.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo in the main celebration of a Best Rank on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last loss remained in May 2019 and also he has succeeded 14 successive fights since, consisting of outstanding triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the very best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently turned down a highly profitable battle against fellow light in weight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and while he have not revealed his retired life, will certainly our experts view "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly make his 2nd ring appeal this year, however certainly not versus the competitor enthusiasts have demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will encounter Edgar Berlanga, who is actually certainly never dealt with at this amount in his quick profession. While Berlanga possesses unbelievable energy-- he began his career along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can he locate a way to gain, or a minimum of go the range versus Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will certainly fight for a label for the very first time in two years. Joshua will encounter IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is favored to end up being a three-time world champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the band for just the second time in almost 4 years to tackle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded belts at 140 and also 147 pounds, is going up in weight for the possibility to end up being a three-division champion, yet can he disturb a much older yet still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Scar Parkinson answer these concerns and more, attempting to differentiate what's genuine and also what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to resign without an additional fightNot real ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is pondering retired life, resources said to ESPN, portion of the factor he dropped a profitable match with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually likewise a possibility that Lomachenko are going to return in the initial half of 2025 to protect his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a combating state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson had to be actually separated at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was observed saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go appropriate now.If that's any indication, Lomachenko will certainly battle once again. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the 2 biggest fights on the table for him. Yet if he never shoelaces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's tradition is actually gotten. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and a pillar of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He additionally does not need to have to eliminate for the money. He's made numerous dollars in his occupation and still lives in Ukraine, where he is among the nation's most well-liked athletes. Regardless if he fights again, he undoubtedly won't do so a lot longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as becomes a champ in a 3rd divisionNot real. Garcia has actually outplayed the possibilities before, featuring a shocking KO gain Amir Khan and a dominant decision victory over Lucas Matthysse. The first gain elevated him to the top echelon of the sporting activity as well as the last cemented that status.But the Matthysse fight was actually 11 years earlier, however, and those pair of signature Garcia wins were at 140 extra pounds (he likewise won a headline at 147 extra pounds as well as went up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still seeking a gain that matches that, and a dismayed triumph over Lara would certainly match the bill.Garcia failed to appear like the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and also he hasn't competed since. Currently, he'll go up an additional weight training class (though the Lara match is actually occurring at a catchweight between 155 as well as 160 pounds) and must contend with band inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline match versus Lara will certainly be actually Garcia's 2nd since December 2020, when he was actually routed through Errol Spence Jr.The decide on listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, shows tremendous energy, albeit versus boxers beneath Garcia's level. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's battle versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, guards his undeniable extremely middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's top star, hasn't racked up a KO victory since he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 fight to win the indisputable extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a knockdown in his last three matches. Against a fighter in Berlanga, that are going to be dealing with on the best degree for the first time, Alvarez should incorporate the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually hurt in the ring previously, specifically in a step-up battle versus Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Round 9. And his defense isn't exactly appear. Berlanga has energy (he began his job with 16 successive KO gains in the preliminary), and also if he opts for to swap with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez vowed as much at a set of news conferences this week to promote the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: No other featherweight champion may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a true danger to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number selection to win the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in 3 of the 4 shots, while his breakout win with Ramirez was just one of the greatest matches in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest globe lightweight champ in record-- will be a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to rise from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was actually soon subdued. As an expert, Chirinho had certainly never been knocked down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the final 3 arounds. Although he is actually not as experienced as Lopez, the quantity of punches he has included his last pair of battles, along with his height as well as hit conveniences, might confirm overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared implausible in recent fights, while our experts still need to have to observe more from Nick Sphere just before we proclaim him the division's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight label along with a split choice win over Raymond Ford in June. That triumph observed a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. However Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was disappointing versus Round as well as has certainly not gained in virtually two years, so it is actually hard to offer an argument for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a 3rd self defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually conquered big difficulties in headline battles, like punching in a champion's home town and receiving slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he wins on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may possibly face his biggest problem but in a label unification fight against Espinoza to dental crown the best boxer in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will certainly KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' resurgence has been simply a year after being actually come by Oleksandr Usyk, recent type advises his 1st IBF heavyweight label self defense will definitely end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in top type, a lot more therefore than any other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually needed to fix his occupation, after going through back-to-back choice losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua battled meticulously, along with a consensual selection gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his final three matches, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim big-time champion after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk after that relinquished the IBF waistband, which implied Dubois was actually upgraded to full champ, and so provides Joshua with the opportunity to end up being a three-time world champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will certainly make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had duplicated results along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic constantly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early spheres, and Joshua has shown in recent fights just how destructive his right-hand men are after he damaged Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC heavyweight champ's chin to take him out chilly. Joshua is going to take the possibility if Dubois produces themself similarly offered, as he performed against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a greater puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois revealed durability to absorb punches in June, he has actually been ceased twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2013) as well as was actually knocked down three times in the first round by Kevin Lerena just before recovering to win in Cycle 3. Yet it is actually no stroll in the park for Joshua, that additionally requires to appreciate Dubois' power. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's skin and also can potentially pull off a surprise interruption versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, that ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is very likely to win this fight by KO.-- Parkinson.