.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo generally celebration of a Best Ranking on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final loss resided in May 2019 and he has succeeded 14 successive fights given that, featuring excellent success over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently turned down a lucrative fight versus fellow light-weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and while he have not revealed his retired life, will definitely our team see "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his second ring appearance this year, yet certainly not against the competitor enthusiasts have demanded. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely deal with Edgar Berlanga, that is actually certainly never fought at this level in his brief profession. While Berlanga has astonishing electrical power-- he began his occupation with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can easily he locate a method to win, or even at least go the proximity versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua are going to fight for a label for the first time in 2 years. Joshua will deal with IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is preferred to end up being a three-time globe champ (-550 every ESPN WAGER). And two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the ring for simply the second time in just about 4 years to tackle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who gained belts at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is going up in weight for the possibility to end up being a three-division champ, yet can he upset a much older but still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and Chip Parkinson address these questions and additional, making an effort to differentiate what's real and also what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to retire without another fightNot genuine ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is actually pondering retirement life, resources informed ESPN, portion of the explanation he dropped a profitable match with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually likewise a possibility that Lomachenko will definitely return in the initial one-half of 2025 to safeguard his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a battling mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson had to be actually separated at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was actually seen informing Stevenson, "Let's go right now.If that is actually any sort of indicator, Lomachenko will certainly combat again. Perhaps even versus Davis or Stevenson, both largest matches on the table for him. Yet if he never ever shoelaces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's heritage is actually safeguarded. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer as well as a pillar of the pound-for-pound list over the final 10 years.He additionally doesn't require to overcome for the money. He is actually made numerous bucks in his career and also still dwells in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's very most preferred athletes. Regardless if he fights again, he definitely won't do this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and comes to be a champion in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has actually outplayed the probabilities prior to, including an astonishing KO draw Amir Khan and a dominant decision success over Lucas Matthysse. The very first win elevated him to the higher tier of the sporting activity and the latter sealed that status.But the Matthysse fight was actually 11 years earlier, though, as well as those pair of signature Garcia victories were at 140 extra pounds (he additionally won a headline at 147 pounds and went up to 154 for a July 2022 get Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still searching for a win that matches that, and a distressed triumph over Lara will suit the bill.Garcia failed to appear like the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and he hasn't contended due to the fact that. Right now, he'll move up one more body weight training class (though the Lara battle is actually taking place at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 extra pounds) and have to emulate band lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline battle versus Lara will definitely be actually Garcia's second because December 2020, when he was actually transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The choose listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, reveals enormous electrical power, albeit against competitors beneath Garcia's level. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's match versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, defends his undisputed incredibly middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best celebrity, have not scored a KO success since he smoothed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 fight to gain the unquestioned super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a knockdown in his final three battles. Versus a fighter in Berlanga, that will be dealing with on the top level for the first time, Alvarez should include the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been injured in the band previously, specifically in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, who lost him in Cycle 9. And also his protection isn't specifically seem. Berlanga has power (he began his career along with 16 successive KO gains in the first round), and if he picks to exchange with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez vowed as a lot at a pair of news conferences recently to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: Not one other lightweight champion can easily hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a true hazard to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number selection to win the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the 4 shots, while his outbreak win with Ramirez was one of the most effective fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world light champion in history-- would certainly be actually a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho did well to stand up from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Sphere 1, before he was actually quickly subdued. As a qualified, Chirinho had certainly never been brought down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the last three arounds. Although he is certainly not as experienced as Lopez, the amount of blows he has actually included his final pair of battles, alongside his height and also reach conveniences, can prove impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked implausible in latest matches, while we still need to have to observe a lot more from Scar Ball before our team announce him the division's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight headline with a split decision win over Raymond Ford in June. That victory complied with a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. However Espinoza would certainly stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was disappointing versus Round and has certainly not gained in virtually pair of years, so it is actually tough to offer a disagreement for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in eight spheres in a third defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has beat significant challenges in label matches, like boxing in a champ's neighborhood as well as getting slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he wins on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he may probably face his largest difficulty but in a title unification fight against Espinoza to dental crown the very best competitor in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will certainly KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' revival has actually been just a year after being actually visited Oleksandr Usyk, recent kind proposes his 1st IBF heavyweight label defense are going to finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in best form, extra thus than some other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually needed to reconstruct his job, after suffering next decision reductions to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua fought very carefully, with a consentaneous selection gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final 3 battles, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim heavyweight champ after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk then gave up the IBF belt, which indicated Dubois was upgraded to complete champ, and so provides Joshua with the opportunity to become a three-time globe champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will try to exploit what Hrgovic had repeated effectiveness along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continually landed right hands on Dubois in the very early rounds, and also Joshua has displayed in latest matches how damaging his right-hand men desire he damaged Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the past UFC big-time champion's face to knock him out cool. Joshua will take possession of the possibility if Dubois creates themself likewise offered, as he did versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a larger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois presented resilience to take in type June, he has actually been stopped twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2014) as well as was actually defeated 3 attend the first round by Kevin Lerena before bouncing back to gain in Round 3. Yet it is no walk in the park for Joshua, who likewise needs to value Dubois' energy. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's skin and also may possibly carry out a surprise halt versus Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. However Joshua, who concluded as champ from 2016 to 2019 and after that coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually more probable to win this fight by KO.-- Parkinson.