.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo generally occasion of a Top Rank on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction resided in May 2019 and he has actually won 14 consecutive fights since, consisting of outstanding triumphes over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately turned down a beneficial battle versus fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and also while he have not declared his retired life, will our team see "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly make his second ring appearance this year, however certainly not versus the boxer fans have actually clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely experience Edgar Berlanga, that's never battled at this degree in his short profession. While Berlanga has extraordinary power-- he started his job with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can easily he locate a means to gain, or even a minimum of go the range against Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will fight for a headline for the first time in two years. Joshua is going to face IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually preferred to become a three-time planet champ (-550 per ESPN BET). And also two-division champion Danny Garcia goes back to the band for merely the second time in almost four years to tackle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded waistbands at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is moving up in weight for the odds to end up being a three-division champ, however can he disturb an older yet still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Nick Parkinson address these inquiries and also more, attempting to identify what's actual as well as what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely retire without yet another fightNot true ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is actually considering retirement life, sources told ESPN, aspect of the factor he declined a profitable battle along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually additionally a possibility that Lomachenko will return in the first fifty percent of 2025 to shield his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a combating mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson had to be separated at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was seen informing Stevenson, "Permit's go ideal now.If that is actually any kind of indicator, Lomachenko will fight once again. Perhaps even versus Davis or Stevenson, the 2 most significant battles on the table for him. However if he never shoelaces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's legacy is gotten. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a backbone of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He also doesn't need to fight for the money. He's earned millions of bucks in his career as well as still lives in Ukraine, where he's one of the nation's very most prominent sportsmens. Whether or not he battles once again, he definitely won't do so much longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also becomes a champ in a 3rd divisionNot real. Garcia has actually upset the odds just before, including an astonishing KO get Amir Khan and also a prevalent selection triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The initial win raised him to the top echelon of the sporting activity as well as the latter bound that status.But the Matthysse match was actually 11 years ago, however, and also those pair of trademark Garcia success went to 140 pounds (he additionally gained a title at 147 extra pounds as well as went up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still seeking a gain that matches that, and a distressed success over Lara would accommodate the bill.Garcia didn't be similar to the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and also he have not competed because. Currently, he'll go up one more body weight training class (though the Lara match is happening at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 pounds) and also must contend with band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight label match versus Lara will definitely be Garcia's second since December 2020, when he was directed through Errol Spence Jr.The pick listed here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, shows tremendous electrical power, albeit against boxers under Garcia's degree. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, guards his unquestioned extremely middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading superstar, have not scored a KO triumph since he flattened Caleb Plant in a November 2021 match to win the undisputed incredibly middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a presentation in his final 3 matches. Versus a boxer in Berlanga, that will be fighting on the top degree for the very first time, Alvarez needs to incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been harmed in the ring before, particularly in a step-up battle against Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Cycle 9. And his self defense isn't exactly seem. Berlanga possesses electrical power (he started his profession with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the preliminary), and if he picks to trade with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as much at a pair of news conferences recently to advertise the fight.-- Coppinger Real or not: Nothing else featherweight champ may hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a true risk to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and also beating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number choice to gain the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the 4 rounds, while his breakout gain along with Ramirez was among the most ideal matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest globe featherweight champion in past history-- would certainly be a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get up from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was actually very soon overpowered. As a qualified, Chirinho had actually never been knocked down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last 3 rounds. Although he is certainly not as skilled as Lopez, the quantity of strikes he has included his last pair of matches, along with his height and arrive at perks, could confirm overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked unconvincing in recent matches, while we still require to see a lot more coming from Scar Ball prior to our company proclaim him the department's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) caught the WBA featherweight headline along with a split decision sway Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment adhered to a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. Yet Espinoza will stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually disappointing versus Ball and has certainly not won in almost pair of years, so it is actually tough to present a debate for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in 8 arounds in a 3rd defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has gotten over major problems in headline fights, like boxing in a champion's neighborhood and also getting cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he succeeds on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might maybe experience his greatest difficulty but in a title marriage battle against Espinoza to dental crown the most ideal fighter in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' rebirth has been only a year after being dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, latest form recommends his very first IBF abundant headline self defense will definitely end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in best kind, much more thus than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually needed to restore his profession, after suffering back-to-back selection losses to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua battled cautiously, with an unanimous selection win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his final 3 matches, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim big-time champion after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF belt, which implied Dubois was actually improved to complete champ, therefore shows Joshua along with the chance to become a three-time planet champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had actually duplicated success with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continuously landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early spheres, and also Joshua has actually shown in recent matches just how damaging his right-hand men desire he damaged Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the past UFC heavyweight champion's jaw to take him out cool. Joshua will take possession of the option if Dubois makes himself in a similar way available, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a bigger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois revealed resilience to soak up type June, he has actually been actually stopped twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2013) and also was actually floored 3 attend the preliminary by Kevin Lerena prior to recovering to gain in Round 3. However it is no walk in the park for Joshua, who additionally needs to have to recognize Dubois' electrical power. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's face and can potentially manage a surprise blockage against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. Yet Joshua, that concluded as champ from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards coming from 2019 to 2021, is very likely to gain this match through KO.-- Parkinson.