.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo generally occasion of a Leading Position on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction remained in May 2019 as well as he has actually gained 14 consecutive matches due to the fact that, including remarkable success over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the very best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently rejected a profitable match versus fellow light-weight champ Gervonta "Tank" Davis and also while he have not announced his retired life, will our experts see "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly make his 2nd band look this year, however certainly not against the competitor followers have demanded. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo is going to encounter Edgar Berlanga, that is actually certainly never fought at this level in his quick occupation. While Berlanga possesses astonishing power-- he started his occupation with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he find a technique to gain, or even at least go the span versus Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua are going to fight for a headline for the very first time in pair of years. Joshua will encounter IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is chosen to come to be a three-time world champion (-550 every ESPN BET). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for just the 2nd attend just about 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded waistbands at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is moving up in weight for the possibility to come to be a three-division champion, but can he upset a much older yet still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Scar Parkinson address these concerns and more, trying to differentiate what's true as well as what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will retire without yet another fightNot actual ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is contemplating retired life, sources said to ESPN, part of the main reason he dropped a profitable fight along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's additionally a possibility that Lomachenko will definitely come back in the initial half of 2025 to shield his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a battling mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson needed to be actually split at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was seen telling Stevenson, "Allow's go ideal now.If that is actually any type of evidence, Lomachenko is going to deal with once again. Perhaps even versus Davis or Stevenson, the 2 most significant fights on the desk for him. Yet if he never ever laces up the gloves once again, Lomachenko's tradition is secured. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and an essential of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He likewise doesn't need to eliminate for the money. He's gained numerous bucks in his job and also still resides in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's most preferred athletes. Whether or not he deals with once more, he surely won't do this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and comes to be a champ in a third divisionNot true. Garcia has actually upset the possibilities just before, consisting of a stunning KO get Amir Khan and a prevalent decision success over Lucas Matthysse. The very first win elevated him to the upper echelon of the sporting activity and also the last bound that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years earlier, however, as well as those 2 trademark Garcia triumphes were at 140 pounds (he additionally gained a title at 147 extra pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still seeking a win that matches that, and also a distressed success over Lara would certainly match the bill.Garcia didn't be similar to the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and he hasn't contended due to the fact that. Now, he'll move up yet another weight training class (though the Lara fight is actually taking place at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 pounds) and must emulate ring lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight label match versus Lara will definitely be actually Garcia's 2nd given that December 2020, when he was actually transmitted by Errol Spence Jr.The pick right here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, presents enormous energy, albeit versus competitors under Garcia's amount. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's battle versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, safeguards his unquestioned incredibly middleweight championship against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best star, have not scored a KO victory because he smoothed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 fight to succeed the indisputable tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a knockdown in his last 3 fights. Versus a competitor in Berlanga, that are going to be actually combating on the top degree for the very first time, Alvarez must incorporate the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been hurt in the ring previously, namely in a step-up battle against Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Cycle 9. And his defense isn't precisely sound. Berlanga possesses electrical power (he began his job along with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the first round), and also if he picks to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a pair of news conferences today to advertise the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Nothing else lightweight champion may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a real threat to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number decision to succeed the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the 4 shots, while his escapement gain with Ramirez was one of the most ideal fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest world lightweight champion in record-- would be a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho did well to get out of bed from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was very soon overwhelmed. As an expert, Chirinho had never ever been torn down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last 3 spheres. Although he is not as professional as Lopez, the volume of strikes he has included his final 2 battles, together with his elevation as well as get to conveniences, might confirm impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared unconvincing in current fights, while our experts still need to find a lot more from Nick Sphere before our team declare him the division's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight headline along with a split decision get Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment adhered to a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. However Espinoza would certainly stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfactory versus Ball as well as has actually certainly not succeeded in nearly 2 years, so it is challenging to show a disagreement for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a 3rd self defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually eliminated significant challenges in title battles, like boxing in a champ's hometown and also obtaining slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he succeeds on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he may possibly experience his most significant difficulty but in a label unification battle against Espinoza to dental crown the greatest competitor in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' resurgence has been simply a year after being dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, current kind proposes his 1st IBF heavyweight headline protection will certainly end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in top type, a lot more therefore than any other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has must rebuild his career, after enduring back-to-back selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua battled meticulously, along with an unanimous choice get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last three battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim heavyweight champion after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk at that point gave up the IBF waistband, which suggested Dubois was actually updated to full champ, and so shows Joshua along with the possibility to become a three-time world champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will attempt to exploit what Hrgovic had redoed success with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continuously landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early rounds, and also Joshua has displayed in recent matches how detrimental his right-hand men want he damaged Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC heavyweight champion's jaw to knock him out cold. Joshua will take possession of the chance if Dubois creates himself in a similar way accessible, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is a larger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois showed longevity to take in punches in June, he has been stopped twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk last year) and was actually floored 3 attend the first round by Kevin Lerena prior to recovering to gain in Cycle 3. But it is actually no stroll in the playground for Joshua, that likewise needs to value Dubois' electrical power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's face as well as can potentially manage a shock discontinuance versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. But Joshua, that concluded as champ from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually most likely to gain this battle by KO.-- Parkinson.