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Delicious Orie will face Milos Veletic at Manchester's Co-op Live Arena on the undercard of Joe Joyce v Filip Hrgovic [Leigh Dawney/Queensberry Promotions]
British heavyweight Delicious Orie was warned about the "sharks" in professional boxing, but the wise Olympian refused to be the bait.
Orie will make his professional debut on Saturday, eight months after an early exit from the Olympics in Paris.
The 27-year-old spoke about his transition into the paid ranks as he visited the BBC in Salford.
"It's a cut-throat business. Not like in the amateurs where you get protected from all the outside noise," said Orie, who makes his pro debut in Manchester on Saturday.
"You hear a lot of stories about it being a rough transition. You hear about the sharks that are coming for you."
But Orie - who in 2020 graduated with a first class honours degree in economics and management - would not succumb to the "dirty" side of boxing.
After snubbing an offer from WWE, he assembled a trusted backroom team and signed with Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions.
"We're not going to take the mick with the progression," Orie added. "It will be slow enough so I can improve but not too fast that the wheels fall off within two years."
'I'm not worthy of an Olympic tattoo'
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Orie said he "let Great Britain down" after he lost by split decision to Davit Chaloyan at the Paris Olympics [Getty Images]
Orie will kick off his pro journey against Bosnian journeyman Milos Veletic.
He looked remarkably at ease with the spotlight as he shared his fascinating story on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC One Breakfast.
He opened up on the struggles of not being able to speak a word of English when he moved from Russia to England aged seven, and how he was inspired to take up boxing by Anthony Joshua.
"I've always felt I'm inferior. That I've got more to prove. That I'm not good enough and always have to push myself to get to the next level," he later told BBC Sport.
Orie was equally engaging during light-hearted filming for social media, where in a play on his unique name he revealed why he thinks pineapple on pizza is not 'delicious'.
When conversation turned to his early exit in Paris, however, it was clear his Olympic disappointment still cuts deep.
"I always wanted to get at tattoo of the Olympic rings it but I don't feel worthy of one. What have I got to celebrate? I didn't win any medals," he said.
Orie's parents tell him he will one day change his mind, that to even reach the pinnacle of the amateur code should be celebrated.
He is not convinced, but nor is he wallowing in misery.
"It's life and life sometimes doesn't give you what you want - and that's OK," he added.
Emulating AJ and making a difference
Under the tutelage of Sheffield-based coach Grant Smith, Orie has found the "mental shift" in preparing for longer bouts - rather than three rounds in amateur boxing - quite challenging.
He acknowledges the strong depth in heavyweight boxing, particularly in Britain, but is confident he has the attributes to one day emulate his hero Joshua and win a world title.
"It's about the reach a world title brings," he says. "More than anything, I was inspired by Joshua because of how he presented and conducted himself out of the ring."
Orie is an ambassador for BoxWise, a charity which delivers 10-week, non-contact boxing programmes to disadvantaged young people in the UK.
"Some of the kids I've seen, they go home and have troubled and messy home lives. The gym is all they have," he said.
"A boxing gym could be the difference from potentially getting life in prison to having a disciplined lifestyle."
There is a long road ahead for Orie's world-title quest. It is no easy feat - there are great fighters who never fulfilled their potential. But with his astuteness, dedication and desire to prove doubters wrong, you can be confident Orie will give it his best shot.
And no matter what belts he wins inside the ring, his passion for using boxing as a vehicle for change will be an asset to the sport for years to come.
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