Fairytale win: Jeff Horn is the lord of the ring

Jeff Horn, the schoolteacher who drives a Toyota, shocked the boxing world. And then the news got better.

Jeff Horn celebrates his victory yesterday over Manny Pacquiao. Picture: Getty Images

Australian boxing has its very own Cinderella Man. Jeff Horn, the Brisbane schoolteacher who drives a Toyota Camry and still has a mortgage, upset a legend and shocked the boxing world at Suncorp Stadium yesterday.

Horn’s win over Filipino icon and WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao was being described last night as one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, comparable to James “Buster” Douglas’ knockout victory over Mike Tyson in 1990.

The unheralded Horn stood toe-to-toe with one of the greatest boxers of the past 20 years. He won with an iron will and a chin of granite.

• Horn v Pacquiao: How an extraordinary day unfolded

Then, only moments after the crowning achievement of his boxing career, Horn announced that he and his partner Jo were pregnant with their first child. “I feel good, I feel like a world champion,” he said, before 51,025 fans, including Queensland Origin stars Michael Morgan and Gavin Cooper and Hollywood actor Willem Dafoe.

Pacquiao, who said he would return for a rematch later this year, received close to $10m for the bout, while Horn took home just south of $1m.

Horn won the fight unanimously — by scores of 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113 — after clawing his way back from a brutal ninth round when he reeled from a flurry of heavy-handed blows.

At the end of the round, referee Mark Nelson asked whether his corner wanted to stop the fight.

“It was obviously a tough round,” Horn said. “I felt like we got head-clashed and then I copped a punch probably after that. I am not really sure. The ref came over and I felt absolutely fine. I was like ‘I am ready to keep going’. Other than probably being a little bit tired I was super keen to keep going.”

The Battle of Brisbane

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  Horn, nicknamed The Hornet, got off to a flying start and was the aggressor for most of the fight, although the stats suggested Pacquiao landed twice as many punches. Millions of viewers watched on pay-per-view in Australia and ESPN in the US.

The shock win has the potential to open the door to million-dollar superfights in the US.

Before Horn starts contemplating bouts against the likes of Keith Thurman and Errol Spence Junior, Horn will take some time to savour the victory. “I guess I have achieved the dream, I have achieved my goal,’’ he said. “I guess I have to set a new goal and that is to unify the world title.”

The bout wasn’t just a victory for Horn, but also for the Queensland government and the promoters, Duco Events. Many doubted whether they would be able to fill Suncorp Stadium but the crowd was bigger than the figure for the opening game of this year’s State of Origin series.

Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones said the biggest fight in Australia’s history would pump more than $25 million into the economy in Brisbane, where hotels were at more than 90 per cent capacity over the weekend.

Pacquiao, who had 18 stitches inserted after the loss, asked if he expected Horn to put up a tough fight.

“I didn’t expect that tough,’’ he said.