.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo generally occasion of a Top Ranking on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final loss resided in May 2019 and he has actually succeeded 14 consecutive fights due to the fact that, featuring exceptional triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately turned down a financially rewarding battle versus fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Container" Davis and while he hasn't declared his retired life, will certainly our company view "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will make his 2nd ring appeal this year, yet certainly not versus the competitor fans have actually demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly deal with Edgar Berlanga, that's certainly never dealt with at this degree in his brief job. While Berlanga has extraordinary power-- he started his profession along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can easily he discover a technique to win, or a minimum of go the distance against Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will definitely fight for a headline for the very first time in two years. Joshua will experience IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually chosen to come to be a three-time globe champ (-550 every ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champion Danny Garcia returns to the band for just the second attend virtually 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who won belts at 140 and also 147 pounds, is going up in weight for the odds to come to be a three-division champ, but may he upset an older however still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Scar Parkinson address these questions and additional, attempting to differentiate what's genuine as well as what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly retire without one more fightNot actual ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is pondering retirement, sources informed ESPN, part of the factor he declined a rewarding match along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's likewise an option that Lomachenko will definitely return in the initial half of 2025 to protect his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a dealing with state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson needed to be split at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was seen telling Stevenson, "Permit's go best now.If that's any type of evidence, Lomachenko is going to fight once again. Perhaps even versus Davis or Stevenson, both biggest matches on the table for him. But if he never ever shoelaces up the handwear covers again, Lomachenko's legacy is actually protected. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer as well as an essential of the pound-for-pound list over the final 10 years.He likewise doesn't need to overcome for the money. He's made numerous dollars in his career and also still lives in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's most preferred athletes. Whether or not he fights once again, he definitely won't do so a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also becomes a champ in a third divisionNot real. Garcia has actually upset the possibilities just before, featuring a shocking KO gain Amir Khan as well as a leading choice triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The very first win raised him to the higher echelon of the sporting activity and the last cemented that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years ago, though, and those two trademark Garcia victories went to 140 pounds (he also won a label at 147 pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still looking for a gain that matches that, as well as a distressed triumph over Lara would certainly accommodate the bill.Garcia didn't look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and also he have not completed because. Currently, he'll go up another weight lesson (though the Lara battle is happening at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 extra pounds) and need to contend with ring inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight title battle against Lara will certainly be Garcia's second considering that December 2020, when he was routed through Errol Spence Jr.The choose below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, shows enormous energy, albeit versus fighters under Garcia's amount. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's fight versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, defends his uncontested tremendously middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading superstar, hasn't scored a KO success considering that he squashed Caleb Plant in a November 2021 fight to succeed the indisputable tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a presentation in his last three battles. Versus a fighter in Berlanga, that are going to be actually dealing with on the leading degree for the first time, Alvarez ought to incorporate the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually harmed in the band in the past, such as in a step-up match versus Marcelo Coceres, who lost him in Round 9. And his self defense isn't exactly seem. Berlanga possesses power (he started his occupation with 16 successive KO gains in the first round), and also if he decides on to swap with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a set of press conference this week to advertise the match.-- Coppinger Real or not: No other light champion can easily hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a real danger to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and also defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority decision to succeed the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the four rounds, while his breakout gain along with Ramirez was among the very best fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest world lightweight champion in background-- will be actually a problem for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get out of bed from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, prior to he was soon overwhelmed. As a specialist, Chirinho had never been actually brought down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a shock in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the final three rounds. Although he is actually not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the amount of hits he has thrown in his last 2 battles, along with his elevation as well as get to conveniences, might verify overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared implausible in current matches, while our experts still need to view more coming from Scar Round prior to our company declare him the department's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) caught the WBA featherweight title with a split decision draw Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment complied with a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza would certainly stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was frustrating versus Round and has certainly not succeeded in nearly pair of years, so it is tough to provide an argument for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in 8 rounds in a 3rd self defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has beat huge problems in label fights, like boxing in a champion's hometown as well as obtaining cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he wins on Saturday versus Angelo Leo, he may possibly face his greatest challenge yet in a headline marriage match against Espinoza to dental crown the very best fighter in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' revival has actually been actually simply a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, latest type proposes his 1st IBF abundant headline self defense will finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in best form, much more so than some other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually must restore his career, after enduring next choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua combated carefully, with an unanimous decision sway Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his final three fights, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim heavyweight champion after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF waistband, which meant Dubois was actually updated to complete champ, therefore provides Joshua along with the opportunity to end up being a three-time planet champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will try to exploit what Hrgovic had repeated excellence with against Dubois. Hrgovic continuously landed right hands on Dubois in the early spheres, and also Joshua has actually displayed in recent battles just how damaging his right hands desire he ruined Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC big-time champ's chin to knock him out cold. Joshua will definitely take the option if Dubois makes himself in a similar way accessible, as he performed against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a greater puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois showed toughness to take in type June, he has been actually ceased twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk last year) as well as was knocked down three attend the preliminary by Kevin Lerena prior to bouncing back to gain in Round 3. But it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, who also needs to value Dubois' energy. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's face as well as can likely pull off a shock blockage versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. But Joshua, that ruled as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards coming from 2019 to 2021, is most likely to succeed this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.