.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo generally occasion of a Leading Rank on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last loss remained in May 2019 and he has actually won 14 consecutive matches given that, featuring impressive triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the very best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately denied a beneficial fight versus fellow light in weight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and while he hasn't announced his retirement, will certainly our team find "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely create his second ring appeal this year, but not against the boxer supporters have actually demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will face Edgar Berlanga, who is actually never ever battled at this degree in his brief occupation. While Berlanga possesses unbelievable electrical power-- he began his career along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he locate a method to gain, or at least go the span against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will fight for a headline for the first time in 2 years. Joshua is going to face IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually preferred to become a three-time globe champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for only the second time in virtually 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that won waistbands at 140 and also 147 extra pounds, is moving up in weight for the chance to come to be a three-division champion, however can he upset a much older yet still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Scar Parkinson answer these inquiries and more, trying to differentiate what's genuine as well as what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly retire without another fightNot actual ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually contemplating retirement life, resources said to ESPN, aspect of the cause he dropped a financially rewarding match along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's likewise an option that Lomachenko are going to come back in the first half of 2025 to defend his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a dealing with mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson needed to be separated at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was viewed telling Stevenson, "Let's go best now.If that is actually any type of indicator, Lomachenko will definitely deal with once again. Maybe even versus Davis or Stevenson, the 2 biggest battles on the desk for him. Yet if he certainly never shoelaces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's tradition is secured. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and also a pillar of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He likewise does not need to have to eliminate for the money. He's gotten numerous bucks in his profession and also still dwells in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's very most popular professional athletes. Whether he combats again, he definitely will not do so a lot longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also ends up being a champion in a 3rd divisionNot real. Garcia has upset the odds before, consisting of a stunning KO win over Amir Khan and also a leading choice victory over Lucas Matthysse. The first win lifted him to the upper echelon of the sporting activity and the second bound that status.But the Matthysse match was actually 11 years ago, though, and those pair of trademark Garcia success were at 140 extra pounds (he also succeeded a headline at 147 pounds as well as moved up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still looking for a gain that matches that, and an upset success over Lara would certainly suit the bill.Garcia failed to look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, as well as he have not competed because. Currently, he'll move up yet another body weight course (though the Lara match is taking place at a catchweight between 155 as well as 160 extra pounds) and have to contend with ring lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight label match against Lara will definitely be actually Garcia's second because December 2020, when he was routed through Errol Spence Jr.The pick right here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, reveals significant power, albeit versus fighters beneath Garcia's level. Lara is using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, defends his undisputed extremely middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading superstar, have not scored a KO victory because he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 battle to win the uncontested very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a knockdown in his final three matches. Against a competitor in Berlanga, who will be actually combating on the best degree for the very first time, Alvarez ought to add the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually hurt in the band in the past, namely in a step-up match versus Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Cycle 9. And also his defense isn't exactly seem. Berlanga possesses power (he started his profession with 16 consecutive KO gains in the preliminary), as well as if he chooses to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez promised as a lot at a pair of news conferences this week to ensure the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: No other light champion can easily hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a true risk to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and also defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority selection to win the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in 3 of the 4 shots, while his breakout win along with Ramirez was one of the most ideal battles in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest globe featherweight champ in background-- would certainly be a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to rise from an uppercut from Espinoza in Round 1, before he was very soon subdued. As a professional, Chirinho had actually never ever been actually brought down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the final three rounds. Although he is certainly not as professional as Lopez, the amount of strikes he has included his last pair of matches, alongside his height and also hit perks, could prove insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked unconvincing in current matches, while our experts still need to have to observe much more coming from Nick Sphere just before we announce him the department's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight headline with a split choice gain 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 actually unsatisfactory versus Ball and has actually certainly not succeeded in almost two years, so it is actually challenging to offer an argument for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in 8 spheres in a third defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually gotten rid of significant difficulties in label fights, like boxing in a champion's neighborhood and also obtaining slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he succeeds on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may maybe encounter his greatest obstacle but in a title unification battle versus Espinoza to crown the greatest boxer in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' resurgence has been simply a year after being actually visited Oleksandr Usyk, recent kind proposes his initial IBF abundant title protection are going to end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in top form, much more thus than some other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually had to fix his occupation, after going through next decision reductions to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua dealt with meticulously, with a consentaneous decision win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last 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 interim big-time champ after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk at that point gave up the IBF belt, which implied Dubois was actually upgraded to full champion, therefore offers Joshua with the chance to become a three-time globe champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will definitely make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had redoed results along with against Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early rounds, and Joshua has actually shown in recent matches exactly how damaging his right hands seek he destroyed Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the past UFC big-time champ's face to take him out cold. Joshua is going to confiscate the possibility if Dubois makes themself similarly available, as he did against Hrgovic. Joshua is a greater puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois showed durability to absorb type June, he has actually been actually ceased twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2014) and was actually floored three times in the first round through Kevin Lerena just before bouncing back to win in Round 3. Yet it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, that additionally requires to value Dubois' power. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's face as well as may likely pull off a surprise discontinuance against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. Yet Joshua, who concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that coming from 2019 to 2021, is most likely to win this match through KO.-- Parkinson.