.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo generally celebration of a Top Rank on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction resided in May 2019 as well as he has actually won 14 consecutive fights due to the fact that, consisting of outstanding success over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately rejected a highly profitable fight against fellow lightweight champ Gervonta "Tank" Davis and also while he have not revealed his retirement, will our experts view "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely create his second band appearance this year, however not against the boxer fans have clamored for. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will deal with Edgar Berlanga, who is actually certainly never battled at this amount in his quick job. While Berlanga possesses unbelievable power-- he started his occupation along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he locate a method to win, or a minimum of go the proximity against Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will fight for a headline for the first time in pair of years. Joshua will definitely deal with IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually chosen to become a three-time planet champ (-550 per ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia goes back to the band for simply the 2nd time in nearly 4 years to tackle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that won belts at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is actually moving up in weight for the odds to become a three-division champion, but may he distress an older however still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Nick Parkinson address these concerns as well as more, attempting to distinguish what's actual and also what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will resign without another fightNot actual ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is considering retirement, resources said to ESPN, part of the explanation he declined a lucrative fight along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's additionally an option that Lomachenko will definitely return in the first fifty percent of 2025 to shield his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a battling mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson must be actually split at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually seen saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go ideal now.If that's any kind of indication, Lomachenko is going to deal with again. Maybe even versus Davis or Stevenson, the 2 largest matches on the desk for him. However if he never ever laces up the gloves once again, Lomachenko's tradition is safeguarded. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and a pillar of the pound-for-pound list over the last 10 years.He likewise does not need to combat for the cash. He's gotten millions of bucks in his profession and also still lives in Ukraine, where he's one of the country's very most popular professional athletes. Whether he battles once more, he undoubtedly will not do this much longer. He switches 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 prior to, consisting of a stunning KO get Amir Khan as well as a dominant selection victory over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st gain elevated him to the higher tier of the sport and also the last cemented that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years ago, however, and those 2 signature Garcia wins were at 140 pounds (he additionally gained a headline at 147 pounds as well as moved up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still hunting for a gain that matches that, as well as a dismayed success over Lara would certainly fit the bill.Garcia didn't appear like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, as well as he have not completed since. Now, he'll go up one more weight class (though the Lara fight is actually happening at a catchweight between 155 and 160 extra pounds) and also need to contend with ring lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight title fight against Lara will be Garcia's second because December 2020, when he was directed by Errol Spence Jr.The select listed here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, presents significant power, albeit against fighters beneath Garcia's amount. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, safeguards his unquestioned very middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading celebrity, hasn't racked up a KO success given that he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 match to succeed the recognized extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a presentation in his last 3 matches. Versus a fighter in Berlanga, who will be actually dealing with on the leading degree for the first time, Alvarez should add the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been injured in the ring previously, such as in a step-up battle versus Marcelo Coceres, who fell him in Cycle 9. As well as his self defense isn't exactly sound. Berlanga has power (he began his profession with 16 successive KO gains in the first round), as well as if he chooses to swap with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez vowed as much at a set of news conferences today to advertise the match.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Nothing else lightweight champion can easily hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a genuine danger to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number selection to win the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in 3 of the 4 shots, while his breakout succeed with Ramirez was among the very best matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest globe lightweight champion in history-- would be actually a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to rise from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, prior to he was quickly subdued. As a qualified, Chirinho had certainly never been actually knocked down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the final three spheres. Although he is actually not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the volume of strikes he has actually included his final pair of matches, in addition to his height as well as arrive at benefits, can confirm insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked unconvincing in recent matches, while our company still require to view more coming from Scar Ball just before our experts announce him the branch's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight title with a split selection win over Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment adhered to a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfying versus Sphere as well as has actually not won in virtually 2 years, so it is difficult to provide 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 8 arounds in a third protection of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has overcome huge problems in headline fights, like punching in a champ's home town as well as acquiring slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he succeeds on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he may possibly experience his largest difficulty but in a headline marriage fight versus Espinoza to crown the best fighter in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' resurgence has actually been simply a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, latest form recommends his very first IBF heavyweight label self defense are going to finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in top type, a lot more therefore than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually must reconstruct his career, after experiencing next choice losses to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua fought meticulously, along with a consensual choice draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his final three matches, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim big-time champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF belt, which implied Dubois was upgraded to full champ, therefore provides Joshua with the option to come to be a three-time planet champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua are going to make an effort to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually repeated effectiveness along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right hands on Dubois in the early rounds, as well as Joshua has displayed in recent fights just how harmful his right hands want he destroyed Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC heavyweight champion's jaw to take him out cold. Joshua is going to take possession of the possibility if Dubois creates themself similarly accessible, as he carried out versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a larger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois revealed longevity to soak up type June, he has been ceased two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2015) and was actually knocked down 3 times in the first round through Kevin Lerena just before recouping to succeed in Round 3. But it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, that also requires to respect Dubois' energy. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's skin and also can likely carry out a shock halt versus Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. But Joshua, that ruled as champ from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards from 2019 to 2021, is actually most likely to succeed this match by KO.-- Parkinson.