Achievements
- 2022 Commonwealth Games – Gold
- 2022 U22 European Championships – Bronze
- 2022 European Championships – Bronze
In May 2022, Sam became the first Scottish boxer to earn a senior European Championship medal in 16 years when he took bronze in the middleweight division in Yerevan, Armenia – his second European bronze of the year. His success in 2022 continued when he won gold at the Commonwealth Games.
Sam began boxing at the age of nine after pestering his dad to take him down to his local gym, St Francis.
He then shortly moved to Lochee ABC where he has been ever since. He won his first Scottish national championship at the aged 12 which soon led to him having his first bout for his country. Success for Sam at an early age allowed him to progress through the ranks of Scottish boxing from schoolboy all the way up to senior level.
In Hungary 2016, he won a Junior European championships silver medal and two years later claimed a Youth European bronze in Italy, 2018.
Having just missed out on a chance to join the squad three years ago, Sam didn’t let that deter him and after reaching the last 16 stage of the 2021 World Championships in Serbia, earned their chance to be assessed by the GB Boxing coaches and was this time successful, officially joining the world class programme in January 2022.
Since joining the squad, the middleweight has competed in two European championships, first the U22s in Croatia where he earned bronze after three winning three of his four bouts. He then stepped up to senior level a few months later and matched the achievement when he was beaten in the semi-final by fellow GB Boxing squad mate Lewis Richardson.
Describing himself as a rangy, counter puncher, Sam represented his country at the 2022 Commonwealth Games where he once again faced Richardson at the semi-final stages, this time earning the win before eventually going on to be crowned middleweight champion.