Express & Star

Delicious Orie three wins from Paris

Bilston super heavyweight Delicious Orie advanced to the last-16 of the European Games with a split decision win over Croatia’s Marko Milun.

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The GB ace is now just three wins from stamping his ticket to next summer’s Paris Olympics after emerging from a scrappy, sometimes bloody test.

Both fighters were cut due to accidental clashes of heads, in a bout halted with 30 seconds remaining in the second round by the referee when he decided the Croat could not continue.

That sent the decision to the scorecards, with Orie taking it on four of them – the other a tie – to avenge the defeat he suffered to Milun in February last year.

The latter again proved a tricky customer but crucially, Orie landed the biggest punch of the fight with a right late in the first round which pierced Milun’s defences and led to him receiving a standing eight count.

It came after Orie was the first man to be cut, above his right eye, following a clash of heads.

He said: “To be honest, I didn’t really notice it until the referee stopped it.

“But that is boxing. I can’t really do anything about it. I will just get it stitched up and we go again. I’m going to rest up and we will go again.”