.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo in the main activity 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 final reduction was in May 2019 as well as he has actually won 14 consecutive fights given that, including remarkable triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently rejected a beneficial match versus fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis as well as while he have not introduced his retirement life, will our company find "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely make his second band appeal this year, but not versus the fighter supporters have actually demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly deal with Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never ever combated at this level in his quick job. While Berlanga has extraordinary electrical power-- he began his profession with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can he locate a way to gain, or even at the very least go the range against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will defend a headline for the first time in pair of years. Joshua will definitely face IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is chosen to end up being a three-time globe champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia goes back to the band for only the second time in just about 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded belts at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is going up in weight for the chance to come to be a three-division champion, however can easily he upset a more mature but still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Nick Parkinson answer these inquiries and also additional, making an effort to identify what's actual as well as what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will retire without another fightNot real ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually pondering retired life, sources informed ESPN, portion of the explanation he dropped a highly profitable match along with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually also an option that Lomachenko are going to return in the initial fifty percent of 2025 to defend his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a dealing with mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson must be actually separated at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually seen telling Stevenson, "Let's go appropriate now.If that is actually any type of indication, Lomachenko will combat once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the two greatest fights on the table for him. However if he certainly never shoelaces up the handwear covers once more, Lomachenko's legacy is actually safeguarded. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and also a pillar of the pound-for-pound list over the final 10 years.He likewise does not need to combat for the cash. He's gotten countless dollars in his career and still lives in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's very most well-known professional athletes. Whether he deals with once again, he definitely won't do so a lot longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as ends up being a champion in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has upset the chances just before, featuring an astonishing KO win over Amir Khan and a leading decision victory over Lucas Matthysse. The first win elevated him to the top tier of the sporting activity as well as the latter bound that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years ago, however, and those pair of trademark Garcia victories were at 140 pounds (he additionally succeeded a label at 147 pounds and also moved up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still hunting for a win that matches that, and a distressed triumph over Lara would accommodate the bill.Garcia really did not look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and also he hasn't contended given that. Right now, he'll move up an additional weight class (though the Lara fight is actually happening at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and must contend with band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight title fight versus Lara are going to be actually Garcia's 2nd considering that December 2020, when he was directed through Errol Spence Jr.The choose below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, reveals tremendous electrical power, albeit versus boxers under Garcia's degree. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, guards his undeniable very middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's best superstar, hasn't racked up a KO victory considering that he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 battle to gain the undisputed incredibly middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a presentation in his last three battles. Against a boxer in Berlanga, who will be actually combating on the leading degree for the very first time, Alvarez needs to incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been harmed in the band previously, namely in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Round 9. And his protection isn't precisely sound. Berlanga possesses energy (he began his profession along with 16 successive KO gains in the first round), and if he picks to trade with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a pair of press conference today to ensure the match.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other light champion can beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a genuine hazard to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority choice to gain the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the 4 rounds, while his breakout succeed along with Ramirez was among the very best battles in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world lightweight champion in background-- would be actually an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to get up from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, prior to he was actually very soon overthrown. As a professional, Chirinho had never been actually torn down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last three arounds. Although he is certainly not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the amount of hits he has actually included his final 2 battles, alongside his elevation and also arrive at advantages, might show impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked implausible in latest matches, while our company still need to find a lot more coming from Scar Round just before we announce him the department's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight label along with a split decision get Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment complied with a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually disappointing versus Round and has not won in virtually two years, so it is actually hard to offer a debate for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in eight spheres in a 3rd defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually overcome large difficulties in label fights, like boxing in a champion's home town and also getting cut very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he wins on Saturday versus Angelo Leo, he might possibly encounter his largest difficulty but in a label unification battle against Espinoza to dental crown the best boxer in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' revival has actually been actually merely a year after being actually come by Oleksandr Usyk, recent kind advises his 1st IBF heavyweight headline defense will definitely finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in top kind, a lot more thus than any other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually must restore his job, after enduring back-to-back choice losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua fought carefully, with a consentaneous selection gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his final 3 fights, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting heavyweight champion after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF waistband, which suggested Dubois was actually upgraded to total champ, and so presents Joshua with the chance to end up being a three-time globe champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will definitely try to manipulate what Hrgovic had duplicated success with versus Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early spheres, as well as Joshua has actually received latest battles exactly how harmful his right hands seek he ruined Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC big-time champ's jaw to knock him out cold. Joshua will definitely confiscate the possibility if Dubois creates themself likewise readily available, as he carried out versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois presented longevity to soak up type June, he has been actually stopped two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk last year) and also was actually defeated 3 attend the preliminary through Kevin Lerena before recuperating to win in Round 3. Yet it is actually no stroll in the playground for Joshua, who additionally needs to appreciate Dubois' energy. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's face and can likely manage a shock interruption versus Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. However Joshua, that ruled as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is more likely to succeed this match by KO.-- Parkinson.