.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo in the main celebration of a Top Position on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final reduction resided in May 2019 and he has succeeded 14 consecutive fights given that, including excellent victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the very best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently turned down a beneficial battle against fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and while he have not announced his retired life, will definitely our team see "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will make his second band look this year, but not versus the boxer fans have clamored for. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo is going to face Edgar Berlanga, that's never combated at this level in his short job. While Berlanga possesses extraordinary energy-- he began his profession along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can he discover a method to gain, or even at least go the span against Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua are going to defend a headline for the very first time in pair of years. Joshua is going to experience IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually favored to come to be a three-time world champ (-550 every ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champion Danny Garcia goes back to the ring for simply the second time in almost four years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded waistbands at 140 and 147 pounds, is moving up in weight for the odds to become a three-division champion, but can he upset an older but still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger and Chip Parkinson address these concerns as well as even more, making an effort to distinguish what's genuine and what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely retire without another fightNot genuine ... for now. Lomachenko is contemplating retirement, sources informed ESPN, part of the main reason he decreased a rewarding battle along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's additionally an option that Lomachenko will come back in the initial half of 2025 to defend his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a combating mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson had to be split at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was actually observed saying to Stevenson, "Allow's go correct now.If that's any kind of indication, Lomachenko will definitely deal with once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or Stevenson, the two biggest matches on the desk for him. Yet if he certainly never laces up the handwear covers once more, Lomachenko's legacy is actually safeguarded. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and also a pillar of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He likewise does not need to overcome for the money. He is actually made numerous dollars in his profession and also still dwells in Ukraine, where he is among the nation's most prominent professional athletes. Regardless if he fights once again, he surely won't accomplish this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara as well as comes to be a champion in a third divisionNot genuine. Garcia has actually upset the possibilities before, featuring an astonishing KO gain Amir Khan and also a dominant choice triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st gain lifted him to the top tier of the sport and also the second glued that status.But the Matthysse match was actually 11 years earlier, however, as well as those 2 signature Garcia victories were at 140 extra pounds (he likewise gained a label at 147 pounds as well as went up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still looking for a win that matches that, and a dismayed victory over Lara would fit the bill.Garcia failed to look like the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and also he have not completed since. Currently, he'll move up another weight lesson (though the Lara battle is actually occurring at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 pounds) and also must emulate ring inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight title battle versus Lara will certainly be actually Garcia's second given that December 2020, when he was directed by Errol Spence Jr.The choose listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, reveals incredible power, albeit versus boxers below Garcia's level. Lara is using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, defends his indisputable super middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's top star, hasn't racked up a KO triumph due to the fact that he smoothed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 match to succeed the recognized tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a presentation in his final 3 matches. Against a boxer in Berlanga, that will definitely be fighting on the best level for the very first time, Alvarez must incorporate the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been hurt in the band previously, particularly in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, who fell him in Cycle 9. And also his self defense isn't precisely appear. Berlanga has energy (he started his job along with 16 successive KO wins in the first round), and also if he selects to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as much at a set of news conferences today to promote the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: Nothing else lightweight champion may hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a genuine risk to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number choice to win the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the 4 shots, while his escapement win along with Ramirez was among the very best fights in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest globe featherweight champ in record-- would certainly be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to rise coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Round 1, prior to he was actually soon overthrown. As a qualified, Chirinho had never ever been actually torn down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last three arounds. Although he is certainly not as expert as Lopez, the amount of blows he has actually thrown in his final pair of fights, together with his elevation and also get to conveniences, can prove impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared unconvincing in current matches, while our experts still require to find even more coming from Scar Ball just before our experts proclaim him the branch's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight title with a split choice gain Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment adhered to a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. Yet Espinoza will tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Round as well as has not won in almost two years, so it is actually hard to present a disagreement 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 spheres in a third self defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has conquered significant problems in label battles, like boxing in a champion's neighborhood as well as obtaining cut very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he gains on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he may maybe experience his largest difficulty however in a label marriage battle against Espinoza to dental crown the most effective competitor in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' resurgence has been actually just a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, recent kind proposes his very first IBF heavyweight title protection will certainly end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in top form, even more thus than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually had to rebuild his profession, after enduring back-to-back selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua fought meticulously, with a consentaneous selection draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his last 3 battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim big-time champ after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF waistband, which indicated Dubois was actually upgraded to complete champion, therefore shows Joshua with the opportunity to become a three-time planet champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will certainly make an effort to manipulate what Hrgovic had repeated success with versus Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early arounds, and Joshua has received current fights just how detrimental his right-hand men want he ruined Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC big-time champion's jaw to take him out cold. Joshua is going to confiscate the chance if Dubois makes themself similarly accessible, as he performed against Hrgovic. Joshua is a greater puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois presented sturdiness to take in punches in June, he has been actually quit twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk last year) and was knocked down three times in the first round by Kevin Lerena prior to recovering to win in Round 3. Yet it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, who likewise requires to appreciate Dubois' power. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's skin and also can possibly manage a shock standstill versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. But Joshua, that ruled as champ from 2016 to 2019 and then coming from 2019 to 2021, is very likely to succeed this battle by KO.-- Parkinson.