Sam Gilley explains OIly Murs friendship ahead of ring return
Gilley faces Ishmael Davis for the British and Commonwealth super-welterweight titles on the Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn undercard tonight
San Gilley dumped a sick bucket down in front of Olly Murs and waited for the pop star to throw up.
Three years on, he is still waiting.
Gilley, who features among tonight’s support acts for Chris Eubank Jnr’s rematch with Conor Benn, was moonlighting as a personal trainer when he handed Murs an audition. He saw an easy target in the Troublemaker star and set about putting him in his place. But to his surprise, Murs made it to the final bell and the unlikely duo have since struck up a firm friendship.
Murs will be ringside at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight to watch Spurs fan Gilley face Ishmael Davis for the British and Commonwealth super-welterweight titles. And he will throw every punch with his tutor as Gilley targets the biggest win of his career.
Watch Eubank Jr. vs Benn 2 live on DAZN
The Chris Eubank Jr. vs Conor Benn rematch is set for Saturday, November 15, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Fans can order the fight on DAZN PPV for £24.99 or watch it free with a DAZN Ultimate plan.
“I’d always wanted to box so I did a session with Sam,” said Murs. “I told him to work me as hard as he could, I wanted to know what it was like to be in a proper boxing gym. So he tried to destroy me and put me through some of the hardest training sessions I’ve ever done.
“He put a bucket in front of me and told me I was going to be sick and that was it. I loved it and kept coming back to be punished – and I’ve never used the bucket.”
Gilley is the first to admit Murs’ back catalogue is not on his gym playlist. But his most famous client quickly earned his respect – and put the fighter in his mum’s good books. “You can’t train people too hard because they won’t come back,” he said. “You do think, this is a pop star, I’d better go easy on him, but he was the fittest client I’d had.
“I was trying to hurt him but he kept coming back. His songs wouldn’t be the first thing I have on in the gym but my mum loves him so I’ve always liked his music. I took my mum to one of his concerts and there’s now a picture of them together on her fridge; I don’t think there’s even one of me there!”
Murs is no stranger to performing to sell-out crowds. But he knows watching Gilley walk to the ring in front of 60,000 fans will strike a different chord. “This is the first year I’m going to start sparring and doing it properly,” he added.
“We’ve had some honest chats and at the end of the day, if Sam said, ‘I’ll be honest, you’re shocking’, then I wouldn’t do it. But the idea of getting in the ring with someone for three or four rounds for charity is something that’s in my soul.”
