Pacquiao conqueror Horn wins top Aussie award

Boxer Jeff Horn’s stunning upset of Filipino great Manny Pacquiao hasearned him one of Australia’s top sporting honours as the mostinspirational athlete of the year. The unheralded 29-year-old stunnedthe boxing world with a unanimous 12-round decision over Pacquiao inBrisbane on July 2 in a hotly contested result that rattled thePhilippines.In recognition, he walked away with ‘The Don’ award at the annual SportAustralia Hall Of Fame dinner in Melbourne on Thursday evening. Namedafter legendary cricketer Donald Bradman, prior winners of the prizeinclude swimmer Ian Thorpe, runner Cathy Freeman, cyclist Cadel Evans,hurdler Sally Pearson, golfer Jason Day and last year’s recipient jockeyMichelle Payne.“It is massive,” Horn said, calling it a career highlight. “I canremember growing up being inspired by previous winners such as CathyFreeman and Ian Thorpe. To know I am potentially inspiring the futuregeneration of athletes like these guys have done for me is an incrediblefeeling.”“The year I’ve had has been the most incredible time you could imagine.My wife, Jo, and I still shake our heads. When she met me I was a schoolnerd getting picked on by bullies. Now I’m a world boxing champion,about to become a dad and the winner of this incredible The Don award.”Horn said he still sometimes found it hard to believe he took down oneof the world’s greatest ever fighters, who has won world titles in anunprecedented eight weight divisions. “Many days I have thought tomyself, did that really happen? It’s been very hectic since the win butrecognition and awards like this certainly help,” he said. Pacquiaopulled out of a planned rematch in Australia later his year, with Hornclose to finalising another opponent to defend his World BoxingOrganisation welterweight title. Englishman Gary Corcoran is shaping upas the most likely challenger, with the fight expected to be in Brisbanein December, local reports have said.  Horn, who picked up more than $1million by beating Pacquiao, will receive another $1 million for hisfirst defence of the title set. At the London 2012, Horn had become thebest performed Australian Olympic boxer in 20 years, making thequarter-finals.Tyson Fury promises ‘three big fights’ in 2018Britain’s troubled former heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury saidThursday he will return to the ring in April and is looking forward to“three big fights” in 2018. The 29-year-old has not fought since hisshock defeat of Wladimir Klitschko to win the WBA, WBO and IBFheavyweight titles in November 2015.Fury had his licence suspended last October when he admitted he wasusing cocaine and struggling with depression, and last week said hewould not apply for a new one. But he wrote on Twitter on Thursday thathe would “be ready to fight in April 2018 in a great fight”.He added he would then take part “in the summer in a mega fight” andreturn again at the “back end” of the year. Fury, who twice postponedrematches with Klitschko, had hoped to return to the ring earlier thisyear but that plan was scuppered when his UK Anti-Doping hearing wasadjourned in May. He was at ringside last month when his cousin HughieFury came up short in his bid to take the WBO heavyweight title fromchampion Joseph Parker in Manchester.