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England’s Delicious Orie fought back from behind to win Commonwealth Games men’s super-heavyweight gold and end the boxing event with a victory that left the home crowd ecstatic.

Orie, 25, trains in Birmingham and beat India’s Sagar Sagar in the NEC Arena to claim England’s second gold of the day.

Northern Ireland siblings Aidan Walsh and Michaela Walsh helped their nation win five gold medals on Sunday.

On a busy day with 16 golds available, Scotland won three and Wales took two.

Northern Ireland dominated the finals to clinch their place at the top of the boxing medal table at Birmingham 2022.

Michaela Walsh won the women’s welterweight title after having to settle for silver in 2014 and 2018, hours after her brother Aidan triumphed in the men’s light-middleweight.

Featherweight Jude Gallagher won gold after receiving a walkover in the final, with bantamweight Dylan Eagleson and lightweight Amy Broadhurst also successful for Northern Ireland.

The Scottish trio of middleweight Sam Hickey, light-heavyweight Sean Lazzerini and light-welterweight Reese Lynch won their final bouts, while Wales picked up gold medals through light-middleweight Rosie Eccles and welterweight Ioan Croft.

Orie looks to emulate Joshua after home win

The biggest cause of celebration came when Orie – dubbed by some as the ‘new Anthony Joshua’ – recovered to beat Sagar with a patient performance, which was tipped in his favour by a late flurry of punches.

Orie, who was born in Russia but grew up in Wolverhampton after his family moved to England when he was a child, took up the sport in his late teens at the Jewellery Quarter Boxing Club in Birmingham.

He has been one of the poster boys for the Games and it felt fitting – certainly for the emotionally-invested home fans – that he was victorious in the final boxing bout.

After losing the opening round on the cards of all five judges, Orie recovered in the second round as his long left jab started to become more effective.

The pair were locked at 19-19 on all the cards going into the final round, with Orie landing a right uppercut and quickly following that with a right hook to seal a points victory by unanimous decision.

“I was an emotional wreck earlier but when that final bell went I knew I had it in the bag. The only way I did it was through the support of the fans,” said Orie.

“I had two rounds to prove myself and I’d never heard a roar like that. The English fans are the best in the world.

“I was determined to not let anyone else win. I’ve never felt anything like this.”

Orie, who has sparred with Joshua in the past, says the “sky is the limit” for his career.

“My inspiration has always been Anthony Joshua and what he has achieved is the bare minimum. I am the next generation and we are going to excel.”

Orie’s success came after team-mate Lewis Williams won England’s first boxing gold of the Games after beating Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali.

The 23-year-old asserted his dominance over the Samoan in the men’s heavyweight final to win by a unanimous points ruling.

In the morning session, England’s Kiaran MacDonald lost out on a gold medal in the flyweight final to India’s Amit Panghal, while minimumweight fighter Demie-Jade Resztan also missed out to India’s Nitu Ghanghas.

Five golds for Northern Ireland

It was a case of third-time lucky for Michaela Walsh, who was utterly dominant against Nigeria’s Elizabeth Oshoba.

Walsh, 29, won the featherweight bout by unanimous decision and she was unable to hold back the tears, before beckoning Aidan down to ringside so they could celebrate together.

Earlier, he upgraded his silver from Australia in 2018 to a gold after defeating Mozambique’s Tiago Osorio Muxanga by a unanimous points decision.

Afterwards, he said it “means everything” to see his sister win gold.

“She deserves it more than me. It’s her third time, she stuck at it and the reward shows. My gold doesn’t mean half as much as what it means for her,” he added.

Broadhurst’s victory against England’s Gemma Richardson in the lightweight final was Northern Ireland’s fifth gold medal in Birmingham and the moment where the nation broke their record at a single Games.

Earlier, featherweight Gallagher was awarded gold after his final opponent Joseph Commey of Ghana was deemed medically unfit to compete.

Carly McNaul comes away from Birmingham with consecutive silver medal wins at Games after she missed out on gold to India’s Nikhat Zareen.

Treble triumph for Scotland

Hickey triumphed in the middleweight title bout for Scotland as he was pushed all the way by 19-year-old Australian Callum Peters, while Lazzerini edged Wales’ Bevan in the light-heavyweight division.

Lynch picked up Scotland’s third boxing gold of the day after a closely-fought win over Louis Richarno Colin from Mauritius.

Eccles & Croft claim Wales victories

As Bevan settled for silver against Scotland’s Lazzerini, Eccles was the sole Welsh representative on top of the podium on Sunday as she beat Australia’s Kaye Scott in the light-middleweight category.

She becomes only the second Welsh female to win Commonwealth boxing gold after Lauren Price in 2018.

Croft, 20, boxed smartly to win welterweight gold against Zambia’s Stephen Zimba.

After his twin brother Garan won bronze after losing in the light-middleweight semi-finals on Saturday, Croft ensured the pair will also be taking a gold medal back to their home village of Crymych, which has a population of 800.

“It is a dream come true,” said Ioan Croft. “Garan was unlucky, but one of us has got gold and we will be taking that home together. It’s just brilliant.”

Culled from BBC SPORT

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Tags: Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Dylan Eagleson Michaela Walsh Sagar Sagar Sean Lazzerini