Manny Pacquiao was 16 when he made his professional boxing debut and pocketed the princely sum of $1.50 for a four-round decision over Edmund Ignacio on Jan 25, 1995.

Fast-forward 18 years, eight world titles and roughly a quarter of a billion dollars later, and the pride of the Philippines flashes a big smile when he thinks of that first payday.

"I was so happy and so proud to get that dollar and a half; it was a very big moment for me," Pacquiao recalled during a stop in Beijing this week to publicize his Nov 24 bout with Brandon Rios at the Venetian Resort & Casino in Macao.

"I earned the same money for my next fight and the one after that, too, I think. I had to fight six or seven times before I got the pay up to $100."

Pacquiao reeled off 11 straight wins before getting KO'd in three rounds by fellow Filipino Rustico Torrecampo in 1996, but he rebounded to knock out Thailand's Chatchai Sasakul for the WBC flyweight championship in 1998.

"Winning my first world title is a special memory, but I also like to remember what it was like early in my career when I had nothing ... only a dream to keep working to become a great champion," he said.

"I watched fighters like Roy Jones Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya to try to learn from them. Even (Mike) Tyson.

"All great champions have their own way of doing things, and I studied them. I had great support from my family and friends because they knew I dreamed of becoming a champion."

On the way to morphing into the best pound-for-pound puncher on the planet and arguably one of the 10 greatest boxers in the history of the sport, Pacquiao transcended the sweet science in ways that have drawn comparisons to Muhammad Ali.

A huge supporter of charity work long before mega-paydays became his norm, Pacquiao has quietly donated more than $100 million of his winnings to build hospitals, schools and youth shelters in his homeland.

Since being elected to the Philippines congress in 2010, he's spearheaded dozens of initiatives to improve the lives of his countrymen and he's lent his name and financial muscle to causes ranging from identifying and prosecuting sex slave traffickers to establishing a pension fund for ex-boxers.

While the 34-year-old Pacquiao insists he can continue to compete at an elite level for another couple of years, the end of his ring career is clearly in sight, regardless of what happens against Rios.

And when it's over, he'll exit with no regrets.

"My mother has been telling me to quit for the last couple of years," Pacquiao said with a chuckle.

"Other people, too ... but I don't need to listen to them. But when a mother tells her son to do something, it is hard to go the other way.

"I've fought a lot of tough guys, but I don't want to fight with my mom!"

Which only proves that even for the great ones, some things never change.

Contact the writer at murraygreig@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/02/2013 page24)