Some of the biggest moments and performances in Aussie boxing will be celebrated in the 2023 No Limit / Fox Sports Boxing Awards on December 15. Nick Walshaw previews the Upset of the Year category, with winners to be announced during Main Event’s coverage of the December 15 fight night featuring Aussie stars Sam Goodman and Liam Wilson.

On the day his big brother took that world title from Manny Pacquiao, Ben Horn snatched thousands from the bookies.

But as for it being his biggest win?

No, that one came hours earlier.

When deep inside the bowels of Suncorp Stadium, watching on as Pacquiao’s hands were being wrapped by Freddie Roach, himself a Hall of Fame trainer, well, this fella who still didn’t even boast a professional fight himself noticed a problem.

“Yeah, Freddie,” Horn recalls, “was putting tape straight onto the knuckles.”

Which, put simply, is illegal.

Even for a boxing Immortal.

Yet still as he watched the impropriety unfold, Horn said nothing.

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Happier instead, he recalls now, six years on, to stay patient and spring the surprise.

Which to be fair, has become something of a signature for this knockabout Queensland fighter.

Like in July last year, when on only three weeks notice, and paying up to $15 with bookies, Horn came within a bee’s appendage of upsetting Nikita Tszyu.

Then in May this year, he was at it again.

Only this time, and paying $14, Horn went and upset Australian welterweight champ Joel Taylor, ending what was an undefeated career start of nine straight wins.

Apart from rocking the Melbourne card co-headlined by Joseph Parker and Nikita Tszyu, the win also now sees Horn contending for Upset of the Year at the 2023 Fox Sports/No Limit Boxing awards.

With the younger brother of Australian boxing great Jeff Horn among four contenders including …

1. Albert Nolan: The Gunnedah coalminer who back in September, coming off night shift and paying $11, beat Australia’s hyped featherweight prospect, Vegas Larfield.

2. Millie Agboegbulen: Who proved the big winner of Australia’s first all-female boxing card, handing AFLW star Tayla Harris the first loss of her professional career; and

3. Wade Ryan: The Aussie boxing mainstay who surprised everyone in October with his decision win over Tim Tszyu sparring partner and Russian Youtube star Sergei Vorobev.

And then, you have Horn.

A fella, of course, who is no stranger to upsets.

With the boxer, back in 2017, having been in the corner when older brother Jeff went and upset Pacquiao in front of 50,000 delirious fans — claiming not only the WBO welterweight title, but one of the greatest wins in Australian boxing history.

Yet as for younger brother’s own award contender?

Coming into the Taylor fight on a run of four straight losses, Horn was thought to be no more than that next victim for the Melbournian’s push towards international fights.

Then, thwack.

Dropping his rival with a big left hand in the first, Horn then stayed calm, boxed smartly through six, and eventually took the win on all three judges’ scorecards: 57-56, 57-56, 58-55.

Which was not unlike his efforts inside that Suncorp dressingroom all those years earlier, watching as Roach readied the famed fists of Pac Man.

“My job for the team that afternoon was to watch Manny’s hands get wrapped,” recounts Horn, who at the time was still another year from his own professional debut.

“And I knew the WBO, they don’t allow tape to go straight onto your knuckles.

“If you do that, it’s meant to make your hands rock hard.”

So when you saw it happening?

“Initially, it’s difficult,” he admits. “Standing there watching a fighter like Pacquiao do the wrong thing.”

But still despite the infraction, Horn said nothing.

At least not straight away.

“Because Freddie Roach had just spent a heap of time across in our room upsetting us,” he explains.

“He was even complaining about the colour of tape we were using on Jeff’s hands.

“It was white and he didn’t like it.

“I remember thinking ‘man, you’re a tosser’.

“And I told him that.

“Said ‘mate, just f***ing deal with it’.

“But he kept going.

“So we ended up going with whatever tape they had, which was exactly the same.

“It was bizarre.”

It’s also why Horn held his tongue and “waited until Roach put the whole roll of tape on”.

“And then,” he grins, “I said, ‘mate, you can’t do that’.

“He started asking what was going on, said that it was how they taped Manny’s hands all the time.

“I just said ‘OK, let’s get the officials in here because I’m confident what I’m saying is right’ …”

So in the officials came.

“And they agreed,” Horn recounts, smile widening at the memory. “Then made Freddie Roach unwrap every bit of tape.

“I thought ‘well, there’s at least one little win for the Horns’.”

Fast forward six years, and Ben Horn is still proving himself the great fighting underdog.

Asked about bookmakers starting him at $14 against Taylor, and the 33-year-old cackles: “I’m not sure they’d ever seen me fight.

“That night, I knew I had Joel covered.

“Felt I had the heavier hands, that I could out box him too.

“And I proved it.

“In my previous two fights, I’d only had three weeks to prepare both times.

“I got too cocky.

“Was taking fights on short notice but just couldn’t get my body to do what I wanted it to.

“For this one though, I had an eight week camp.

“I felt I could stop him in his tracks with my jab — that he would walk onto my jab – and then I’d lead onto other shots.

“And that’s how it played out.”

So as for the combination that dropped his rival?

“Jab, then overhand right,” Horn recounts of the punches which not only stung the undefeated Australian champ, but caused him to drop his guard just enough.

“Then I threw the looping left hook, which landed straight on his chin.

“And once the count got to eight, I thought ‘I’ve got you here’.

“But then Joel, he got up and fought on. Good on him too the tough bugger.”

While Horn initially wanted a Tszyu rematch following the win, he is instead now chasing a rise up through the IBO super welterweight ranks.

“I’ve got a fight early next year for the Oriental title,” he reveals. “Then there’s only two more big belts after that.

“So my goal is to keep winning and eventually, within about 18 months, fight for the IBO world title.”

Which would continue a great family tradition, right?

“Oh, I love it,” Horn says when asked about life as the younger brother of a national boxing treasure.

“Over the years, we’ve sparred hundreds of rounds together and, even in the amateurs, I was telling everyone that Jeff was going to be world champion.

“And then to be there when your brother achieves that greatness, it’s incredible.”

Get on?

“Yeah, I won $14,000,” he grins. “That was nice, too.”