Super-heavyweight contest between two of Europe’s leading boxers lights up first day of action at World Boxing Cup: GB Open – Sheffield 2024

Credit: Andy Chubb

A unanimous split decision (3:2) victory by Germany’s 2022 European champion, Nelvie Tiafack over 2023 European Games gold medallist, Delicious Orie, from England in the men’s super-heavyweight division was the stand-out contest in a top-class, first day of action at the ‘World Boxing Cup: GB Open’ at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

Tiafack’s victory came in the final bout of the first session of the event which is a new addition to international boxing calendar and only the fourth Olympic-style boxing event to held in Great Britain since the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The German doubled-up his jab to take the fight to the home favourite and force him back during a high energy opening round which saw him secure it 10-9 on all five judges’ scorecards. It proved to be decisive and though Orie made rounds two and three more even, it was the 2022 European champion that had his hand raised at the end of the contest.

Speaking in the mixed zone straight after the bout, Tiafack said: “I am very happy about the result, against a home matador. We fought before at the European Championships 2022 and I got the win last time. I feel like he has made great improvements, so it was a great challenge for me.

“My strategy was to avoid his right hand, basically. I knew he was going to try his long jab from distance, so my strategy was to get close, try not to fall in and get my punches off.

“It is hard to fight the home favourite. It is his homeland, so you have to go the extra mile, and I think I did it, and deserved to win today.”

Orie, who has already secured qualification for Paris 2024 by virtue of his gold medal at last summer’s European Games, was gracious in defeat. 

He said “It was a good bout and just what I needed against a top opponent who I respect, and he beat me fair and square today. I needed that to get myself in gear ahead of the Olympics. There are no excuses. I was training very hard but it’s all about learning from this now.

“I have got a good few months to work and polish things off. Today I met a top opponent, I know I’ll meet him in the Olympics, and I’ll be more than ready then.” 

The super-heavyweight clash concluded an opening session that had begun with an all English clash in the women’s featherweight (57kg) division, which saw Elise Glynn score a split-decision victory over Sameenah Toussaint who is also part of the GB Boxing squad.

Other winners in the first session included: Germany’s Felicitas Gangbauer at lightweight (60kg) and Sweden’s Love Holgersson (75kg) in the women’s weights and Kelvin Soquessa from the Czech Republic in the men’s light-middleweight (71kg) class.

The second session saw the German team continue its run of success with victories for Maxi Klotzer at flyweight (50kg) and Hansen Ousainou in the men’s featherweight (57kg) category. Their only loss on the day came in the final bout which saw Nigeria’s Paris-bound Olympic qualifier, Adam Olaore secure a unanimous victory over Tyron Amo in their heavyweight contest.

Other winners in the later session included Finland’s Pihla Kaivo-Oja at flyweight, Welsh featherweight, Owain Harris, and Sweden’s Zehra Millin and Lauren Mackie of England in the women’s bantamweight (54kg) division.

All of today’s results and images from the bouts can be viewed at  https://www.englandboxing.org/world-boxing-cup-gb-open/.

The second day of competition tomorrow will feature two sessions of boxing, starting at 11:00 and 17:00 and is being streamed live on World Boxing’s YouTube page and the BBC.

World Boxing YouTube

BBC:

The ‘World Boxing Cup: GB Open – Sheffield 2024’ is being delivered by England Boxing in association with World Boxing and GB Boxing and is supported by the National Lottery, UK Sport and Sheffield City Council.

World Boxing will be posting updates throughout the competition on its social media channels: