“One day, I just want to be able to say ‘I fought at Spurs’…
Sam Gilley, December, 2023.
It’s not often you get to fulfil your sporting dreams – boxer Sam Gilley is hours away from the opportunity to do just that.
Sam, from a generation of Spurs fans, will fight for the British super welterweight title against Ishmael Davis at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as part of the Benn-Eubank II ‘Unfinished Business’ card on Saturday.
Speaking to us at his gym us a couple of years ago, after landing the Commonwealth title, Sam said: “One day, I just want to be able to say, ‘I fought at Spurs’.
“The British title is the next target, the Lonsdale belt. When I was a kid, I had a Blackberry, and my screen shot was the British title, so that’s the one.”
One will and, fingers crossed, both dreams will come true in Sam’s second home in N17 on Saturday night.
Speaking to us again, exclusively, during fight week, Sam is absolutely aware destiny is calling. “I did a media day yesterday and in every single interview I’ve said this is… people say it must be a dream and I’m like, ‘it’s so ridiculous that I’m fighting at Tottenham!’ I can’t even call it a dream because it’s that far past it.
“I was at the first Benn-Eubank fight and even though I was there as a fan watching it, I didn’t sit there and think, ‘oh, if they have a re-match, I could be on the card’. That still didn’t come into my head. It’s just so, so ridiculous that I’m fighting here.
“I’m absolutely buzzing. There are no doubts in me, no nerves in me. I’m just… I’m so excited. The ring walk… that’s going to be some adrenaline rush! I go to all the home games and I’ve always thought, when the players walk out, they hear the crowd, the trumpeter starts, what must they feel like? Well, I’m going to get a taste of that on Saturday.”
