Manny Pacquiao is simply doing the unthinkable.

At 46 years old, Pacman is coming out of retirement to fight the younger and taller American boxer Mario Barrios for the World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight belt on July 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The former Philippine senator last fought in 2021 against Cuban Yordenis Ugas, losing by unanimous decision which ultimately made him decide to hang up his gloves after a glamorous career that spanned more than two decades since his first professional bout in 1995.

But the sport he truly loves caught the Filipino legend off-guard once again, and without any resistance he grabbed the opportunity to face the defending champion who is 16 years his junior and a clear four to six inches bigger than the pride of General Santos.

For these imposing disadvantages, Pacquiao seems to be crossing a thin line from great risk to an extraordinary reward. At 46, the speed, the fearsome power, and the endurance should serve as glaring issues against a boxer who is at his peak.

The warriors that he is, Pacquiao is unfazed.

“My body, I feel young. You can see like I said I always bring surprises to the fans in every fight so I'm sure me and Barrios, we can give a good fight to the fans that we can assure that,” said Pacquiao in an interview.

Sure enough, the Hall of Fame inductee has been seen sweating it out under rigorous training at the Wild Card Gym of his longtime coach Freddie Roach.

From videos posted on social media, he reminds us all of the Pacquiao of yesteryears — the morning cardio, the core workouts, the shadow boxing, and all the antics and movements of the champion who is well-loved and admired.

On his sparring sessions, the younger brigade of his ring partners are in awe of the crisp punches and the lateral movements. On the mitts, the southpaw is impeccable.

The smile is there. The energy is tremendous. The killer instinct? We will all see on July 19.

Pacquiao has cornered every facet of his life, from his illustrious boxing résumé, to his endeavors in acting and singing, business, and politics. Heck, he even ran as president of the nation in 2022 but was defeated by a wide margin by the current leadership.

Clearly, Pacquiao's ambitions are big and could shadow his sincere intentions. But a deep understanding of his purpose gives a logical reason why he continuously swerves out of boxing to dip his toes to immense challenges — debatable pursuits in the past that only led to questions and contentious results.

Pacman's heart belongs to the Filipino people. He is the Pacquiao of the 2000s, the entertainer, the sports hero — adored, praised, applauded. He has embraced that role, and up to the present he considers himself a servant of the public for a good reason.

He never gets tired of giving us the joy, a quick escape from our everyday hardships which he had experienced in his childhood.

For his scheduled 12-round fight, he has nothing in mind but to make us all proud again. Let us all cheer for the gentleman.

(Ramon Rafael Bonilla is theSports Editor of Manila Bulletin)