.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo generally activity 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 last loss remained in May 2019 as well as he has gained 14 successive fights given that, consisting of outstanding victories over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately denied a lucrative battle against fellow lightweight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis as well as while he have not declared his retirement life, will our team see "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his second ring appearance this year, yet not against the fighter followers have clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo is going to face Edgar Berlanga, who is actually never ever dealt with at this amount in his brief profession. While Berlanga possesses incredible energy-- he started his occupation along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can he discover a method to win, or at least go the span versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will definitely fight for a label for the first time in 2 years. Joshua will certainly experience IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is preferred to become a three-time world champion (-550 per ESPN BET). And two-division champion Danny Garcia returns to the ring for simply the 2nd time in nearly 4 years to tackle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded waistbands at 140 and also 147 extra pounds, is going up in body weight for the opportunity to end up being a three-division champ, however can easily he distress a more mature but still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Chip Parkinson address these inquiries and also more, attempting to distinguish what's real as well as what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly resign without an additional fightNot genuine ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is actually pondering retired life, resources informed ESPN, aspect of the explanation he declined a profitable fight with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's likewise a probability that Lomachenko will certainly return in the initial fifty percent of 2025 to guard his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a combating state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson needed to be separated at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was found saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go ideal now.If that's any sort of evidence, Lomachenko is going to fight once again. Maybe even versus Davis or Stevenson, the two most significant battles on the table for him. Yet if he certainly never shoelaces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's tradition is gotten. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and also a mainstay of the pound-for-pound checklist over the last 10 years.He likewise does not need to have to combat for the cash. He is actually gained numerous bucks in his career and still dwells in Ukraine, where he is among the country's most prominent athletes. Regardless if he battles once more, he undoubtedly won't accomplish this a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also ends up being a champion in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has actually outplayed the possibilities just before, including a surprising KO gain Amir Khan and a prevalent choice triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The initial gain raised him to the higher echelon of the sporting activity as well as the last glued that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years ago, however, and also those 2 signature Garcia wins were at 140 extra pounds (he also won a label at 147 pounds and went up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still searching for a win that matches that, and an upset triumph over Lara will fit the bill.Garcia failed to be similar to the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and also he have not completed considering that. Now, he'll move up yet another weight training class (though the Lara match is taking place at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 pounds) and need to contend with ring inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline battle against Lara will be Garcia's second given that December 2020, when he was transmitted by Errol Spence Jr.The select right here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, reveals enormous energy, albeit versus boxers under Garcia's amount. Lara is using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's match versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, safeguards his undeniable very middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's top celebrity, hasn't scored a KO victory because he flattened Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 fight to succeed the indisputable tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a knockdown in his final three fights. Versus a competitor in Berlanga, who are going to be actually battling on the top degree for the first time, Alvarez needs to include the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually hurt in the ring previously, namely in a step-up battle against Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Round 9. And his protection isn't precisely appear. Berlanga possesses energy (he started his occupation along with 16 consecutive KO gains in the first round), and also if he decides on to trade with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez vowed as much at a set of press conference recently to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: Nothing else lightweight champ may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a real threat to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number selection to gain the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the four rounds, while his breakout win along with Ramirez was just one of the most ideal fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest globe featherweight champion in past history-- would be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho did well to stand up from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was actually very soon overwhelmed. As a specialist, Chirinho had actually certainly never been brought down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last three spheres. Although he is actually not as skilled as Lopez, the amount of punches he has thrown in his final two matches, together with his elevation and reach perks, might verify unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared implausible in latest battles, while we still need to view even more coming from Scar Sphere just before our company proclaim him the division's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight headline with a split choice gain Raymond Ford in June. That victory followed a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. But Espinoza would overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually frustrating versus Ball and has actually certainly not succeeded in virtually pair of years, so it is actually challenging to present a disagreement for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in 8 rounds in a third protection of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has gotten rid of big challenges in headline fights, like boxing in a champion's home town and also receiving slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he wins on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he might perhaps face his biggest challenge but in a label marriage battle against Espinoza to dental crown the very best competitor in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' rebirth has been actually simply a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, recent form proposes his 1st IBF heavyweight headline protection are going to finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in top kind, even more so than any other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has must fix his career, after enduring next selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua dealt with meticulously, with a consensual selection sway Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final 3 fights, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting big-time champion after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk after that relinquished the IBF belt, which indicated Dubois was actually upgraded to full champion, therefore provides Joshua along with the option to come to be a three-time planet champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua are going to try to exploit what Hrgovic had actually duplicated effectiveness along with against Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right hands on Dubois in the early arounds, and Joshua has actually received current fights how harmful his right-hand men are after he ruined Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC heavyweight champion's chin to take him out cold. Joshua will seize the possibility if Dubois creates themself likewise offered, as he did against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a greater puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois showed resilience to soak up type June, he has actually been quit two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk last year) and was floored three attend the first round by Kevin Lerena just before recuperating to win in Round 3. However it is no stroll in the park for Joshua, that also needs to have to value Dubois' energy. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's skin and may likely carry out a shock stoppage versus Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, who concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is very likely to succeed this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.