.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo generally celebration of a Best Rank 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 won 14 consecutive fights due to the fact that, consisting of remarkable triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently denied a beneficial battle against fellow light-weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and also while he have not revealed his retirement life, are going to our company observe "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly create his second ring look this year, yet certainly not versus the fighter fans have actually clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will encounter Edgar Berlanga, who's never fought at this amount in his quick profession. While Berlanga possesses extraordinary power-- he started his job along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can he find a way to succeed, or even at least go the span versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua are going to defend a label for the very first time in 2 years. Joshua will definitely deal with IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually favored to become a three-time world champion (-550 every ESPN BET). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia goes back to the ring for only the 2nd time in virtually 4 years to tackle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that won waistbands at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is actually moving up in body weight for the odds to end up being a three-division champion, but can easily he distress an older however still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Chip Parkinson address these concerns and more, trying to differentiate what's actual and what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to resign without yet another fightNot actual ... for now. Lomachenko is considering retired life, sources informed ESPN, portion of the main reason he declined a profitable battle with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually likewise an opportunity that Lomachenko will return in the 1st one-half of 2025 to guard his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a battling mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson needed to be split at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually viewed telling Stevenson, "Permit's go appropriate now.If that is actually any type of evidence, Lomachenko will definitely battle once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, both greatest battles on the desk for him. However if he never shoelaces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's legacy is protected. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and a mainstay of the pound-for-pound list over the last 10 years.He likewise doesn't need to eliminate for the money. He's gotten numerous bucks in his job and also still stays in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's most well-liked professional athletes. Regardless if he fights once more, he definitely will not accomplish this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara as well as comes to be a champ in a third divisionNot real. Garcia has outplayed the probabilities before, including a surprising KO get Amir Khan and a leading selection success over Lucas Matthysse. The initial win raised him to the higher echelon of the sporting activity and the second bound that status.But the Matthysse match was 11 years back, however, and those two trademark Garcia success were at 140 pounds (he additionally succeeded a headline at 147 pounds and also went up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still searching for a gain that matches that, and also a distressed victory over Lara would accommodate the bill.Garcia failed to appear like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, as well as he have not contended given that. Right now, he'll move up yet another weight lesson (though the Lara match is actually happening at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and also need to emulate band inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline battle versus Lara will definitely be actually Garcia's 2nd given that December 2020, when he was actually routed through Errol Spence Jr.The pick right here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, shows tremendous electrical power, albeit against boxers under Garcia's level. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's battle against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, defends his uncontested extremely middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading superstar, hasn't racked up a KO triumph considering that he flattened Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 match to win the indisputable incredibly middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a presentation in his last three battles. Versus a fighter in Berlanga, who will be combating on the leading degree for the first time, Alvarez ought to incorporate the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been hurt in the ring before, specifically in a step-up match versus Marcelo Coceres, who dropped him in Cycle 9. As well as his protection isn't specifically sound. Berlanga possesses electrical power (he started his occupation with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the preliminary), and if he chooses to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez promised as a lot at a set of press conference today to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other light champ can beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a real risk to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number choice to succeed the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the four rounds, while his escapement succeed along with Ramirez was one of the very best battles in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet lightweight champion in history-- would be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho did well to get up coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was actually quickly subdued. As a specialist, Chirinho had certainly never been brought down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the final 3 spheres. Although he is actually not as experienced as Lopez, the amount of strikes he has thrown in his final 2 battles, together with his height and reach perks, could possibly verify unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked unconvincing in recent matches, while our team still require to find even more coming from Nick Round before we announce him the department's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight label with a split choice sway Raymond Ford in June. That conquest followed a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. But Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfying versus Round and also has certainly not gained in nearly 2 years, so it is difficult to present an argument for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in 8 arounds in a third protection of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has beat big difficulties in headline matches, like punching in a champion's hometown and also receiving cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he succeeds on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may perhaps face his most significant difficulty yet in a label marriage fight against Espinoza to crown the best fighter in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' revival has actually been actually merely a year after being stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, recent form advises his first IBF abundant label protection will definitely end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in leading form, much more thus than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has had to restore his job, after enduring next choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua fought cautiously, with a consensual selection get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final three battles, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting heavyweight champ after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF belt, which suggested Dubois was upgraded to total champion, consequently presents Joshua along with the chance to come to be a three-time world champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had duplicated results with versus Dubois. Hrgovic frequently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early spheres, as well as Joshua has received latest matches how damaging his right hands seek he ruined Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC big-time champion's face to take him out chilly. Joshua will confiscate the opportunity if Dubois produces themself in a similar way accessible, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a larger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois showed longevity to absorb punches in June, he has actually been actually ceased twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2015) and also was knocked down 3 times in the first round by Kevin Lerena prior to recouping to gain in Round 3. But it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, who likewise needs to have to appreciate Dubois' power. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's face as well as can likely carry out a surprise stop against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. Yet Joshua, that concluded as champ from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is more probable to succeed this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.