Ringtv.com

Six days before he was supposed to face Artur Beterbiev in a light heavyweight eliminator, Sullivan Barrera will return instead to HBO Latino on April 15 at the Mohegan Sun against Paul Parker, Main Events announced on Tuesday.

Unhappy with the deal to face the well-regarded Beterbiev, Barrera declined to sign for the bout, which was scheduled for April 21 in Miami. Main Events quickly shifted gears, coming to an agreement with the less dangerous Parker and returning Barrera, a Cuban defector, to the platform where he has shined the brightest. The 35-year-old Barrera (18-1, 13 knockouts) rose from a knockdown to blast out previously undefeated Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in the seventh round on Dec. 16 in the main event of an HBO Latino card.

“I’m excited to be back on HBO,” Barrera said in a press release. “It has been a tough start to the year for me but I’ve been in the gym working and ready for this opportunity. It is another step towards the ultimate goal of contending for a world title. My opponent is a very good boxer. We have studied him in the gym and are ready for everything he will bring come April 15th.”

Barrera’s lone loss was a lopsided decision to light heavyweight champion Andre Ward last March. Toledo’s Parker (8-1, 4 KOs) was stopped by Shabranskyy in three rounds in June of 2015. “Well, everyone thinks it’s a risky fight but where others see risk I see opportunity,” Parker said in the release. “And I plan to capitalize on this opportunity.” The televised co-feature pits Russia’s Arif Magomeddov (18-1, 11 KOs) against Mexico’s Elias Espadas (13-3, 8 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight bout.