.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo generally occasion of a Best Rank on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction resided in May 2019 and also he has gained 14 successive matches given that, featuring outstanding victories over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently denied a highly profitable match against fellow lightweight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and while he have not revealed his retirement, are going to our experts find "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will make his second band appeal this year, but not against the fighter followers have demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly deal with Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never ever fought at this degree in his quick career. While Berlanga possesses fabulous energy-- he began his profession along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he locate a technique to succeed, or even at the very least go the span versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will fight for a title for the first time in 2 years. Joshua will definitely deal with IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually favored to become a three-time world champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champion Danny Garcia comes back to the band for just the second time in just about four years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that gained belts at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is going up in body weight for the odds to become a three-division champ, however can he distress a more mature however still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson answer these concerns and additional, making an effort to distinguish what's actual and what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to resign without yet another fightNot true ... for now. Lomachenko is contemplating retirement, sources told ESPN, component of the factor he declined a highly profitable fight along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's also a possibility that Lomachenko are going to return in the 1st half of 2025 to guard his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a fighting state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson had to be actually separated at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was viewed saying to Stevenson, "Let's go right now.If that is actually any sign, Lomachenko will battle again. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the two largest matches on the desk for him. But if he never shoelaces up the handwear covers once more, Lomachenko's tradition is gotten. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and a mainstay of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He additionally doesn't need to have to eliminate for the cash. He is actually gained numerous bucks in his job and also still resides in Ukraine, where he's one of the nation's very most preferred sportsmens. Whether or not he deals with once more, he certainly will not do this much longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also comes to be a champ in a 3rd divisionNot genuine. Garcia has outplayed the probabilities prior to, featuring a shocking KO get Amir Khan and also a dominant decision triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The initial gain lifted him to the top echelon of the sporting activity and the last bound that status.But the Matthysse match was 11 years ago, however, as well as those 2 signature Garcia triumphes were at 140 extra pounds (he additionally won a label at 147 pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 gain Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still looking for a gain that matches that, and also a dismayed victory over Lara will accommodate the bill.Garcia really did not look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, as well as he have not competed due to the fact that. Currently, he'll move up yet another weight training class (though the Lara battle is occurring at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 pounds) and need to contend with ring sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline battle against Lara will definitely be actually Garcia's 2nd due to the fact that December 2020, when he was actually routed by Errol Spence Jr.The select listed here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, presents incredible electrical power, albeit against boxers below Garcia's degree. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's battle against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, protects his uncontested tremendously middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's best celebrity, have not racked up a KO triumph since he squashed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 battle to win the undeniable very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a knockdown in his last 3 matches. Versus a fighter in Berlanga, that are going to be dealing with on the leading amount for the very first time, Alvarez must include the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually injured in the band previously, particularly in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Round 9. As well as his self defense isn't exactly sound. Berlanga possesses energy (he started his profession along with 16 consecutive KO gains in the preliminary), and also if he opts for to trade with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez vowed as much at a set of news conferences this week to market the match.-- Coppinger Real or not: No other lightweight champion can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears an actual risk to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez by a majority selection to succeed the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in 3 of the four shots, while his escapement gain along with Ramirez was one of the very best battles in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet light champion in past history-- would certainly be actually a problem for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get out of bed coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was actually very soon subdued. As a professional, Chirinho had actually never ever been actually torn down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the final 3 rounds. Although he is actually certainly not as skilled as Lopez, the amount of strikes he has included his last pair of battles, together with his elevation and also hit perks, could prove impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked unconvincing in latest fights, while our experts still require to find a lot more from Nick Round prior to our team announce him the division's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) caught the WBA featherweight label along with a split decision sway Raymond Ford in June. That conquest observed a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza will tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfactory versus Ball and has certainly not won in virtually pair of years, so it is actually difficult to show a disagreement for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 spheres in a 3rd protection of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually overcome huge challenges in title fights, like punching in a champ's neighborhood as well as obtaining cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he succeeds on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he may possibly experience his greatest obstacle but in a headline marriage fight against Espinoza to dental crown the most ideal boxer in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' resurgence has actually been actually merely a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, latest kind proposes his initial IBF heavyweight label defense will definitely finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in best kind, much more so than some other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has needed to restore his job, after enduring next selection losses to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua combated carefully, along with a consentaneous decision gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his final three matches, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting heavyweight champ after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF belt, which meant Dubois was actually improved to complete champ, therefore shows Joshua along with the chance to come to be a three-time planet champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will definitely try to exploit what Hrgovic had repeated excellence with against Dubois. Hrgovic frequently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early spheres, as well as Joshua has actually shown in latest battles just how harmful his right hands seek he destroyed Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the past UFC big-time champion's jaw to knock him out cold. Joshua is going to take possession of the chance if Dubois makes themself similarly on call, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a greater puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois showed resilience to soak up punches in June, he has actually been actually stopped two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk last year) as well as was actually floored 3 times in the preliminary by Kevin Lerena just before bouncing back to succeed in Cycle 3. However it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, that likewise needs to have to recognize Dubois' electrical power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's face and also may possibly manage a surprise stop against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. But Joshua, who concluded as champ from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is most likely to win this match by KO.-- Parkinson.