Following a tumultuous year, Sam Gilley is shifting his focus to the middleweight division as he prepares to face Aston Brown in Glasgow. Gilley, a former Commonwealth titleholder, is looking to put his past disappointments behind him, including a draw against Gideon Onyenani and a narrow loss to Ishmael Davis in his bid for the British super-welterweight title. Despite the setbacks, Gilley remains optimistic about his chances, stating, "I still think I won both fights.
It was just a bad year, but it taught me a lot of lessons about myself and my character." He expressed his desire to claim the Lonsdale belt, saying, "If I get the opportunity to fight for it again, I'd be grateful." However, one fight Gilley is not interested in is a rematch against Louis Greene, citing the souring of their relationship after their initial bout and Greene's subsequent pullouts from planned rematches. Gilley asserted, "I will fight anyone, but I will never give Louis Greene the time of day again. He wasted two years of my career." As he gears up to face Brown, Gilley is confident in his abilities, saying, "I was built for the hard stuff in the pros. Let's see if he is." With a renewed sense of purpose, Gilley is determined to make the most of his career, stating, "I've still got that passion and that desire.
But I've got to make this pay off now."