.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo generally celebration of a Leading Rank on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final reduction was in May 2019 and he has actually won 14 consecutive matches given that, consisting of outstanding victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the very best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently turned down a beneficial fight against fellow light-weight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis as well as while he have not revealed his retirement, are going to we view "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his second band look this year, but certainly not versus the boxer fans have clamored for. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly encounter Edgar Berlanga, who's never ever combated at this level in his brief job. While Berlanga has amazing power-- he began his profession with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he find a means to win, or at least go the distance versus Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will certainly defend a headline for the very first time in two years. Joshua is going to experience IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is chosen to come to be a three-time globe champion (-550 every ESPN BET). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the ring for merely the 2nd time in nearly 4 years to tackle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that gained waistbands at 140 and 147 pounds, is actually moving up in body weight for the chance to end up being a three-division champ, but may he upset a more mature but still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Nick Parkinson respond to these inquiries and also even more, trying to distinguish what's true as well as what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly resign without yet another fightNot real ... for now. Lomachenko is actually reflecting upon retirement life, resources told ESPN, portion of the explanation he decreased a rewarding battle along with Gervonta Davis in November. There's additionally an option that Lomachenko will come back in the very first fifty percent of 2025 to shield his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a battling mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson had to be actually split at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was found informing Stevenson, "Permit's go best now.If that's any sort of sign, Lomachenko will certainly battle again. Maybe even versus Davis or even Stevenson, both biggest battles on the table for him. But if he never laces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's heritage is gotten. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and an essential of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He likewise doesn't need to eliminate for the cash. He's gained numerous bucks in his job and still stays in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's most popular sportsmens. Whether he deals with again, he certainly won't do so a lot longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and also comes to be a champ in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has outplayed the possibilities prior to, including a stunning KO draw Amir Khan and also a leading selection victory over Lucas Matthysse. The first win elevated him to the top tier of the sporting activity as well as the last glued that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years earlier, however, and also those pair of signature Garcia success were at 140 extra pounds (he additionally gained a label at 147 pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still seeking a win that matches that, as well as a dismayed success over Lara would accommodate the bill.Garcia failed to look like the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and also he have not competed due to the fact that. Right now, he'll go up yet another weight lesson (though the Lara battle is actually taking place at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 pounds) and also need to emulate band lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline fight versus Lara will certainly be Garcia's 2nd considering that December 2020, when he was directed through Errol Spence Jr.The decide on right here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, reveals remarkable energy, albeit versus fighters under Garcia's degree. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's battle against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, protects his indisputable super middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading superstar, hasn't scored a KO success given that he flattened Caleb Plant in a November 2021 battle to succeed the recognized very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a presentation in his last 3 fights. Versus a competitor in Berlanga, who are going to be actually combating on the top level for the first time, Alvarez should incorporate the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually harmed in the ring previously, such as in a step-up battle versus Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Round 9. And his self defense isn't exactly appear. Berlanga possesses power (he started his career along with 16 successive KO succeeds in the first round), and also if he selects to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez promised as much at a set of press conference this week to advertise the fight.-- Coppinger Real or not: Nothing else light champion can easily beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a real threat to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and also beating Robeisy Ramirez by a bulk choice to succeed the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in 3 of the four rounds, while his breakout succeed along with Ramirez was just one of the most ideal fights in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest planet light champion in past history-- would be actually a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to stand up from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was actually quickly subdued. As a qualified, Chirinho had never ever been torn down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last 3 rounds. Although he is certainly not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the quantity of strikes he has actually thrown in his final pair of battles, in addition to his height and also hit benefits, can show insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared implausible in latest fights, while our team still need to have to observe a lot more coming from Scar Round just before our team announce him the division's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) caught the WBA featherweight title along with a split decision gain Raymond Ford in June. That conquest adhered to a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza will overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually frustrating versus Sphere and also has actually certainly not gained in virtually 2 years, so it is challenging to offer a disagreement for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a third defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually overcome large obstacles in headline matches, like boxing in a champ's home town and receiving slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he gains on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he might perhaps face his largest challenge yet in a label unification fight against Espinoza to crown the greatest competitor in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' revival has been only a year after being actually come by Oleksandr Usyk, current type suggests his first IBF abundant headline protection are going to finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in top kind, even more thus than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has had to rebuild his profession, after enduring next choice losses to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua combated carefully, with an unanimous selection gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last three battles, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim big-time champ after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF belt, which meant Dubois was actually upgraded to full champion, consequently offers Joshua with the chance to become a three-time planet champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua are going to attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had duplicated excellence with against Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early spheres, as well as Joshua has actually received current battles how harmful his right hands seek he destroyed Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC big-time champ's chin to knock him out cold. Joshua is going to confiscate the opportunity if Dubois makes themself likewise on call, as he performed against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a larger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois revealed durability to soak up punches in June, he has been quit two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2015) as well as was actually knocked down 3 times in the first round by Kevin Lerena before recouping to win in Round 3. However it is actually no walk in the park for Joshua, who also requires to value Dubois' energy. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's face and also can potentially pull off a surprise blockage against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. Yet Joshua, that ruled as champ from 2016 to 2019 and then coming from 2019 to 2021, is very likely to win this fight by KO.-- Parkinson.