.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo generally activity of a Leading Ranking on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction resided in May 2019 as well as he has gained 14 successive matches considering that, including outstanding success over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently denied a profitable battle versus fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Container" Davis and while he hasn't announced his retirement life, will certainly our experts observe "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will create his 2nd band appeal this year, yet not against the boxer followers have demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely face Edgar Berlanga, that's certainly never dealt with at this amount in his quick occupation. While Berlanga possesses incredible power-- he began his profession with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can easily he find a technique to gain, or at the very least go the range versus Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will certainly defend a label for the very first time in two years. Joshua will certainly encounter IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually chosen to become a three-time world champ (-550 every ESPN BET). And two-division champion Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for only the second time in almost 4 years to tackle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that gained belts at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is moving up in weight for the opportunity to come to be a three-division champ, yet can he upset a much older yet still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Scar Parkinson respond to these questions and also more, attempting to differentiate what's actual and what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely retire without an additional fightNot true ... for now. Lomachenko is pondering retired life, resources informed ESPN, component of the main reason he declined a financially rewarding match with Gervonta Davis in November. There's additionally an option that Lomachenko will come back in the first half of 2025 to defend his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a fighting state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson had to be actually split at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually observed saying to Stevenson, "Allow's go correct now.If that's any sort of evidence, Lomachenko will definitely battle once again. Perhaps even versus Davis or Stevenson, the two biggest matches on the table for him. However if he never ever shoelaces up the gloves once again, Lomachenko's legacy is protected. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and an essential of the pound-for-pound checklist over the final 10 years.He likewise does not need to overcome for the money. He is actually gotten numerous dollars in his career and still stays in Ukraine, where he is among the country's most prominent sportsmens. Regardless if he battles again, he absolutely will not do this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and ends up being a champ in a third divisionNot true. Garcia has upset the odds just before, consisting of an astonishing KO gain Amir Khan and a leading choice success over Lucas Matthysse. The initial gain lifted him to the upper echelon of the sport as well as the second bound that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years back, however, and also those two signature Garcia success went to 140 pounds (he additionally gained a headline at 147 pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still hunting for a gain that matches that, and an upset victory over Lara would accommodate the bill.Garcia failed to be similar to the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and also he have not completed because. Currently, he'll go up one more weight class (though the Lara battle is occurring at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 extra pounds) and must emulate ring stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline fight versus Lara will definitely be Garcia's second because December 2020, when he was routed by Errol Spence Jr.The decide on listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, reveals enormous electrical power, albeit versus fighters below Garcia's amount. Lara is riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's battle versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, guards his recognized super middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's best superstar, hasn't scored a KO victory given that he squashed Caleb Plant in a November 2021 battle to win the undisputed very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a knockdown in his last 3 matches. Against a fighter in Berlanga, who will definitely be battling on the top level for the first time, Alvarez ought to incorporate the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been harmed in the band in the past, specifically in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, who lost him in Cycle 9. And his protection isn't precisely appear. Berlanga possesses energy (he began his job with 16 successive KO gains in the first round), as well as if he picks to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez assured as much at a pair of news conferences this week to market the fight.-- Coppinger Real or not: Nothing else light champ can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a genuine risk to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and also beating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number choice to win the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the four shots, while his escapement succeed along with Ramirez was one of the most ideal battles in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest world light champion in history-- would certainly be a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get up from an uppercut from Espinoza in Around 1, just before he was quickly overthrown. As a professional, Chirinho had never ever been brought down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last 3 spheres. Although he is actually not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the volume of hits he has actually included his last two matches, along with his elevation and also hit perks, could possibly prove impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked unconvincing in recent matches, while our experts still need to see much more coming from Scar Ball just before our experts proclaim him the division's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight label with a split selection get Raymond Ford in June. That conquest observed a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. But Espinoza would stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfying versus Round and has certainly not gained in nearly 2 years, so it is actually tough to show a disagreement for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 spheres in a third protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually beat significant obstacles in title fights, like punching in a champion's hometown and acquiring cut very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he gains on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might maybe experience his greatest obstacle however in a title unification battle against Espinoza to crown the most effective competitor in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' rebirth has actually been simply a year after being stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, recent kind recommends his first IBF abundant label defense will certainly finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in leading kind, much more therefore than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has needed to restore his profession, after experiencing next choice losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua battled very carefully, along with an unanimous selection win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last three fights, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting big-time champion after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF belt, which indicated Dubois was actually updated to complete champion, therefore presents Joshua with the opportunity to come to be a three-time planet champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua are going to try to exploit what Hrgovic had repeated excellence along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continually landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early rounds, and Joshua has shown in current fights exactly how harmful his right-hand men seek he destroyed Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the past UFC heavyweight champ's jaw to take him out chilly. Joshua will take possession of the possibility if Dubois creates himself likewise available, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois presented toughness to absorb punches in June, he has been actually ceased twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk last year) as well as was knocked down three attend the preliminary by Kevin Lerena before recuperating to succeed in Round 3. But it is no walk in the park for Joshua, that likewise needs to respect Dubois' electrical power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's skin as well as can likely carry out a surprise halt versus Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. But Joshua, that ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and after that coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually more probable to gain this battle by KO.-- Parkinson.