.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo generally activity of a Top Position on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final reduction remained in May 2019 and he has gained 14 consecutive battles because, featuring outstanding victories over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently declined a rewarding match versus fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and also while he hasn't declared his retired life, will definitely our team see "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely create his 2nd band appeal this year, however certainly not versus the fighter enthusiasts have actually demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely deal with Edgar Berlanga, who is actually never dealt with at this level in his brief occupation. While Berlanga has incredible power-- he started his profession with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he discover a technique to succeed, or even a minimum of go the distance against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will definitely fight for a title for the first time in pair of years. Joshua will encounter IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually preferred to end up being a three-time world champion (-550 every ESPN BET). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the ring for merely the 2nd time in nearly four years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who gained waistbands at 140 and also 147 extra pounds, is moving up in body weight for the odds to come to be a three-division champ, however may he distress an older but still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Nick Parkinson answer these concerns and also more, attempting to distinguish what's true as well as what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly resign without yet another fightNot genuine ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is actually contemplating retired life, sources informed ESPN, aspect of the main reason he declined a financially rewarding fight with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's additionally a possibility that Lomachenko will come back in the 1st one-half of 2025 to shield his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a dealing with mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson must be actually split at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually found telling Stevenson, "Let's go correct now.If that's any kind of indicator, Lomachenko will deal with again. Maybe even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the 2 most significant fights on the desk for him. But if he never ever laces up the handwear covers again, Lomachenko's legacy is safeguarded. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and also an essential of the pound-for-pound checklist over the last 10 years.He additionally doesn't require to overcome for the money. He's gained numerous dollars in his occupation as well as still stays in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's very most prominent sportsmens. Whether or not he fights once again, he certainly won't accomplish this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and also comes to be a champion in a third divisionNot real. Garcia has actually upset the possibilities before, including a shocking KO draw Amir Khan and a dominant choice victory over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st win raised him to the upper tier of the sport and also the second sealed that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years earlier, though, as well as those pair of signature Garcia success went to 140 extra pounds (he additionally gained a title at 147 pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still searching for a gain that matches that, and a distressed triumph over Lara would certainly accommodate the bill.Garcia really did not appear like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and also he hasn't contended because. Currently, he'll go up one more weight course (though the Lara battle is actually happening at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 pounds) as well as have to contend with band stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight label match versus Lara will definitely be actually Garcia's 2nd considering that December 2020, when he was transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The select listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, shows enormous power, albeit against competitors beneath Garcia's degree. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, protects his uncontested incredibly middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's top star, have not scored a KO victory because he smoothed Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 battle to succeed the recognized very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a knockdown in his final three battles. Versus a competitor in Berlanga, who are going to be battling on the best level for the first time, Alvarez should incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually hurt in the band in the past, specifically in a step-up battle versus Marcelo Coceres, who dropped him in Cycle 9. As well as his defense isn't exactly seem. Berlanga possesses power (he began his job along with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the first round), and also if he decides on to exchange with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as a lot at a pair of news conferences recently to promote the match.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: No other featherweight champ can easily beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a real risk to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority selection to gain the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in 3 of the 4 rounds, while his escapement succeed with Ramirez was just one of the greatest fights in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world lightweight champ in past-- would certainly be actually a problem for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to get out of bed from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, prior to he was soon overpowered. As an expert, Chirinho had certainly never been knocked down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the final 3 rounds. Although he is actually not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the quantity of punches he has actually thrown in his final 2 fights, along with his elevation as well as hit benefits, could confirm overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared implausible in latest battles, while our team still require to view even more coming from Nick Round just before our company declare him the division's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight headline along with a split decision draw Raymond Ford in June. That victory complied with a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. However Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually disappointing versus Round and also has actually certainly not won in virtually 2 years, so it is actually challenging to provide a disagreement for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in 8 arounds in a third defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually gotten over significant problems in label matches, like boxing in a champ's home town as well as getting slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he wins on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might perhaps face his most significant problem yet in a title unification match against Espinoza to crown the very best competitor in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' revival has actually been actually simply a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, recent form advises his first IBF heavyweight label self defense will end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in leading kind, extra thus than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has must reconstruct his occupation, after experiencing back-to-back selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua fought carefully, along with a consentaneous choice draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final 3 battles, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting big-time champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF waistband, which indicated Dubois was improved to total champion, and so offers Joshua with the option to become a three-time world champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will try to exploit what Hrgovic had actually duplicated effectiveness along with against Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early arounds, and also Joshua has received current battles how harmful his right hands want he damaged Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC big-time champion's chin to knock him out cold. Joshua is going to take the option if Dubois produces himself similarly available, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois presented resilience to absorb type June, he has actually been actually stopped two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2015) and also was actually floored 3 times in the first round through Kevin Lerena before recuperating to succeed in Round 3. Yet it is no stroll in the playground for Joshua, who likewise needs to recognize Dubois' energy. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's skin as well as may possibly manage a shock stop against Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, who concluded as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and then coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually very likely to gain this match by KO.-- Parkinson.