Delicious Orie opens up in new interview.
When Delicious Orie was announced as part of the Great Britain boxing team for the 2024 Summer Olympics, he was viewed as one of the favourites to medal.
Orie was born in Russia to Nigerian heritage, but moved to England at a young age. He grew up in Wolverhampton and eventually took up boxing, starting late at the age of 18.
His story, his entry into the Olympics, and his intriguing name made him popular. He was being sold as Britain’s next heavyweight world champion, and he appeared on TV before he’d even made his Olympic debut.
When he did make his appearance in Paris, he lost a controversial decision in his very first fight to Davit Chaloyan, an Armenian who would go on to win the bronze medal.
This was a huge letdown for many, but nonetheless, promoters couldn’t wait to sign Orie as a professional. And in February of 2025, he signed with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions.
Orie made his professional debut on the undercard of Joe Joyce vs. Filip Hrgovic on the 5th of April, facing off against the 3-7 Milos Veletic, a Bosnian who had previously fought Matty Harris and Mourad Aliev.
Orie would win a four-round points decision over Veletic, but failed to impress in what most observers considered to be an underwhelming performance.
Being a heavyweight, Orie was expected to deliver a knockout. When he didn’t, it left a lot of people doubting his future potential.
On the 27th of May, Orie announced his official retirement from professional boxing, having had just a single fight in the paid ranks.
This left many scratching their heads, as it was entirely unheard-of. A former Olympian retiring after just one professional fight was not something anyone had known before.
In the announcement, Orie had stated that the “fire and love” he had for boxing had gradually faded, wishing to make a move into the “corporate world”.
In all honesty, the first red flag was when prior to turning professional, Orie had revealed he had been approached by the WWE. At that moment, his true commitment to boxing should have been in question.
But in an interview with BBC Sport, Orie has now revealed the true reasoning behind his surprise retirement almost a year ago.
“I wanted to pull out before the boxing exposed me”, Orie stated. “I turned pro for the money–I needed the money–only to realise that money gives you a little bit of happiness–it really does–but it gives you zero fulfilment, nothing. You feel nothing.”
Orie continued, “There was no plan B [after the Olympics]. There was no other thing. It was just tunnel vision to win that medal, so the fact that I didn’t magnified the feeling even more when my hand wasn’t raised.”
He then spoke of the sacrifices he made, saying, “I gave everything to the sport. I missed everything: happiness, birthdays, weddings, funerals. Everything.”
Added Orie, “Knowing that I could never achieve that again when I didn’t have my hand raised, that was very sobering.”
Now a financial advisor, Delicious Orie seeks to help young people–in particular, young men–pursue what fulfils them instead of what makes them the most money.
“I fear that I would have ended up being a world champion, but a very depressed, sad, and miserable world champion”, Orie said.
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