Patience and persistence has helped Sam Gilley earn a shot at British honours and next month, the proud Tottenham fan will face Ishmael Davis at his beloved home football stadium on the Chris Eubank Jr-Conor Benn II undercard.

Gilley (18-1-1, 9 KOs) has a career-best opportunity to showcase his skills on a wider scale against Davis (14-3, 6 KOs), who himself benefited from being a short-notice saviour on previous Riyadh Season shows in 2024.

Their 12-round junior middleweight matchup will feature as part of DAZN's pay-per-view coverage of The Ring: Unfinished Business, headlined by an eagerly-anticipated rematch.

Gilley long expected to run back a firefight of his own after proving a wide decision winner (116-111, 118-110, 117-110) in a thrilling 12-round tussle with Louis Greene in October 2023.

Greene withdrew from their proposed bout with an undisclosed injury 12 months later, leading Gilley to blast beyond overmatched hopeful Jack McGann on his promotional debut as a Queensberry fighter.

They were to feature as part of the Fabio Wardley-Justis Huni undercard on June 7, though Greene again pulled the plug with a contract dispute reportedly the catalyst for what proved an anticlimactic eight-round makeshift meeting against Gideon Onyenani.

Gilley was underwhelmed and boxed like it, going through the motions and getting increasingly frustrated with the 26-year-old's spoiler tactics, which paid dividends down the stretch to claw back a 76-76 draw.

Naturally displeased with his display and the circumstances surrounding his fighting future, Gilley has a golden opportunity to turn back the clock and announce himself as a serious player at 154-pounds with a standout showing here.

Last fight: June 7, Gilley was guilty of being distracted by external factors - adverse weather conditions, lack of a crowd, round and opponent change - as Onyenani baited him into losing rounds and made for a forgettable display as they settled for a stalemate.

Conceivably ahead after four rounds, referee Kieran McCann's 76-76 scorecard at the final bell felt fair as the Londoner wasn't given a chance to settle into his usual free-flowing rhythm and couldn't work effectively on the inside either.

Odds: Given the difference in their respective resumes, Gilley is unsurprisingly an underdog and priced at 12/5 with bet365 (+240).

How does Gilley win: Known for his fan-friendly style and body punching, Gilley needs to make Davis uncomfortable from the off and set the tone by holding centre ring, being busier and leading their exchanges.

Davis' punching power will not be as revered as Greene was, but it doesn't mean he cannot be hurt if complacent in the pocket.

He'll have a slight edge in height and reach against the Leeds man, so utilising it behind the jab and only brawling when necessary should be a priority given how Davis has come on strong in previous fights.

What it means if he wins: Gilley will acknowledge that Davis' stock now is considerably lower than it would've been 12 months ago, having given impending world title challenger Josh Kelly a late scare on less than a week's notice in September 2024.

Davis has immersed himself among better opposition, both in competition and sparring stateside, so this would represent a career-best scalp for 'The Magic Man' at a time where he needs an excellent display to justify a lengthy wait for this chance.

Armed with manager Spencer Brown and a TV-friendly deal at long last, the Essex puncher settled at junior middleweight in 2021 after a narrow, competitive points loss to then-unbeaten Danny Ball.

Four years later, the former English champion is on the cusp of adding British honours to a resume highlighting the importance of embracing the traditional route and not skipping levels too quickly as you progress. Then, who knows where next?

What they're saying: "Ishmael is big, strong, talented and won't stop coming all night. I don't want to go looking for someone, we can just stand and knock ten bells out of each other, entertain the fans. I'm not going to stand there and be pretty, I'll get involved and just go to war.

"It's a breakout fight for me - mad to say that at 31 - things haven't happened the way I would've liked but the stars have aligned and pointed to this show. It's a dream belt I've wanted since I was a kid and facing a worthy challenger, being on a Riyadh Season show can skyrocket you." -- Gilley talking to The SchuZ Show

TV/Stream: DAZN PPV; $59.99 in the U.S. (11.30 a.m. ET); £24.99 in the UK (4.30 p.m. GMT).