.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo generally celebration of a Top Rank on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last loss resided in May 2019 and also he has won 14 successive fights given that, including impressive victories over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately turned down a financially rewarding fight against fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and while he hasn't announced his retirement, will definitely our team find "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will make his second band look this year, yet not against the fighter fans have actually demanded. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly experience Edgar Berlanga, who is actually never combated at this amount in his brief occupation. While Berlanga has amazing energy-- he began his profession with 16 successive first-round KOs-- may he discover a means to gain, or even a minimum of go the proximity versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua are going to defend a label for the first time in pair of years. Joshua will definitely deal with IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is preferred to become a three-time globe champ (-550 every ESPN BET). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia comes back to the band for merely the second attend practically 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who gained waistbands at 140 and also 147 pounds, is moving up in weight for the opportunity to become a three-division champion, but can he disturb a much older however still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Scar Parkinson address these concerns as well as even more, making an effort to identify what's actual and what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to retire without yet another fightNot genuine ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is pondering retired life, sources said to ESPN, component of the reason he declined a beneficial match along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's additionally a probability that Lomachenko will certainly come back in the first half of 2025 to shield his IBF lightweight 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 throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was observed telling Stevenson, "Allow's go right now.If that is actually any type of evidence, Lomachenko will definitely battle again. Maybe even against Davis or even Stevenson, the 2 largest fights on the table for him. However if he certainly never shoelaces up the gloves again, Lomachenko's legacy is actually protected. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a backbone of the pound-for-pound list over the last 10 years.He also doesn't need to have to overcome for the money. He's gained millions of dollars in his career and still stays in Ukraine, where he is among the nation's most preferred athletes. Whether he battles once more, he surely won't do this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara as well as becomes a champion in a third divisionNot genuine. Garcia has upset the possibilities before, featuring an astonishing KO get Amir Khan as well as a prevalent selection success over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st gain lifted him to the top tier of the sporting activity as well as the second glued that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years back, though, as well as those 2 trademark Garcia wins went to 140 extra pounds (he additionally gained a label at 147 pounds and also moved up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still looking for a win that matches that, and a dismayed triumph over Lara would suit the bill.Garcia didn't be similar to the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, as well as he have not contended because. Currently, he'll move up another weight class (though the Lara battle is actually occurring at a catchweight between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) as well as must contend with ring inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline fight versus Lara will definitely be Garcia's 2nd since December 2020, when he was routed through Errol Spence Jr.The decide on below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, shows tremendous electrical power, albeit against boxers beneath Garcia's degree. Lara is using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, protects his unquestioned very middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading star, have not racked up a KO triumph since he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 match to gain the undisputed very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a knockdown in his last three matches. Versus a boxer in Berlanga, that will be battling on the leading level for the very first time, Alvarez should incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been harmed in the band in the past, such as in a step-up match versus Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Round 9. As well as his self defense isn't specifically seem. Berlanga has power (he started his job with 16 consecutive KO wins in the preliminary), and if he picks to swap with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez vowed as a lot at a set of press conference today to advertise the match.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Nothing else lightweight champ may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears an actual threat to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk selection to gain the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the four rounds, while his escapement win along with Ramirez was one of the most ideal battles in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest world light champion in past history-- would certainly be actually a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho did well to rise coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Round 1, prior to he was soon subdued. As a professional, Chirinho had actually certainly never been actually brought down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a shock in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the last three arounds. Although he is actually not as expert as Lopez, the quantity of blows he has thrown in his final two matches, together with his height and also reach advantages, could confirm overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared implausible in latest matches, while we still need to see a lot more from Scar Ball just before our team announce him the branch's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) caught the WBA featherweight title with a split choice win over Raymond Ford in June. That conquest adhered to a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. But Espinoza would overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfying versus Round and has actually certainly not gained in virtually 2 years, so it is difficult to present an argument for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 arounds in a third self defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually eliminated big problems in label battles, like boxing in a champ's hometown as well as receiving cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he gains on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may perhaps face his largest problem but in a title marriage battle against Espinoza to dental crown the greatest competitor in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' revival has actually been actually merely a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, current kind advises his very first IBF heavyweight label self defense will finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in top kind, a lot more so than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually had to fix his career, after enduring back-to-back decision reductions to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua combated meticulously, along with a consentaneous decision gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last 3 matches, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim big-time champ after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF belt, which implied Dubois was actually improved to full champ, consequently shows Joshua with the opportunity to come to be a three-time world champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua are going to make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had repeated effectiveness along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continuously landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early spheres, and Joshua has actually displayed in current battles just how damaging his right hands desire he ruined Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the past UFC heavyweight champion's chin to take him out cold. Joshua will certainly confiscate the chance if Dubois creates themself similarly available, as he did against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois revealed resilience to soak up type June, he has actually been stopped two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2015) and also was actually floored 3 attend the preliminary through Kevin Lerena just before recuperating to succeed in Cycle 3. But it is no stroll in the playground for Joshua, that additionally needs to respect Dubois' power. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's face and can possibly pull off a surprise stoppage versus Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. However Joshua, who concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is very likely to win this battle by KO.-- Parkinson.