.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo generally occasion of a Best Ranking on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last loss was in May 2019 as well as he has actually gained 14 successive matches due to the fact that, consisting of outstanding triumphes over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently refused a lucrative fight versus fellow lightweight champ Gervonta "Tank" Davis and while he have not introduced his retirement life, will certainly we see "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly make his 2nd ring appearance this year, but not against the competitor supporters have demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo is going to face Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never combated at this level in his brief career. While Berlanga possesses astonishing power-- he started his job along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can easily he locate a method to gain, or at the very least go the range against Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua are going to fight for a headline for the first time in two years. Joshua will definitely encounter IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is chosen to come to be a three-time world champ (-550 every ESPN BET). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia comes back to the band for only the second time in almost 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who won waistbands at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is actually moving up in weight for the opportunity to come to be a three-division champion, yet may he upset an older yet still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Nick Parkinson respond to these inquiries and also more, attempting to distinguish what's real as well as what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely retire without an additional fightNot genuine ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is contemplating retirement life, sources informed ESPN, part of the factor he dropped a beneficial match with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually likewise a probability that Lomachenko will come back in the 1st half of 2025 to safeguard his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a dealing with state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson must be actually split at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was viewed saying to Stevenson, "Allow's go appropriate now.If that is actually any type of indicator, Lomachenko is going to fight once again. Perhaps even versus Davis or Stevenson, both largest matches on the table for him. Yet if he never ever shoelaces up the gloves once again, Lomachenko's heritage is gotten. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and also a mainstay of the pound-for-pound list over the final 10 years.He also does not need to overcome for the cash. He is actually earned millions of dollars in his job and still dwells in Ukraine, where he's one of the country's very most prominent professional athletes. Regardless if he combats once again, he undoubtedly won't do so a lot longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also comes to be a champ in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has outplayed the chances before, featuring a surprising KO draw Amir Khan as well as a leading decision victory over Lucas Matthysse. The first gain elevated him to the top tier of the sporting activity and also the second bound that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years earlier, however, and those two signature Garcia success were at 140 extra pounds (he additionally gained a label 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 searching for a gain that matches that, and also a distressed triumph over Lara would accommodate the bill.Garcia failed to look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and he hasn't competed considering that. Currently, he'll go up an additional body weight lesson (though the Lara battle is taking place at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 pounds) and have to emulate ring stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline battle against Lara will certainly be actually Garcia's 2nd given that December 2020, when he was routed by Errol Spence Jr.The choose listed here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, reveals incredible electrical power, albeit versus fighters beneath Garcia's level. Lara is riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's battle against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, protects his indisputable incredibly middleweight championship against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's top celebrity, have not scored a KO victory since he smoothed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 fight to win the indisputable super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a knockdown in his last 3 fights. Against a boxer in Berlanga, that will be battling on the best amount for the very first time, Alvarez needs to incorporate the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually injured in the ring before, such as in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Cycle 9. And his self defense isn't precisely seem. Berlanga has electrical power (he started his career along with 16 consecutive KO gains in the first round), and if he selects to exchange with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez vowed as a lot at a pair of news conferences today to advertise the match.-- Coppinger Real or not: Not one other light champion can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a genuine hazard to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and also defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number choice to win the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the four rounds, while his breakout gain with Ramirez was one of the most ideal matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world featherweight champion in record-- will be a problem for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to rise coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Round 1, just before he was quickly overwhelmed. As a specialist, Chirinho had actually certainly never been brought down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last 3 arounds. Although he is actually certainly not as seasoned as Lopez, the quantity of hits he has actually thrown in his last 2 matches, together with his height and also arrive at perks, might confirm insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared implausible in recent battles, while our experts still need to find much more from Nick Round prior to our experts announce him the branch's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight label with a split selection sway Raymond Ford in June. That triumph complied with a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. But Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Ball and has actually not gained in virtually two years, so it is tough to present a debate for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in 8 rounds in a third self defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually gotten rid of huge challenges in title fights, like boxing in a champion's hometown as well as obtaining slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he succeeds on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may probably encounter his most significant challenge however in a title marriage fight against Espinoza to dental crown the best boxer in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will certainly KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' rebirth has actually been actually simply a year after being actually stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, current type advises his 1st IBF heavyweight headline defense will definitely finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in best kind, more thus than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has must fix his career, after going through back-to-back choice losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua fought meticulously, along with a consensual selection sway Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his final three matches, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting heavyweight champion after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk then gave up the IBF waistband, which meant Dubois was improved to complete champ, and so provides Joshua with the opportunity to come to be a three-time world champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will certainly attempt to exploit what Hrgovic had actually repeated success along with against Dubois. Hrgovic constantly landed right hands on Dubois in the early spheres, and Joshua has shown in recent battles just how harmful his right-hand men are after he ruined Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the past UFC heavyweight champion's face to take him out chilly. Joshua will certainly confiscate the opportunity if Dubois creates themself in a similar way accessible, as he did versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois revealed sturdiness to soak up punches in June, he has been quit twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2013) and was knocked down 3 attend the preliminary through Kevin Lerena prior to recovering to win in Cycle 3. However it is no stroll in the park for Joshua, who also needs to respect Dubois' electrical power. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's skin as well as may likely pull off a surprise halt versus Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. Yet Joshua, who ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards coming from 2019 to 2021, is more likely to succeed this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.