.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo generally activity 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 final reduction resided in May 2019 as well as he has actually gained 14 successive battles due to the fact that, including outstanding triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the most effective featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently refused a lucrative fight versus fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis as well as while he have not announced his retired life, are going to our company see "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez are going to make his 2nd band look this year, however not against the boxer fans have actually demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo is going to face Edgar Berlanga, who is actually never ever combated at this degree in his short career. While Berlanga has astonishing power-- he started his career with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he locate a means to gain, or even at least go the proximity versus Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will definitely defend a label for the first time in two years. Joshua will certainly encounter IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is preferred to come to be a three-time world champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for only the second time in virtually 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that won belts at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is actually moving up in weight for the possibility to become a three-division champ, however can he upset an older however still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and Scar Parkinson respond to these inquiries and also more, attempting to distinguish what's true and what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will resign without another fightNot actual ... for now. Lomachenko is pondering retirement life, resources told ESPN, aspect of the factor he dropped a beneficial fight with Gervonta Davis in November. There's additionally an opportunity that Lomachenko will certainly return in the first half of 2025 to protect his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a battling state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson had to be actually split at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was viewed informing Stevenson, "Allow's go best now.If that is actually any sort of sign, Lomachenko will certainly deal with once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the 2 biggest fights on the desk for him. Yet if he certainly never laces up the handwear covers again, Lomachenko's tradition is safeguarded. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and a pillar of the pound-for-pound checklist over the last 10 years.He additionally does not require to eliminate for the cash. He is actually made millions of dollars in his profession as well as still lives in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's most well-known sportsmens. Regardless if he battles once again, he surely won't do this much longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as comes to be a champion in a third divisionNot real. Garcia has upset the probabilities just before, including a shocking KO win over Amir Khan and also a dominant decision triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The initial win elevated him to the upper tier of the sport and also the second cemented that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years earlier, though, and also those two signature Garcia success went to 140 extra pounds (he also gained a title at 147 extra pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still looking for a win that matches that, as well as a distressed victory over Lara would certainly fit the bill.Garcia really did not look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and also he have not completed because. Right now, he'll move up yet another weight class (though the Lara battle is actually occurring at a catchweight between 155 as well as 160 extra pounds) and also have to contend with ring lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline battle versus Lara will be Garcia's second considering that December 2020, when he was routed through Errol Spence Jr.The pick right here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, presents tremendous power, albeit against fighters under Garcia's level. Lara is riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, guards his undisputed tremendously middleweight championship against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's best star, have not scored a KO triumph since he flattened Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 match to gain the unquestioned extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a presentation in his last three matches. Versus a competitor in Berlanga, who are going to be dealing with on the leading amount for the very first time, Alvarez should incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually harmed in the ring in the past, namely in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, who fell him in Cycle 9. As well as his self defense isn't exactly appear. Berlanga possesses energy (he began his job along with 16 successive KO succeeds in the preliminary), as well as if he chooses to swap with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez vowed as a lot at a pair of press conference recently to advertise the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: Not one other lightweight champ can easily beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears an actual hazard to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and also beating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number decision to gain the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the four shots, while his escapement succeed along with Ramirez was just one of the most effective matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest planet featherweight champion in background-- would be a problem for Lopez. Chirinho did well to get up from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, prior to he was actually quickly overwhelmed. As a qualified, Chirinho had actually certainly never been torn down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the final three spheres. Although he is not as expert as Lopez, the volume of punches he has included his last two battles, along with his elevation and get to advantages, could prove unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked implausible in current fights, while our experts still need to find much more from Nick Ball just before our team proclaim him the division's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight headline with a split decision sway Raymond Ford in June. That triumph complied with a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. However Espinoza would stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually frustrating versus Sphere as well as has not won in almost 2 years, so it is actually challenging to offer a debate for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in eight spheres in a third protection of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has gotten rid of huge challenges in headline battles, like boxing in a champ's neighborhood and also receiving slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he gains on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might perhaps encounter his largest problem yet in a headline unification battle against Espinoza to crown the most effective competitor in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' rebirth has actually been actually only a year after being actually stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, recent form proposes his 1st IBF abundant title defense will end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in top kind, extra therefore than any other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually must rebuild his occupation, after suffering next selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua dealt with cautiously, with a consentaneous decision win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his last three matches, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting heavyweight champion after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF waistband, which indicated Dubois was updated to complete champ, and so shows Joshua along with the option to come to be a three-time globe champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will definitely attempt to exploit what Hrgovic had redoed success with versus Dubois. Hrgovic frequently landed right hands on Dubois in the very early arounds, as well as Joshua has actually shown in current fights how detrimental his right-hand men want he destroyed Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC heavyweight champ's face to knock him out cold. Joshua will confiscate the option if Dubois produces himself similarly available, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is a greater puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois revealed durability to absorb punches in June, he has actually been actually ceased twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2014) as well as was floored 3 attend the preliminary through Kevin Lerena before recuperating to win in Cycle 3. But it is actually no stroll in the playground for Joshua, that additionally needs to respect Dubois' electrical power. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's face and also can potentially carry out a surprise interruption versus Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. However Joshua, who concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is more probable to win this match through KO.-- Parkinson.