Delicious Orie could swap boxing for professional wrestling (Picture: Getty)
Team GB Olympic boxer Delicious Orie is giving serious thought to a career in professional wrestling after receiving an offer from WWE.
Orie, 27, was backed for Olympic gold in Paris last summer, seeking to follow in the footsteps of his hero and friend Anthony Joshua having drawn comparisons with the heavyweight star.
But his Olympic dreams were ended in his opening match in the French capital after losing in hugely controversial circumstances – one of many judges decisions involving British fighters that were labelled a ‘robbery’.
Orie had been expected to make the switch from amateur to professional boxing, following in the footsteps of the likes of Joshua, Joe Joyce and Frazer Clarke in recent years.
But a new path could await with WWE having travelled out to Florida for week-long try out at their performance centre.
‘I have been invited to join the WWE, as mad as that sounds,’ Orie told Sky Sports.
‘It was a fantastic experience, I learned so much over the few days I was there. It’s definitely I have something on the table as an option.’
Orie lost his opening round fight in Paris (Picture: AFP/Getty)
Asked about the offer, Orie continued: ‘It is real. I got the message over the Olympics, at the time I was just focused on the Games. After than when I was on holiday I was slowly replying to all these messages, initially I thought it was a scam. They said, “we see your potential and we would like to work with you”.’
Orie is also expected to receive offers to stay in boxing with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom, Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions and Ben Shalom’s BOXXER hoovering up British Olympic talent over the years.
Orie explained he has not yet made a final decision on his future and will wait until he has final offers on the table.
‘Ultimately I do have a decision to make and it is one I won’t make lightly, it’s one I have to really take my time on,’ he said.
Orie could follow in the footsteps of AEW star Anthony Ogogo (Picture: AEW)
‘At the end of the day this will shape my whole career and my life.
‘I’m at a stage now when I am waiting for offers, this is including the WWE, looking at the contracts and seeing what is there from the [boxing] promoters and the WWE side.
‘I want to have all the options on the table so I can make my full decision. Whatever I decide to do ill will 100 per cent committed.’
A career in the wrestling world would see Orie follow in the footsteps of another Olympic boxer in Anthony Ogogo.
Ogogo won bronze at London 2012 and fought 12 times as a professional before a series of major eye problems forced him to retire. In 2020, he signed for All Elite Wrestling [AEW], a decision that left the Briton ‘loving life again’.
Source:: Metro
