The tournament was professionally organised, packed with good sport, and good sportsmanship, and it made good TV viewing.

In fact, the sport is on a relative high at the moment, and not just in the Olympics, which is why this weekend approaches with some trepidation.

For making a return to the ring at the ripe old age of 42 - actually nudging 43 - after a two year absence we have arguably the most iconic and talented fighting man of the last four generations, Manny Pacquiao.

The immensely popular Filipino idol again headlines in Las Vegas for a title he formally held when he takes on the World Boxing Association (WBA) titleholder Yordenis Ugas. It is a worrying encounter, for should the PacMan be badly defeated, or even worse, badly hurt, it will set boxing back on its heels.

And this is a distinct possibility. No one knows how that two-year ring absence will affect the form, and more importantly, the timing of the once scintillating southpaw who is irresistible as a ring legend but not invincible as a mere fighting mortal.

Pacquiao will be once again fighting for the 147-pound title he won in his last outing, a split decision win over the hitherto unbeaten Keith Thurman. Actually some have breathed a sigh of relief for this weekend’s contest at the T-Mobile Arena won't be against the original opponent, unified welter champion Errol Spence Jr, who withdrew due to a torn retina.

The fearsome Spence would have been an even more dangerous foe than the Miami-based Cuban. Spence is a big hitter capable of inflicting severe hurt on a man who may well be having one fight too many in the 72nd bout of a fabulous career spanning 26 years.

Pacquiao certainly won't be the first legendary fighter past the age of 40 to come back for yet another encore. George Foreman, for one, was 45 when he regained the world heavyweight title. But when you consider Pacquiao is favourite against an active champion despite his long layoff, and how much he still relies upon speed and explosiveness, what he is doing is not only astonishing but dangerous.

Pacquiao has consistently matched himself against the best available, and he's still at it. Even Pacquiao's contemporaries like Floyd Mayweather Jnr, if they are still active at all, are largely returning for circus fights against mixed martial arts fighters and social media influencers.

History offers very little for comparison to what Pacquiao continues to do, which is what made his initial intention of fighting the pound-for-pound ranked Spence all the more impressive, as well as of considerable concern for his welfare.

Former amateur star Ugas (26-4 with 12 knockouts), seven years Pacquiao’s junior, is more technician than slugger. This is still a fascinating fight, particularly for hardcore fans. However none will wish to see Pacquiao washed up, or beaten up, as almost certainly might have been the case had he engaged fists with Spence.

Even so, those of us who have admired his sublime skills through the ages - he remains the only fighter in history to have won 12 major titles over eight weight divisions and this achieved throughout the last four decades - will hope this is his swansong.

One wonders why he continues in such a high risk profession when he has other strings to his bow. He is an accomplished musician and singer, and a high-profile figure in his homeland where he is a respected Senator and even tipped as a future President of the Philippines. 

In attaining such a prestigious political platform he would be in the sporting company of such as Imran Khan, the worshipped cricketer now President of Pakistan and fellow pugilist Vitali Klitschko, currently Mayor of Kyiv, capital of Ukraine.

It may be that the truth is he needs the money, despite earning untold millions, for his generosity is renowned, and much of his wealth has literally been given away to the underprivileged, no doubt remembering when as a kid he had lived on the back streets of Manila.

Or it may be that like so many maturing sports figures, he finds it hard to exist without the bright lights of active adulation and the roar of the crowd.

However, it is not without anxiousness that we view his coming scrap on The Strip. Let us hope it is a valedictory appearance, a fitting farewell for an incessantly brave fighter who is up there alongside Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather Jnr as truly the greatest of the modern era.