SEOUL, South Korea — About 15 months ago in Manila, Manny Pacquiao delivered a speech while holding back tears, his voice cracking occasionally as he paid homage to the men and women who guided his Hall of Fame career.
"The final bell has sounded," Pacquiao said back then, just weeks after being dealt a shocking loss by a last-minute Cuban substitute in Las Vegas, to announce his retirement from boxing.
At around noon Sunday, Pacquiao will get to hear the opening bell once more as he faces Korean DK Yoo in a special exhibition match at the KINTEX in Goyang, a city just 16 kilometers slightly to the north.
Pacquiao, who had fought over 70 times as a professional beginning in 1995, is returning to the ring in what is being perceived as a prelude to a mighty comeback in 2023.
Pacquiao himself spilled the beans during Saturday's official weigh-in, telling everyone that his date with Yoo is a message that he is not done yet with boxing.
Telling from his appearance during the weigh-in, Pacquiao's hint of a comeback seems not as outrageous as it sounds.
Tipping the electronic scales at 160 lbs, Pacquiao still looked fit and didn't look out-of-place even when Yoo, who came in at a bulky 173 lbs, stood right next to him for the traditional pose for photographers and videographers.
It was a scene reminiscent of the times when he made Las Vegas his second home for over two decades, drawing big crowds to just from the United States but from the world over.
Pacquiao, who turns 44 in exactly a week, was all smiles when he walked onto the stage to strip and flex his muscles just like before.
He was all smiles as he acknowledged the cheers from the small but highly-appreciative crowd.
He refused to make a prediction and instead put a premium on what his decision to take on the Yoo exhibition is meant to generate.
Whatever is raised from this event will benefit his housing project in the poor areas of the Philippines and likewise the victims of the war in Ukraine.
But it doesn't mean Pacquiao will be holding back his punches.
Perhaps, he would since he is not going up against a foe not as fearsome as the guys he had locked horns with not just in America but elsewhere.
But Pacquiao is looking to impress and Yoo could end up lying flat on his back or being rescued by the referee, his wealth of experience in mixed martial arts and his Bruce Lee delusions being put to waste.
As they say, there is only one Manny Pacquiao.
And Yoo is going to hear that message loud and clear Sunday.
Yoo want to bet?