When Albert Nolan won the biggest fight of his life a few months back, the result, out in Narrabri at least, was radioed deep below the earth.

Sent waaaaay down to where those underground coalminers, somewhere in the dark, digging, shifting and sweating over black rock, could hear that, yes, their boy had won big.

Just as they had won, too.

With at least two fellas holding bookie receipts for $10,000.

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So sure, you might think this a yarn about the greatest Aussie prospect nobody knows.

But not underground in Narrabri.

No, down there everyone knows the unassuming digger operator who, back in September, and coming off nightshift, went and upset undefeated Aussie featherweight star Vegas Larfield.

Did it paying $11, too.

With Nolan throwing through six chaotic rounds, and a fourth that almost saw him finished, to eventually secure what is now being nominated for not only the greatest fight anywhere in Australia this year, but also the Biggest Upset and Best Round.

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Combined, a threepeat that could see this gutsy bush miner usurp even Tim and Nikita Tszyu.

Despite still fronting for 10-hour shifts between sparring, Nolan can today be outed as the shock contender to upset Australia’s first fighting family at the 2023 No Limit/Fox Sports Boxing Awards.

While the Tszyus are the clubhouse leaders in several categories – and in discussions for a Las Vegas double header next March — Nolan is himself gunning for “something big” thanks to that Larfield boilover.

A win that, apart from stealing the No Limit Fight Night headlined by Dylan Biggs, or earning him three nominations, also jagged those two mates $10,000 each — and plenty more miners payouts of around five grand.

“So when I won, they sent a message from up top,” Nolan explains of the reaction at work that night he upset Larfield.

“Then the boys underground, they spread it around to each other.

“(Laughs) I think the bookies might’ve lost a bit on that one.

“I know because of the win, I’ve had a few people call me out, too.

“Liam Pope, Dana Coolwell, Manuer Matet, there’s a few of them …”

Thoughts?

“Whatever,” Nolan shrugs. “I’ll fight anyone”.

But the real kicker to his Larfield upset?

“I was hating everything,” continues this 26-year-old offspring of a Dubbo fighting family where dad Anthony contested national titles as an amateur and uncle Kevin won Golden Gloves.

A fella who himself remains undefeated through eight fights while now living and training in Gunnedah – out of the same gym as Aussie mainstay Wade Ryan – while working down one of those nearby holes created by Whitehaven Coal.

A hole created by Nolan, too.

“Yeah, I drive a digger down there,” the fighter says, referencing those giant, orange cutters he steers several kilometres below the surface.

“Which can get a bit wild.

“It’s so f…ing dark, too.

“The diggers, they’re just a massive remote control car, but with tracks, not wheels.

“It’s got a big cutter head on the front which cuts the roadway and flicks all the coal out the back into the shuttle car.

“We stand on the sides with a remote and that’s basically it.

“Keep drivin’ forward.”

Which brings us full circle to his struggle.

“Because I don’t have a fixed roster,” Nolan continues.

“So prior to the Larfield fight, I was comin’ off night shift a fair bit, then driving 50 minutes home to go train.

“Two weeks before the card, I was over it.

“It was just s….

“I’d get home do a strength session, then go for a run.

“After that I’d have a shower and sleep.

“Then I’d get up after five o’clock and go to the gym for training again.

“I hated it.

“But we pushed things out and got there.”

Didn’t he what?

“But with a change of roster I could definitely fight a lot better,” Nolan insists.

So are the bosses aware of your plight?

“They are now,” he laughs.

“If I can just get on day shift, or even a regular shift, that would be great.

“Right now, that’s what kills me and why I struggle so much.”

Yet despite his “struggle”, Nolan could still win big in the No Limit boxing awards.

With the western NSW product nominated three times for a fight that saw him rally, big time, after almost being dropped twice late in the fourth round.

The result of which, in the fifth, produced what is now a contender for Round of the Year with fellow contenders including:

Nikita Tszyu v Jack Brubaker R3

In his first of two Pay-Per-View headliners this year, breakout Aussie star Nikita Tszyu suffered a huge scare when he looked set to be stopped by fighting mainstay Jack Brubaker in the third.

In a crazy round, Tszyu was initially dropped to one knee by a head clash that referee Brad Vocale ruled a legitimate punch, prompting the official to start a 10 count as the fighter quickly rose.

But worse was to come for ‘The Butcher’, who was then rocked by a big right that would see him carry a huge welt under one eye throughout the rest of the fight.

Despite all this however, the younger Tszyu brother went and rallied in such spectacular fashion that by the sixth, Team Brubaker tossed in the towel.

“I faced adversity with a nice little head butt … got my first knockdown,” Tszyu said afterwards. “Jack’s a tough fighter.

“That right hand rocked me … I lost a bit of memory.”

Toese Vousiutu v Kiki Leutele R2

Back in August, tough Kiwi Kiki Leutele delivered what would be the first loss for Toese Vousiutu on the undercard of Nikita Tszyu’s first headliner at the Hordern Pavilion.

While the win came after eight grueling rounds, it was the second that proved one of the best in Aussie boxing this year as the two power punchers traded blows.

While Vousiutu initially dropped ‘King’ with a massive right hand, the New Zealander recovered and appeared to then also rock his rival — who by the bell then started gesturing, screaming and urging his rival to come at him.

All of which the Sydneysider then followed with a late, rushing, uppercut that, had it landed, you reckon would have put Leutele’s head up somewhere among the historic venue’s rafters.

While said punch missed, and the round ended, plenty more landed through what would eventually be 24 minutes of warfare, which the New Zealander eventually took via split decision.

Liam Talivaa v Brandon Grach R1

Who could forget this cracker from only last month? When little known Newcastle puncher Brandon Grach went and iced undefeated heavyweight prospect Liam Talivaa in the third with a huge left hook.

But the round up for nomination?

That’s the first.

A chaotic three minutes that saw Grach, during one of several wild exchanges, dropped with a flurry of right hands before rising, shaking clear of the fog and then decking Talivaa himself.

All up, an absolute belter.

Which brings us back to Nolan.

And that fifth round he entered appearing gone – just as everyone had expected – after almost being finished late in the fourth as Larfield teed off on him against the ropes.

“And those last 15 seconds, where I was almost dropped, it was rough,” the fighter concedes.

“I’d never been hit cleanly with a shot like that.

“But walking back to my corner, I recovered quick.”

Which, he insists, is the catalyst for what came next.

“Because I’d just taken his best shot,” Nolan continues, explaining his mindset entering three minutes that was nothing short of a slobberknocker.

A round which in part saw the miner, at this point bloodied, throwing a big left hook, then an uppercut, then two more before Larfield returned with one, two three of his own.

Then right hand, Nolan. Right hand, Larfield. Uppercut Nolan.

A back-and-forth than continued with fists flying and heads being jolted back.

Asked about his willingness to throw, Nolan says: “Having got through the fourth, I then felt comfortable to get back out there and go trading.

“Which isn’t what Vegas was expecting, especially after the way that previous round ended.

“I think he was expecting to have me.”

Same deal most fans watching on.

Instead, Nolan got home.

And in a boilover.

Which now has the Gunnedah tough eyeing that “something big” early in the New Year.

“Which is why,” he grins, “I really need to sort that roster.”