.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo generally occasion of a Leading Position on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction remained in May 2019 as well as he has won 14 consecutive battles because, including remarkable triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the most effective featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently denied a profitable fight versus fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and also while he have not declared his retirement, will certainly our experts see "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez are going to make his second band appearance this year, yet certainly not versus the boxer followers have actually demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will encounter Edgar Berlanga, who is actually never ever combated at this degree in his quick profession. While Berlanga possesses fabulous power-- he began his profession with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he discover a means to win, or at the very least go the distance against Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will certainly defend a title for the very first time in two years. Joshua is going to encounter IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually favored to end up being a three-time globe champion (-550 per ESPN BET). And two-division champion Danny Garcia returns to the band for just the second attend nearly four years to handle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded belts at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is moving up in body weight for the possibility to come to be a three-division champion, however may he distress a much older however still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson address these questions as well as more, attempting to differentiate what's true as well as what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely retire without an additional fightNot genuine ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually pondering retirement, sources told ESPN, aspect of the cause he declined a beneficial fight with Gervonta Davis in November. There's also a possibility that Lomachenko will come back in the very first one-half of 2025 to protect his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a combating mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson must be actually separated at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was seen saying to Stevenson, "Allow's go correct now.If that's any kind of sign, Lomachenko is going to battle once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the two biggest matches on the table for him. However if he certainly never shoelaces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's legacy is actually secured. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and also a backbone of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He additionally does not need to have to combat for the cash. He is actually gotten numerous bucks in his job as well as still lives in Ukraine, where he's one of the nation's most popular athletes. Whether he fights once again, he definitely won't accomplish this a lot longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and comes to be a champion in a 3rd divisionNot genuine. Garcia has upset the probabilities just before, featuring a surprising KO get Amir Khan and also a leading selection triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The first win raised him to the higher tier of the sporting activity and the last bound that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years ago, though, as well as those pair of trademark Garcia triumphes were at 140 pounds (he likewise won a label at 147 extra pounds and also moved up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still seeking a win that matches that, and a dismayed triumph over Lara would fit the bill.Garcia really did not appear like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, as well as he hasn't contended because. Currently, he'll go up yet another body weight class (though the Lara match is actually occurring at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 extra pounds) and also need to contend with ring lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline fight against Lara will be Garcia's second considering that December 2020, when he was actually transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The decide on listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, presents enormous energy, albeit versus boxers under Garcia's degree. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, safeguards his undisputed super middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's best star, have not racked up a KO triumph since he smoothed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 battle to succeed the uncontested extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a knockdown in his last 3 matches. Versus a fighter in Berlanga, who will definitely be dealing with on the leading level for the very first time, Alvarez ought to include the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been harmed in the ring previously, particularly in a step-up battle against Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Cycle 9. And also his protection isn't exactly seem. Berlanga possesses electrical power (he began his occupation along with 16 successive KO succeeds in the preliminary), and also if he selects to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez promised as a lot at a set of news conferences recently to market the fight.-- Coppinger Real or not: Not one other light champ can easily hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a real threat to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and beating Robeisy Ramirez by a majority decision to win the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in 3 of the four rounds, while his outbreak succeed with Ramirez was just one of the most effective matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest world light champ in past history-- will be actually an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get out of bed coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, before he was very soon overthrown. As a specialist, Chirinho had certainly never been torn down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the final 3 rounds. Although he is certainly not as experienced as Lopez, the volume of hits he has actually thrown in his last pair of fights, alongside his height and get to perks, could show impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared unconvincing in latest matches, while our experts still need to view a lot more coming from Scar Sphere prior to our experts announce him the division's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight label along with a split decision win over Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment followed a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. Yet Espinoza will stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfactory versus Sphere as well as has certainly not succeeded in virtually 2 years, so it is actually hard to show an argument for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in eight rounds in a third self defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually eliminated big difficulties in label matches, like punching in a champ's home town and also receiving cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he gains on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might maybe face his greatest obstacle but in a label marriage battle against Espinoza to crown the very best fighter in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' resurgence has been merely a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, current type advises his first IBF abundant headline protection are going to finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in best form, much more thus than some other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has must rebuild his career, after suffering back-to-back decision losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua combated meticulously, along with an unanimous decision win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his last 3 battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim heavyweight champ after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk then gave up the IBF belt, which implied Dubois was actually upgraded to full champion, and so presents Joshua with the possibility to become a three-time world champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will definitely attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually duplicated excellence along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continually landed right hands on Dubois in the very early arounds, and also Joshua has actually displayed in latest fights exactly how damaging his right-hand men want he destroyed Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the past UFC big-time champion's jaw to take him out cool. Joshua will certainly confiscate the possibility if Dubois produces himself likewise offered, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is a bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois showed toughness to absorb type June, he has been quit two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2014) and was defeated 3 times in the preliminary by Kevin Lerena before recouping to succeed in Round 3. However it is actually no walk in the park for Joshua, that likewise needs to recognize Dubois' electrical power. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's face and may possibly carry out a surprise standstill against Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. However Joshua, who concluded as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is actually very likely to succeed this match by KO.-- Parkinson.