.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo generally activity of a Best Ranking on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final loss resided in May 2019 and also he has gained 14 successive matches due to the fact that, consisting of outstanding victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately declined a profitable match versus fellow light-weight champion Gervonta "Container" Davis as well as while he hasn't introduced his retirement life, will certainly our experts observe "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his 2nd band look this year, but certainly not against the fighter enthusiasts have actually clamored for. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely face Edgar Berlanga, who's certainly never dealt with at this amount in his brief occupation. While Berlanga has extraordinary power-- he started his career with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can he find a technique to win, or even at least go the distance versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will fight for a label for the first time in pair of years. Joshua will definitely experience IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually favored to become a three-time world champ (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the ring for just the 2nd time in nearly 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that won belts at 140 and also 147 extra pounds, is actually going up in weight for the possibility to end up being a three-division champion, however can easily he upset an older but still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Scar Parkinson address these questions as well as even more, making an effort to identify what's actual and also what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely resign without one more fightNot true ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually considering retirement, resources told ESPN, part of the factor he declined a highly profitable fight along with Gervonta Davis in November. There's additionally a probability that Lomachenko will certainly return in the very first one-half of 2025 to safeguard his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a combating mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson must be actually split at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was viewed informing Stevenson, "Let's go appropriate now.If that is actually any sort of sign, Lomachenko will fight once more. Maybe even versus Davis or even Stevenson, both largest matches on the desk for him. But if he never ever laces up the gloves again, Lomachenko's tradition is safeguarded. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and a pillar of the pound-for-pound checklist over the last 10 years.He additionally doesn't require to eliminate for the money. He is actually made numerous bucks in his profession and still resides in Ukraine, where he is just one of the nation's most well-known sportsmens. Regardless if he deals with once again, he undoubtedly will not accomplish this a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as ends up being a champ in a 3rd divisionNot genuine. Garcia has actually outplayed the possibilities prior to, consisting of an astonishing KO win over Amir Khan and also a leading decision success over Lucas Matthysse. The initial gain elevated him to the upper echelon of the sport and the last cemented that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years back, however, and also those 2 trademark Garcia victories went to 140 extra pounds (he also gained a title at 147 pounds and went up to 154 for a July 2022 get Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still seeking a gain that matches that, and a dismayed success over Lara would accommodate the bill.Garcia didn't be similar to the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and he have not completed since. Currently, he'll go up another body weight lesson (though the Lara battle is actually taking place at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) as well as need to contend with band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight label fight versus Lara will be Garcia's 2nd due to the fact that December 2020, when he was transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The choose below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, shows tremendous power, albeit against fighters beneath Garcia's amount. Lara is using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's fight versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, defends his recognized extremely middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading superstar, have not scored a KO triumph considering that he squashed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 match to win the undeniable super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a knockdown in his final 3 matches. Versus a boxer in Berlanga, that are going to be actually dealing with on the best degree for the very first time, Alvarez ought to incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually hurt in the band before, namely in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, who fell him in Cycle 9. And his defense isn't precisely appear. Berlanga possesses electrical power (he began his job along with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the first round), as well as if he selects to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a set of news conferences recently to advertise the match.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Nothing else featherweight champion may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a real risk to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk decision to succeed the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in 3 of the 4 shots, while his outbreak succeed along with Ramirez was one of the best battles in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world featherweight champ in background-- would certainly be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho did well to rise from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Sphere 1, prior to he was very soon overwhelmed. As a professional, Chirinho had actually certainly never been brought down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the final 3 spheres. Although he is certainly not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the quantity of strikes he has actually included his final 2 battles, alongside his height as well as get to perks, could possibly prove unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared unconvincing in latest fights, while our team still need to have to find more coming from Chip Ball before our team declare him the department's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight label along with a split selection win over Raymond Ford in June. That conquest observed a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. Yet Espinoza would certainly tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfactory versus Ball and has actually not succeeded in virtually two years, so it is tough to offer 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 eight spheres in a 3rd protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually gotten over huge problems in label battles, like boxing in a champion's home town and receiving slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he gains on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might maybe encounter his most significant challenge however in a label unification fight versus Espinoza to crown the greatest fighter in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' rebirth has been actually merely a year after being dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, recent kind advises his first IBF heavyweight headline protection will finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in leading kind, even more therefore than any other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has needed to reconstruct his occupation, after suffering next selection losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua battled very carefully, along with a consensual decision win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his last three fights, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim big-time champion after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF belt, which indicated Dubois was improved to complete champion, therefore provides Joshua along with the option to become a three-time world champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will certainly attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had repeated success along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early arounds, and also Joshua has actually received recent fights how damaging his right-hand men are after he damaged Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC heavyweight champion's face to take him out cold. Joshua will certainly take possession of the opportunity if Dubois creates themself likewise offered, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is a bigger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois revealed longevity to take in type June, he has actually been stopped two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2014) and also was knocked down three times in the preliminary through Kevin Lerena just before bouncing back to succeed in Round 3. Yet it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, that also needs to have to respect Dubois' electrical power. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's face and also may likely manage a surprise blockage versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. However Joshua, that ruled as champ from 2016 to 2019 and then coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually very likely to win this fight by KO.-- Parkinson.