.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo generally event of a Leading Ranking on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final reduction was in May 2019 as well as he has succeeded 14 successive battles considering that, including remarkable victories over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately denied a profitable fight versus fellow light-weight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis and while he have not introduced his retirement, are going to our company see "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly create his 2nd ring appearance this year, however not against the competitor followers have actually demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly experience Edgar Berlanga, that's certainly never dealt with at this level in his short job. While Berlanga has fabulous electrical power-- he started his job with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can he discover a way to win, or even at least go the range versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will certainly defend a label for the very first time in two years. Joshua will definitely deal with IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually chosen to come to be a three-time planet champ (-550 per ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia comes back to the band for merely the second attend virtually 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded belts at 140 and 147 pounds, is actually going up in weight for the chance to become a three-division champ, however can he upset an older but still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Nick Parkinson respond to these questions as well as additional, attempting to differentiate what's true and also what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to resign without an additional fightNot genuine ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually pondering retirement, sources told ESPN, aspect of the main reason he decreased a lucrative battle with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's likewise a possibility that Lomachenko are going to return in the first fifty percent of 2025 to shield his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a battling mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson must be separated at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was found saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go best now.If that is actually any evidence, Lomachenko will certainly combat again. Maybe even against Davis or even Stevenson, the 2 most significant matches on the table for him. However if he never ever laces up the handwear covers again, Lomachenko's tradition is gotten. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer as well as a mainstay of the pound-for-pound checklist over the final 10 years.He also does not need to fight for the cash. He is actually gained numerous bucks in his occupation and still lives in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's most prominent professional athletes. Regardless if he deals with again, he surely won't accomplish this much longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and becomes a champion in a 3rd divisionNot real. Garcia has upset the possibilities just before, including a shocking KO get Amir Khan and a leading choice victory over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st gain elevated him to the upper tier of the sporting activity and the second sealed that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years back, however, as well as those 2 trademark Garcia wins were at 140 pounds (he also gained a label at 147 extra pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still hunting for a win that matches that, as well as a distressed success over Lara would accommodate the bill.Garcia failed to resemble the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, as well as he hasn't completed since. Now, he'll go up one more body weight class (though the Lara fight is taking place at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 pounds) and have to emulate band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline battle against Lara will be Garcia's 2nd because December 2020, when he was actually transmitted by Errol Spence Jr.The choose here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, presents tremendous power, albeit against boxers below Garcia's degree. Lara is using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's battle against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, safeguards his recognized super middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best star, hasn't scored a KO victory considering that he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 fight to win the undisputed extremely 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 are going to be actually battling on the best degree for the very first time, Alvarez must add the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been hurt in the ring before, specifically in a step-up battle against Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Cycle 9. As well as his defense isn't specifically seem. Berlanga has energy (he started his career along with 16 consecutive KO gains in the preliminary), as well as if he picks to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez promised as a lot at a set of press conference today to promote the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: No other featherweight champ may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a real threat to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and beating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number selection to win the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the 4 rounds, while his outbreak gain along with Ramirez was one of the most ideal matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest globe lightweight champ in past-- would certainly be a problem for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get out of bed from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, before he was actually soon subdued. As a qualified, Chirinho had never been brought down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last three arounds. Although he is not as skilled as Lopez, the volume of blows he has actually thrown in his last 2 matches, along with his elevation and reach perks, can confirm unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked implausible in recent matches, while our team still need to see even more from Scar Round before our experts proclaim him the department's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight label along with a split decision draw Raymond Ford in June. That victory followed a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. However Espinoza would overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was disappointing versus Sphere as well as has actually not won in virtually two years, so it is actually tough to show an argument for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in 8 rounds in a third defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has gotten rid of major difficulties in label battles, like punching in a champ's home town as well as obtaining cut very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he succeeds on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he may probably encounter his largest problem yet in a label marriage match against Espinoza to crown the most ideal competitor in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' resurgence has actually been just a year after being visited Oleksandr Usyk, latest form suggests his 1st IBF heavyweight headline protection will finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in best form, much more therefore than any other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has needed to rebuild his career, after going through next decision losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua combated meticulously, along with a consentaneous choice gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final 3 matches, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim big-time champion after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF belt, which implied Dubois was improved to complete champ, therefore shows Joshua along with the chance to end up being a three-time world champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua are going to attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had repeated effectiveness with versus Dubois. Hrgovic constantly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early rounds, and Joshua has displayed in latest battles just how detrimental his right-hand men seek he ruined Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC big-time champion's jaw to knock him out chilly. Joshua will certainly take possession of the chance if Dubois makes themself in a similar way readily available, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a greater puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois presented resilience to absorb punches in June, he has actually been actually ceased two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk last year) as well as was actually floored three attend the first round through Kevin Lerena prior to recuperating to succeed in Round 3. But it is actually no walk in the playground for Joshua, who likewise needs to recognize Dubois' power. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's skin and also may possibly manage a surprise stop against Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. Yet Joshua, that ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is more probable to gain this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.