.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo generally event of a Best Position on ESPN memory 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 won 14 successive battles considering that, including excellent victories over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently declined a lucrative battle versus fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Container" Davis and also while he have not introduced his retired life, will definitely our experts find "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will create his 2nd band appeal this year, yet certainly not versus the boxer followers have actually demanded. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly face Edgar Berlanga, who's certainly never combated at this degree in his brief career. While Berlanga has incredible power-- he started his profession with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he locate a means to win, or even at least go the span against Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua are going to fight for a title for the very first time in pair of years. Joshua will definitely experience IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is favored to come to be a three-time globe champ (-550 per ESPN BET). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the ring for just the second time in practically 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded waistbands at 140 and also 147 extra pounds, is moving up in weight for the chance to become a three-division champion, however can he upset a more mature however still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Scar Parkinson address these concerns and also more, trying to identify what's true as well as what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to resign without one more fightNot genuine ... for now. Lomachenko is considering retirement, sources told ESPN, part of the reason he decreased a beneficial match with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually likewise an opportunity that Lomachenko will certainly return in the first one-half of 2025 to protect his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a battling mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson needed to be actually divided at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually seen saying to Stevenson, "Allow's go correct now.If that's any sign, Lomachenko will battle once again. Perhaps even against Davis or even Stevenson, both largest battles on the table for him. However if he never ever laces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's tradition is actually protected. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a mainstay of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He also doesn't require to eliminate for the cash. He's earned numerous dollars in his profession as well as still stays in Ukraine, where he is just one of the nation's most well-liked professional athletes. Regardless if he fights once more, he certainly won't do so much longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara as well as ends up being a champion in a 3rd divisionNot real. Garcia has actually upset the probabilities before, featuring a shocking KO gain Amir Khan and also a dominant choice success over Lucas Matthysse. The initial win raised him to the higher tier of the sporting activity and the latter cemented that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years earlier, however, and also those 2 signature Garcia triumphes went to 140 pounds (he additionally succeeded a headline at 147 extra pounds as well as went up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still seeking a win that matches that, and an upset victory over Lara will suit the bill.Garcia didn't appear like the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and he hasn't competed due to the fact that. Now, he'll move up yet another weight lesson (though the Lara fight is happening at a catchweight between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and need to emulate band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight label fight versus Lara are going to be actually Garcia's 2nd since December 2020, when he was actually transmitted by Errol Spence Jr.The choose right here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, shows incredible electrical power, albeit versus fighters beneath Garcia's level. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's battle versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, guards his undeniable extremely middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best star, have not racked up a KO triumph considering that he squashed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 fight to win the undeniable very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a knockdown in his last three battles. Against a fighter in Berlanga, who will be actually fighting on the leading level for the very first time, Alvarez ought to incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually hurt in the ring previously, such as in a step-up battle against Marcelo Coceres, that fell him in Cycle 9. And his defense isn't precisely sound. Berlanga has electrical power (he started his career along with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the first round), as well as if he picks to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as a lot at a pair of press conference today to ensure the fight.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other light champ can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks an actual threat to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June and also beating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk selection to win the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in 3 of the 4 rounds, while his outbreak succeed with Ramirez was just one of the most ideal battles in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest planet featherweight champ in history-- will be actually a problem for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to get out of bed from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, just before he was quickly overthrown. As a specialist, Chirinho had never ever been actually brought down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the last 3 rounds. Although he is actually certainly not as skilled as Lopez, the amount of blows he has actually thrown in his final 2 battles, in addition to his elevation as well as reach benefits, can verify insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared unconvincing in recent fights, while our experts still require to view much more from Chip Sphere before our team announce him the branch's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) caught the WBA featherweight title along with a split decision sway Raymond Ford in June. That conquest adhered to a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. Yet Espinoza would certainly stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Round as well as has actually not gained in nearly 2 years, so it is difficult to provide a debate for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in eight rounds in a 3rd protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually conquered significant problems in title battles, like boxing in a champion's home town as well as obtaining cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he gains on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he might probably encounter his largest problem but in a label marriage match against Espinoza to dental crown the greatest fighter in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' resurgence has been only a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, current form proposes his very first IBF abundant headline protection will finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in best type, extra thus than some other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually must reconstruct his profession, after going through back-to-back selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua battled very carefully, with a consentaneous selection win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final 3 matches, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting heavyweight champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF waistband, which indicated Dubois was actually improved to complete champion, consequently shows Joshua with the chance to come to be a three-time world champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will certainly attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually duplicated excellence along with against Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right hands on Dubois in the early spheres, as well as Joshua has shown in recent fights how harmful his right-hand men are after he ruined Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the past UFC heavyweight champion's chin to knock him out chilly. Joshua will seize the possibility if Dubois makes themself similarly offered, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois presented longevity to absorb punches in June, he has actually been actually quit twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk last year) as well as was actually defeated 3 attend the preliminary through Kevin Lerena just before recuperating to gain in Cycle 3. But it is actually no walk in the park for Joshua, who additionally requires to appreciate Dubois' power. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's face and also can potentially pull off a shock deduction against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. However Joshua, who concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards coming from 2019 to 2021, is more likely to succeed this battle by KO.-- Parkinson.