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.