.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo generally celebration of a Best Ranking on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final loss remained in May 2019 and he has won 14 consecutive battles considering that, featuring outstanding triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently rejected a lucrative fight against fellow light-weight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis and also while he hasn't introduced his retired life, will our team view "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his 2nd band appearance this year, however certainly not versus the boxer followers have demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo is going to encounter Edgar Berlanga, who is actually certainly never dealt with at this degree in his brief job. While Berlanga has awesome power-- he started his occupation with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he discover a way to win, or even at least go the proximity versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua are going to fight for a headline for the first time in pair of years. Joshua is going to face IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is favored to become a three-time world champion (-550 per ESPN BET). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for only the 2nd time in almost four years to handle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that gained belts at 140 and also 147 pounds, is moving up in body weight for the chance to come to be a three-division champion, however may he distress a more mature however still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson answer these inquiries and even more, trying to differentiate what's true as well as what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to resign without yet another fightNot real ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is pondering retirement, resources said to ESPN, aspect of the explanation he dropped a highly profitable fight along with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually likewise a possibility that Lomachenko will definitely return in the first one-half of 2025 to shield his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a battling state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson needed to be divided at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was seen saying to Stevenson, "Let's go ideal now.If that's any sort of evidence, Lomachenko will battle once again. Maybe even against Davis or Stevenson, the 2 largest matches on the table for him. But if he never ever shoelaces up the handwear covers once more, Lomachenko's tradition is safeguarded. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and also a backbone of the pound-for-pound list over the final 10 years.He also doesn't need to have to overcome for the money. He's earned millions of dollars in his occupation and still resides in Ukraine, where he is among the nation's most popular sportsmens. Whether he combats again, he certainly will not do so a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and also becomes a champ in a third divisionNot genuine. Garcia has upset the chances prior to, consisting of an astonishing KO sway Amir Khan and also a prevalent decision success over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st gain lifted him to the upper echelon of the sporting activity and also the last bound that status.But the Matthysse fight was actually 11 years ago, though, and those 2 trademark Garcia victories were at 140 pounds (he likewise succeeded a title at 147 extra pounds and also moved up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still searching for a gain that matches that, and also an upset victory over Lara would fit the bill.Garcia didn't resemble the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, as well as he have not competed since. Right now, he'll go up yet another body weight training class (though the Lara fight is actually happening at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 pounds) and have to contend with band lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline fight versus Lara will certainly be Garcia's 2nd given that December 2020, when he was transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The select right here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, presents tremendous power, albeit against competitors beneath Garcia's level. Lara is riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's match versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, safeguards his undeniable super middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading superstar, have not scored a KO success given that he flattened Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 battle to win the undeniable tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a presentation in his final 3 battles. Against a boxer in Berlanga, that are going to be actually dealing with on the best level for the first time, Alvarez needs to incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually harmed in the band before, particularly in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, who fell him in Cycle 9. And also his self defense isn't exactly appear. Berlanga possesses energy (he began his job along with 16 consecutive KO wins in the first round), and if he picks to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as much at a set of press conference this week to promote the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: No other light champ can beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks an actual threat to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority decision to succeed the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in 3 of the 4 shots, while his escapement succeed with Ramirez was among the most effective matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet featherweight champion in record-- would be actually an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to stand up from an uppercut from Espinoza in Round 1, just before he was quickly overthrown. As a qualified, Chirinho had certainly never been actually torn down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last 3 rounds. Although he is not as skilled as Lopez, the amount of punches he has actually thrown in his final 2 fights, along with his height and also reach advantages, could show unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked unconvincing in current fights, while our experts still need to have to see extra coming from Nick Round just before our team announce him the division's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight label with a split choice get Raymond Ford in June. That conquest adhered to a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. However Espinoza would overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfactory versus Sphere as well as has not won in virtually 2 years, so it is difficult to offer a debate for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in eight rounds in a third defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has beat significant problems in title matches, like boxing in a champion's hometown and also obtaining cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he gains on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might perhaps face his biggest challenge yet in a headline unification match against Espinoza to dental crown the very best boxer in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' rebirth has been actually only a year after being actually stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, recent form proposes his very first IBF heavyweight title protection will definitely finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in top form, even more therefore than any other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has had to rebuild his career, after experiencing back-to-back choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua dealt with very carefully, along with an unanimous selection gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final 3 battles, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim big-time champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF waistband, which implied Dubois was updated to complete champ, consequently provides Joshua with the chance to become a three-time planet champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua are going to attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually duplicated success along with against Dubois. Hrgovic continuously landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early arounds, and Joshua has received current matches just how harmful his right hands are after he ruined Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC big-time champ's jaw to knock him out cool. Joshua is going to confiscate the opportunity if Dubois makes himself similarly accessible, as he did versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a greater puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois showed sturdiness to absorb punches in June, he has been quit two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2015) and was actually floored 3 times in the first round by Kevin Lerena before bouncing back to win in Round 3. However it is no walk in the park for Joshua, that likewise requires to value Dubois' power. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's face and may possibly carry out a surprise blockage against Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. However Joshua, that concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards from 2019 to 2021, is more probable to succeed this fight by KO.-- Parkinson.