.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo in the main celebration of a Best Rank on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction remained in May 2019 and also he has actually succeeded 14 consecutive battles considering that, consisting of excellent victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the most effective featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently refused a highly profitable fight versus fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis as well as while he hasn't announced his retirement, will certainly we view "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will create his 2nd ring appearance this year, yet not against the competitor fans have demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly encounter Edgar Berlanga, that's never ever combated at this amount in his quick job. While Berlanga possesses incredible electrical power-- he started his occupation with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he discover a way to succeed, or at least go the distance against Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will certainly fight for a title for the first time in two years. Joshua is going to face IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is favored to come to be a three-time globe champ (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the ring for merely the 2nd attend virtually 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded belts at 140 and 147 pounds, is moving up in body weight for the possibility to become a three-division champion, however may he distress an older yet still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Nick Parkinson address these questions and more, making an effort to distinguish what's actual and what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will retire without another fightNot actual ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually pondering retirement, resources informed ESPN, component of the cause he decreased a beneficial fight with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's likewise an opportunity that Lomachenko are going to come back in the very first half of 2025 to protect his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a combating state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson needed to be actually separated at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was observed saying to Stevenson, "Let's go best now.If that's any type of indicator, Lomachenko will definitely battle once again. Maybe even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the two most significant battles on the table for him. Yet if he certainly never shoelaces up the gloves again, Lomachenko's legacy is gotten. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer as well as an essential of the pound-for-pound list over the last 10 years.He also does not need to have to overcome for the cash. He is actually made millions of bucks in his profession as well as still stays in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's very most prominent sportsmens. Regardless if he fights once more, he undoubtedly will not do this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also becomes a champion in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has actually outplayed the odds prior to, featuring a shocking KO gain Amir Khan as well as a dominant choice success over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st win lifted him to the upper tier of the sporting activity as well as the last sealed that status.But the Matthysse fight was actually 11 years back, though, and also those 2 signature Garcia triumphes were at 140 pounds (he additionally won a title at 147 extra pounds as well as moved up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still searching for a gain that matches that, and a distressed success over Lara would fit the bill.Garcia really did not appear like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and he hasn't contended considering that. Now, he'll go up yet another body weight lesson (though the Lara battle is occurring at a catchweight between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and have to contend with ring lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline battle versus Lara are going to be actually Garcia's second considering that December 2020, when he was routed through Errol Spence Jr.The choose below is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, reveals remarkable energy, albeit versus competitors beneath Garcia's amount. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, guards his uncontested super 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 scored a KO success considering that he smoothed Caleb Plant in a November 2021 fight to succeed the recognized extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a presentation in his final three matches. Versus a boxer in Berlanga, that will definitely be combating on the leading amount for the first time, Alvarez should include the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually injured in the ring previously, such as in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, who lost him in Round 9. And his self defense isn't exactly seem. Berlanga possesses electrical power (he started his career with 16 successive KO wins in the first round), and if he decides on to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez vowed as much at a pair of press conference today to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other light champ can easily hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a real threat to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez by a bulk selection to succeed the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the 4 rounds, while his breakout gain with Ramirez was just one of the greatest fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet lightweight champ in background-- will be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to stand up from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, just before he was actually soon overpowered. As a qualified, Chirinho had actually certainly never been knocked down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last 3 arounds. Although he is not as seasoned as Lopez, the volume of punches he has included his last two battles, along with his elevation and get to benefits, could possibly verify unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked unconvincing in current matches, while our company still require to observe extra from Nick Sphere prior to our company declare him the division's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight label with a split choice win over Raymond Ford in June. That triumph complied with a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza would overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfactory versus Sphere and also has actually certainly not gained in almost 2 years, so it is tough to offer an argument for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in 8 arounds in a third self defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has eliminated major challenges in label matches, like boxing in a champ's hometown and also getting slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he gains on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he might maybe encounter his largest challenge yet in a headline unification match versus Espinoza to crown the greatest competitor in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' rebirth has been actually merely a year after being visited Oleksandr Usyk, latest type suggests his initial IBF heavyweight title self defense will definitely end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in best form, even more therefore than some other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually must fix his job, after enduring back-to-back decision losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua fought meticulously, along with a consentaneous decision win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last three matches, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim heavyweight champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF waistband, which indicated Dubois was improved to full champion, consequently offers Joshua with the opportunity to end up being a three-time world champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will certainly attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually duplicated results along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early arounds, and Joshua has displayed in recent battles exactly how detrimental his right hands desire he damaged Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the former UFC big-time champ's chin to knock him out chilly. Joshua is going to take the opportunity if Dubois produces themself likewise available, as he carried out versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a greater puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois presented sturdiness to take in type June, he has actually been actually stopped twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2014) and also was knocked down three times in the first round through Kevin Lerena just before recovering to gain in Round 3. Yet it is actually no walk in the playground for Joshua, who likewise needs to have to appreciate Dubois' energy. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's face and may potentially pull off a shock deduction versus Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, that ruled as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and then coming from 2019 to 2021, is more likely to succeed this fight by KO.-- Parkinson.