.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo generally occasion of a Leading Position on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last loss resided in May 2019 and he has actually succeeded 14 consecutive matches since, featuring remarkable victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the very best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately declined a highly profitable match against fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Container" Davis and also while he hasn't announced his retired life, will certainly we view "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly make his 2nd band look this year, but not versus the boxer fans have demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will encounter Edgar Berlanga, who's certainly never dealt with at this degree in his brief job. While Berlanga possesses incredible electrical power-- he started his occupation along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can he locate a method to gain, or even at least go the span against Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will defend a label for the very first time in two years. Joshua will certainly face IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is preferred to come to be a three-time world champ (-550 per ESPN BET). And two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the band for just the second time in practically 4 years to tackle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who won waistbands at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is actually going up in weight for the possibility to end up being a three-division champion, yet can easily he distress a more mature yet still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Nick Parkinson answer these questions and also additional, attempting to distinguish what's actual as well as what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly retire without yet another fightNot real ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is actually reflecting upon retired life, resources informed ESPN, portion of the reason he declined a financially rewarding match along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's also an opportunity that Lomachenko will certainly come back in the initial half of 2025 to protect his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a dealing with state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson must be divided at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was actually viewed saying to Stevenson, "Allow's go best now.If that is actually any sort of sign, Lomachenko will deal with once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or Stevenson, the two biggest fights on the desk for him. Yet if he never laces up the gloves once again, Lomachenko's legacy is safeguarded. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall 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 combat for the money. He is actually made numerous bucks in his job and still resides in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's most prominent professional athletes. Whether or not he battles again, he certainly won't do so a lot longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also comes to be a champion in a 3rd divisionNot genuine. Garcia has actually outplayed the odds prior to, including a stunning KO draw Amir Khan as well as a leading selection success over Lucas Matthysse. The very first win raised him to the upper tier of the sport and the last cemented that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years earlier, however, and those pair of trademark Garcia victories were at 140 pounds (he additionally won a headline at 147 pounds and also went up to 154 for a July 2022 gain Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still seeking a gain that matches that, as well as a dismayed success over Lara would accommodate the bill.Garcia failed to look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, as well as he hasn't contended because. Currently, he'll go up yet another body weight training class (though the Lara match is occurring at a catchweight between 155 and 160 pounds) and also must contend with band lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight title match versus Lara are going to be actually Garcia's 2nd considering that December 2020, when he was actually directed through Errol Spence Jr.The pick right here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, shows remarkable electrical power, albeit versus fighters under Garcia's amount. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, guards his undisputed incredibly middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading superstar, hasn't racked up a KO triumph due to the fact that he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 fight to succeed the recognized very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a presentation in his last three fights. Against a fighter in Berlanga, who will be combating on the top amount for the very first time, Alvarez ought to include the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been injured in the ring in the past, such as in a step-up match versus Marcelo Coceres, who dropped him in Cycle 9. And also his protection isn't exactly seem. Berlanga has electrical power (he started his career along with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the preliminary), and also if he opts for to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as a lot at a pair of press conference recently to advertise the match.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: No other featherweight champion may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a true danger to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority choice to win the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in 3 of the four rounds, while his outbreak win with Ramirez was just one of the most ideal matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest globe light champ in past-- would certainly be a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get up from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, before he was quickly overthrown. As a qualified, Chirinho had certainly never been brought down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a shock in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the last 3 arounds. Although he is actually not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the amount of blows he has actually thrown in his last 2 fights, alongside his height and arrive at advantages, could show unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked unconvincing in latest fights, while our experts still require to find a lot more from Scar Ball just before our experts proclaim him the branch's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight label with a split decision gain Raymond Ford in June. That triumph followed a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. Yet Espinoza will tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Round and also has certainly not gained in nearly 2 years, so it is actually tough to provide a disagreement for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a 3rd defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually overcome large obstacles in headline matches, like punching in a champ's hometown as well as obtaining cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he gains on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he may possibly face his greatest problem however in a label unification battle against Espinoza to dental crown the most ideal competitor in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' resurgence has been simply a year after being visited Oleksandr Usyk, latest type suggests his 1st IBF abundant label defense are going to end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in top form, extra thus than some other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually must rebuild his career, after enduring next choice losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua combated very carefully, along with a consentaneous choice get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his last 3 battles, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting heavyweight champ after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk at that point gave up the IBF waistband, which implied Dubois was actually upgraded to full champ, therefore offers Joshua with the opportunity to become a three-time globe champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will certainly try to exploit what Hrgovic had actually repeated success with versus Dubois. Hrgovic frequently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early spheres, as well as Joshua has actually shown in latest matches how destructive his right-hand men want he ruined Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the former UFC heavyweight champ's chin to take him out cold. Joshua will certainly seize the chance if Dubois produces themself similarly on call, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a larger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois revealed sturdiness to absorb punches in June, he has been actually stopped twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2014) and was knocked down 3 times in the first round by Kevin Lerena before bouncing back to gain in Round 3. Yet it is actually no walk in the park for Joshua, that likewise needs to have to recognize Dubois' electrical power. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's face and may possibly pull off a surprise halt against Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. Yet Joshua, who ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards from 2019 to 2021, is more likely to win this battle by KO.-- Parkinson.