SAM Gilley’s luck is seemingly beginning to turn, with ‘The Magic Man’ hoping to reverse the undesirable spell that has plagued his career with inactivity.
Following their first encounter, which delivered fireworks from the opening bell, the Londoner was swiftly linked with an immediate rematch against Louis Greene.
When the pair squared off in 2023, Gilley, 18-1-1 (9 KOs), had emerged with a unanimous decision victory but, in a bid to claim the vacant British title, he then gladly agreed to run it back with his domestic rival.
And yet, after Greene withdrew from their scheduled rematch due to illness, the 30-year-old instead faced Jack McGann and, despite the short notice, retained his Commonwealth title with a fourth-round finish last October.
It was not long, then, before Greene reemerged as a likely opponent, only for ‘The Medway Mauler’ to once again pull out of their contest.
Nevertheless, Gilley remained on the same card at Portman Road – home of Ipswich Town Football Club – last month, but was forced to contend with vastly different circumstances to what he had expected.
“It’s been a nightmare from start to finish,” he told Boxing News. “I spent the [previous] 18 months talking about fighting Louis Greene for the British title, to then end up in an eight-rounder.
“It was my first time fighting in a stadium, and there was just no atmosphere. Sixty-five percent of my [20 professional fights] have been at the York Hall [Bethnal Green]. No matter whether there’s 100 or 1,000 people in there, it’s loud.
“It was also hacking it down with rain [at Portman Road], so I had to do my ring walk under an umbrella. In the ring, my feet were soaking wet and I was freezing cold, but listen, it was a massive learning curve. I took my eye off the ball, and won’t be doing that again.”
A lacklustre performance saw Gilley trudge to draw against Gideon Onyenani who, even with the less-than-ideal preparation, he was expected to beat in convincing fashion.
And while he remains reluctant to make any excuses, it is equally difficult for him to ignore each event that led to his underwhelming display.
“When I boxed Jack McGann, my nan had died on the Monday – and it broke my heart – but I was fine on fight night,” Gilley recalled. “So for me to be that deflated [against Onyenani] says a lot.
“I’d gone from a British and Commonwealth title fight in the co-main event to fighting at 5:30pm, so it was just a massive kick in the teeth.
“Everything dropped massively, including the money, so it was like, ‘mate, is there anything else you wanna do me in with?’ It was like someone was trying to trip me up.”
Indeed, Lady Luck has not exactly been smiling down on Gilley in recent years, but now, it appears that he could soon be presented with an opportunity to fulfil his boyhood dream.
It is, of course, a shot at the British super-welterweight title against Ishmael Davis, 13-2 (6 KOs), which, after being ordered by the British Boxing Board of Control, could materialise in the not too distant future.
“I’ve spoken to Spencer Brown [his new manager], and we’re looking to get that fight on,” Gilley said.
“He’s excited about it – he wants to make it happen – so we’ve just got to speak between Queensberry and Matchroom [their respective promoters] to find a deal, hopefully to fight on a big show.
“Spencer’s got more connections than anyone in boxing, so if anyone can get us on a big show, it’s him. He’s told me that it won’t go to purse bids, so hopefully we’ll work out a deal pretty soon.
“I remember watching Ricky Hatton against Jon Thaxton when I was younger, and ever since then, it’s been my dream to win the British title.
“Hopefully we can get it over the line in the next few months. There’s respect between me and Ishmael. We’ve been posting a lot on social media, trying to put the fight out there. You’re only going to get a barnburner when you put us in a ring together.”
