. Everyone competing in Birmingham is the best in their country. I certainly don’t expect it to be an easy tournament, it never is at this level.

“But with the experience I have built, I’m confident I can go all the way. Team GB have given me everything I need. All I have to do now is go out and perform. I can’t wait.”