Jeff Horn is a 28-year-old from Acacia Ridge who is a former teacher at Pallara State School and a former physical education teacher.

His birthday in February 4th, he weighs 67 kilograms.

He isn't tall – he stands only 1.75 metres – and they call him 'The Hornet'. He's polite, well-spoken and hits hard with the gloves.

He fought for Australia at the 2012 London Olympics. He is the son of Brisbane lord mayor's Graham Quirk's cousin.

Now he's a professional boxer, possibly Australia's best world championship prospect since Jeff Fenech.

And last week, Brisbane's fighting schoolteacher won the right to fight a world championship bout against one of the world's greatest boxing legends, a man boxing writers named the "Fighter of the Decade".

That boxer is 38-year-old Manny Pacquaio, now a senator in The Phillipines and a man about to begin a year of fights to prove his legacy as one of the greats of boxing.

Manny Pacquaio has agreed to fight Brisbane's Jeff Horn.

And that fight could be fought in Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium on April 23.

Bookies say Jeff is a rank outsider.

But the women behind the boxer told this week how Jeff Horn took up boxing because he was being picked on at school.

Mum Liza Horn and wife Joanna Horn said it was true he was bullied at school before turning to boxing.

"That's correct," both Joanna and Liza said.

"It was just kids at school who like to bully," Liza Horn said.

"And Jeffrey and his friend were pulled up after school one day," she tells.

"They asked them both to go down on their knees.

"And his friend did and Jeffrey did not want to, so he got a slap around the face for not going on his knees.

"And it was after that that he decided he would go and get some lessons.

"And learned to look after himself."

Two former Brisbane State High School students – who were at the press conference when Jeff confirmed he had won the world championship fight – confirmed the bullying story.

Jeff Horn told them the same story when he was a supply teacher at Brisbane State High School.

"He told us the exact same story," former BSHS student Paul Falso told Fairfax Media this week.

"He told us that one day he and one of his mates at school were bullied at school," Mr Falso said.

"And this pack of blokes made them get down on their knees," he said.

"And Jeff said 'That's enough, I do not want this to ever happen again'," he said.

"And that's when he went and learned boxing."

Louis Haverety said Jeff Horn was very, very quiet.

"We almost had to squeeze it out of him that he was a boxer."

Joanna Horn said if the world championship bout came to Brisbane it would be "unreal" for the Acacia Ridge couple.

Brisbane is favourite if around $10 million can be secured from sponsors in return for advertising in 159 countries.

"I definitely think it could happen if the government and other sponsors can put money towards the fight," she said.

Horn's promoters Duco Events meet corporate sponsors this week and with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Treasurer Curtis Pitt next week.

Joanna Horn said her husband was fit and fight ready despite some recent injury time.

"He is match-fit. He is someone who never stops, just keeps going."

He misses teaching, but knew the change had to come when he turned professional.

"When boxing came along around the time he was doing his degree, I guess it was all going at the same speed and he had to drop the teaching to concentrate on the boxing."

Liza Horn says Queenslanders will soon realise her son is a gentleman.

"He is just very gentle. That is the one word you would use with Jeffrey, he is just a gentleman," she said.

Jeff thinks he can beat Manny Pacquaio, but takes time to confirm he started boxing because he was bullied.

"I started boxing because I was being picked on. I got into a few fights and I thought it was a good time to learn how to defend myself and get some confidence," he said.

"I watched Pacquiao over his career and he is a very good fighter," the 28-year-old said.

"And I just think my style is going to trouble him."