MANILA, Philippines — Over a sumptuous dinner of Chinese fare hosted by Bob Arum Tuesday, Manny Pacquiao and the Hall of Fame promoter sat beside each other, oftentimes exchanging stories and jokes but wound up making a deal for the Filipino’s much-awaited ring return in 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Joined by their respective wives – Lovee and Jinkee – Arum and Pacquiao agreed that the fight will be held instead on May 7 since the original date of April 16 is not pay-per-view conducive, according to Arum.

Besides, Pacquiao told the select few in attendance during the private affair at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati that “April 16 is too close.”

“There are lots of things taking place around that time,” Arum told a couple of scribes who were invited to the feast that his elegant wife arranged with the help of Pacquiao’s adviser Mike Koncz.

Arum later told the same reporters that the only thing that is set in stone is the date of the fight and the venue since he has yet to confer with Pacquiao about the choice of opponent even though Shane Mosley is the choice of Arum and Koncz over Juan Manuel Marquez and Andre Berto.

Mosley is tried and tested in generating pay-per-view and coupled with Pacquiao’s enormous popularity, a matchup between the two is sure to bring in more revenue to the promotion.

When it became clear that the fight is now going to happen on May 7, trainer Freddie Roach, who was among those present, immediately asked Pacquiao about plans for training camp.

Nick Giongco, Manila Bulletin