Commonwealth gold medallist and 2024 Olympian, Delicious Orie, was intent on making an “emphatic statement” to the heavyweight division when he made his debut on Saturday.

Just last week, Orie's Olympic teammate, Pat Brown, made a raucous entry to professional boxing and the cruiserweight scored a fourth round win over Argentina’s Federico Grandone.

Orie has had a quieter build up to his debut than Brown but heavyweights hold a unique appeal and the 27 year-old from Wolverhampton is aiming to become one of the most talked about prospects in the country.

While most had expected a knockout, Orie went the distance to win a four round decision over Bosnia’s Milos Veletic, 3-8 (2 KOs), at Manchester’s Co-Op Live arena.

“We’re delighted he’s on board with us. How good he is, we’ll find out. That’s for him to show everybody what he’s all about. I think he’s got a lot of talent,” his promoter, Frank Warren, told Queensberry ahead of the first show of their broadcast deal with DAZN.

After turning professional as a teenager, Moses Itauma flew through the early stages of his career and finds himself in roundly lauded as a future heavyweight champion.

Warren isn’t going to hold Orie to the same standards as Itauma. Experience has taught him that every fighter is different and that there is rarely any benefit to be gained from rushing a potential star.

Heavyweights in particular are a precious commodity and need to be treated with kid gloves until they are ready to come off the leash.

Warren is going to sit tight and wait to see more of the 6ft 6in tall Orie in action before finalising a path for him but, whatever happens, he isn’t going to be rushed.

“It’s not a 100m race. It’s a marathon and it’s about making the right moves at the right time and guiding people’s careers. It’s not a pissing contest. These guys want careers and longevity in the sport and to learn their craft and trade. That’s up to us to make sure that happens," Warren said.