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Nick Parkinson
Delicious Orie insists he can cope with expectations to emulate Anthony Joshua and win Olympic gold at super heavyweight in Paris.
Orie, 27, will be trying to become Great Britain’s latest success in the biggest weight category (+92 kg), before it is expected he turns professional. Orie is aiming to add his name to a list of Team GB medallists at super heavyweight: Audley Harrison (gold, in 2000); David Price (bronze, in 2008); Joshua (gold, in 2012); Joe Joyce (silver, in 2016), and Frazer Clarke (bronze, in 2021).
Orie, 6-foot-6, who was born in Russia but moved with his family to England at the age of 7 to live first in London and then in Wolverhampton, will face Armenia’s Davit Chaloyan on Monday night (9:36 p.m. local time) in Paris.
As No. 2 seed, Orie is one of the medal contenders after winning gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. Last year Orie earned a points decision victory over Chaloyan, silver medallist at the 2021 World Championships.
But 6-foot-7 Bakhodir Jalolov, 30, from Uzbekistan, will be the man to beat, as the gold medallist in Tokyo three years ago has since compiled a formidable 14-0 (14 KOs) record in the professional ranks. Kamskybek Kunkabayev, of Kazakhstan, will also be a medal contender after winning bronze in Tokyo. Joshua Edwards, from Houston, represents the United States as No. 1 seed. He won gold at last year’s Pan American Games.
“I’m fully aware of the expectation on me, but I know that Team GB boxing has looked after super heavyweights before and they know what to do to get them to their optimum levels, to get the medals,” Orie, who has a university degree in economics, maths and management, said. “I put my whole trust into them, the coaches and everybody. As long as I listen to them I will be in a good place.
While Orie says he has a lot of trust on Team GB and himself, he understand how important it is for him to win a medal.
“I will be lying to you if I said I don’t feel any pressure,” Orie said. “I felt pressure at Commonwealth Games being in my home town, there was a lot of pressure and expectation, but I coped pretty well with it. Pressure is a privilege and I accept it with both hands. I’m in the perfect place. I can’t wait to show people what I’m all about. It’s four wins for a gold medal.”
There are a few similarities between Joshua and Orie. Both have Nigerian heritage and took up boxing late — Orie started boxing at the age of 18 after initially concentrating on basketball and idolising former NBA player Luol Deng.
Orie will have trainer Rob McCracken in his corner, just as Joshua did in 2012 and for multiple world title fights until 2022. Orie has even sparred with Joshua at Team GB’s gym in Sheffield before Joshua’s world title defence versus Kubrat Pulev in Dec. 2022.
Joshua, who tries to become a three-time heavyweight champion when he faces fellow Englishman Daniel Dubois on Sept. 21, launched his professional career following his 2012 gold medal triumph and Orie admits that is also his goal.
“That’s the route, I’m just following the footsteps in the giants that have done it before and that’s the natural progression I will be looking to take,” Orie said.
Source: www.espn.com