Sam Gilley is determined to leave behind what has been an almost nightmare‑filled year as he steps up to the middleweight division to face Aston Brown in Glasgow this Friday. The former Commonwealth champion has endured a roller‑coaster ride over the past twelve months, beginning with a hard‑fought draw against Gideon Onyenani in July and culminating in a narrow, unanimous‑decision loss to Ishmael Davis in a bout that could have secured the British super‑welterweight crown. The defeat to Davis was especially painful because it took place on the undercard of a high‑profile event at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – the very ground of the football club Gilley supports. "I still feel like I won both fights," Gilley told Sky Sports.

"I just had a rubbish year, but it taught me a lot about myself and about my character." He went on to acknowledge the closeness of the Davis fight, noting that the judges’ decision was simply part of the sport. "It was a tight fight and Ish got the nod. At the end of the day that's boxing, that's competition, and that's what we signed up for," he said. Despite the setbacks, Gilley remains fixated on capturing the coveted Lonsdale Belt.

He recalled watching Ricky Hatton defeat Jon Thaxton for the British title and thinking, "I could win that too – it drives me a little mad when I think about it." He added that the very fact he once fought for the belt at Tottenham was, in itself, a huge achievement. "If I ever get another shot at the British title, I’d be grateful," he said, emphasizing how much that opportunity still means to him. In 2023 Gilley delivered a memorable performance at York Hall, out‑boxing Louis Greene in what many fans still talk about as a classic. Yet, despite the mutual respect they displayed before, during, and immediately after that encounter, the relationship has now soured beyond repair.

Gilley is adamant that a rematch – which would have been for the British title – will never happen, and his frustration is palpable. "I want to be in good fights and Louis was the perfect dance partner," Gilley explained.

"I will fight anyone, but I will never give Louis Greene the time of day again. He wasted two years of my career. He pulled out of a fight at fight week." He described the sequence of events that led to his anger: the two fighters had waited a long time for the bout, then entered separate training camps, only for Greene to withdraw a week before the scheduled date.

"You've wasted all this time and I still haven't boxed for the British title. And then he's back fighting again. That one gets right under my skin.

He's a person I would never entertain again. I wouldn't give him another camp.

So that's a no‑go. But anyone else in the world I would fight," Gilley asserted.

Now, with his focus shifted to Scotland, Gilley is moving up in weight to take on Aston Brown, a former international amateur who has already shown respectable punching power in his early professional outings. Gilley is confident that his experience and toughness will test Brown’s mettle. "I was built for the hard stuff in the pros.

Let's see if he is," Gilley said. "I'm very confident in my ability, my engine, and my toughness." He also reflected on the inner voice that has driven him since childhood. "There was a little voice in my head when I was a kid that said keep going, keep going because this is what you're going to do when you're older.

I followed that voice, I followed that dream and somehow I ended up sitting here." Gilley emphasized that his passion and desire for success have never faded, but he now feels the pressure to translate that drive into tangible results. "I've still got that passion and that desire. But I've got to make this pay off now," he concluded, underscoring the urgency that fuels his preparation for the upcoming fight in Glasgow.