.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 Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction was in May 2019 as well as he has succeeded 14 successive matches given that, consisting of impressive success over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately refused a profitable battle against fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and while he have not announced his retirement, will our company observe "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely make his 2nd ring appeal this year, yet not versus the competitor fans have clamored for. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly encounter Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never combated at this degree in his brief career. While Berlanga possesses awesome power-- he began his job along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can he find a technique to succeed, or at least go the span versus Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will definitely fight for a title for the very first time in pair of years. Joshua will encounter IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually favored to end up being a three-time planet champion (-550 every ESPN BET). And two-division champ Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for merely the 2nd attend virtually 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that gained waistbands at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is going up in body weight for the odds to come to be a three-division champion, but can easily he upset an older but still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and Scar Parkinson answer these concerns and also even more, making an effort to distinguish what's actual as well as what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly retire without one more fightNot real ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is pondering retirement, resources told ESPN, portion of the explanation he declined a financially rewarding fight with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually likewise a possibility that Lomachenko will definitely return in the first half of 2025 to shield his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a dealing with state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson needed to be actually split at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually observed saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go best now.If that is actually any kind of evidence, Lomachenko will combat once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or Stevenson, both most significant matches on the table for him. However if he certainly never shoelaces up the handwear covers once more, 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 list over the last 10 years.He additionally doesn't require to overcome for the money. He is actually gained countless bucks in his occupation and still lives in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's very most prominent professional athletes. Whether or not he fights again, he certainly will not do this much longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as ends up being a champ in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has actually outplayed the possibilities before, featuring a shocking KO win over Amir Khan as well as a prevalent selection triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st win elevated him to the upper tier of the sport and the latter glued that status.But the Matthysse fight was actually 11 years back, however, as well as those pair of trademark Garcia triumphes went to 140 extra pounds (he additionally succeeded a label at 147 pounds as well as 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 also an upset victory over Lara would accommodate the bill.Garcia really did not be similar to the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, as well as he hasn't competed considering that. Right now, he'll move up one more body weight class (though the Lara battle is actually taking place at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 extra pounds) and also must emulate band inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight label fight versus Lara will definitely be actually Garcia's second considering that December 2020, when he was actually transmitted by Errol Spence Jr.The select listed here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, shows tremendous power, albeit versus competitors under Garcia's amount. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's match versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, shields his recognized incredibly middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading star, hasn't racked up a KO triumph considering that he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 fight to succeed the undeniable very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a knockdown in his final 3 matches. Against a fighter in Berlanga, that will certainly be actually fighting on the leading level for the very first time, Alvarez needs to add the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually harmed in the ring previously, such as in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, who lost him in Round 9. As well as his protection isn't precisely seem. Berlanga has power (he started his profession with 16 successive KO succeeds in the preliminary), and also if he picks to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez promised as a lot at a pair of press conference today to market the match.-- Coppinger Real or not: Nothing else lightweight champion may hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a genuine threat to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June and also beating Robeisy Ramirez by a bulk selection to win the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the 4 rounds, while his outbreak gain along with Ramirez was just one of the most ideal fights in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest world light champ in history-- will be actually a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho did well to get up from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, prior to he was quickly subdued. As an expert, Chirinho had never ever been actually brought down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a shock in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the final 3 rounds. Although he is actually certainly not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the volume of blows he has actually included his final 2 battles, along with his height and also hit benefits, could confirm impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared unconvincing in current matches, while our team still need to have to see extra from Nick Sphere just before we declare him the branch's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight label along with a split choice gain Raymond Ford in June. That victory followed a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. But Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfactory versus Round and also has not succeeded in virtually pair of years, so it is tough to show an argument for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a third self defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has beat significant obstacles in title fights, like punching in a champ's neighborhood and receiving cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he wins on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he may possibly experience his largest difficulty however in a label unification battle versus Espinoza to crown the most effective fighter in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will certainly KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' revival has been actually just a year after being visited Oleksandr Usyk, latest form suggests his very first IBF abundant headline defense will definitely end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in top kind, extra so than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has had to fix his career, after going through next selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua dealt with meticulously, with an unanimous decision get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final 3 matches, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting heavyweight champion after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF waistband, which implied Dubois was improved to total champion, and so presents Joshua with the opportunity to come to be a three-time globe champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will certainly attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had redoed effectiveness along with against Dubois. Hrgovic constantly landed right hands on Dubois in the very early spheres, as well as Joshua has actually shown in recent fights how harmful his right-hand men are after he destroyed Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the past UFC big-time champ's chin to knock him out cold. Joshua will confiscate the possibility if Dubois makes themself similarly readily available, as he performed against Hrgovic. Joshua is a greater puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois showed durability to absorb punches in June, he has actually been ceased two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk last year) as well as was defeated three times in the first round through Kevin Lerena just before recovering to succeed in Cycle 3. Yet it is actually no walk in the park for Joshua, that additionally requires to value Dubois' energy. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's skin and also may possibly manage a surprise halt against Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. But Joshua, who ruled as champ from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is actually very likely to gain this match by KO.-- Parkinson.