.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo generally occasion of a Leading Ranking on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction remained in May 2019 as well as he has actually won 14 consecutive battles given that, featuring excellent triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the most effective featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately declined a rewarding battle versus fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis as well as while he have not announced his retired life, are going to our experts find "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely make his second band appeal this year, however certainly not against the competitor enthusiasts have demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo is going to experience Edgar Berlanga, that's certainly never battled at this amount in his quick job. While Berlanga has awesome electrical power-- he started his occupation with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can easily he find a technique to gain, or even a minimum of go the distance versus Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will fight for a title for the very first time in 2 years. Joshua is going to experience IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually favored to become a three-time planet champ (-550 every ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia comes back to the band for merely the 2nd time in almost 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who gained belts at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is moving up in weight for the possibility to end up being a three-division champion, yet can easily he distress an older yet still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Nick Parkinson answer these inquiries as well as additional, making an effort to identify what's real as well as what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to resign without an additional fightNot true ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually pondering retirement life, resources told ESPN, component of the factor he declined a lucrative match with Gervonta Davis in November. There's additionally an option that Lomachenko will definitely return in the initial half of 2025 to shield his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a combating mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson needed to be split at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was observed informing Stevenson, "Allow's go best now.If that is actually any type of sign, Lomachenko will definitely battle once more. Maybe even versus Davis or Stevenson, the two largest fights on the table for him. But if he never ever shoelaces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's heritage is gotten. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer as well as an essential of the pound-for-pound checklist over the final 10 years.He additionally does not need to fight for the money. He's gained numerous bucks in his career and still stays in Ukraine, where he is among the nation's very most well-liked athletes. Whether or not he deals with again, he certainly will not do this a lot longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also comes to be a champ in a 3rd divisionNot true. Garcia has actually upset the probabilities before, featuring a stunning KO get Amir Khan and also a leading choice success over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st win elevated him to the upper echelon of the sporting activity and the latter cemented that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years ago, however, and also those two signature Garcia success went to 140 pounds (he likewise succeeded a title at 147 extra pounds and also went up to 154 for a July 2022 gain Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still hunting for a gain that matches that, and also a dismayed success over Lara would certainly accommodate the bill.Garcia really did not resemble the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, as well as he hasn't contended because. Currently, he'll move up yet another weight lesson (though the Lara match is actually occurring at a catchweight between 155 as well as 160 extra pounds) as well as need to contend with ring sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight title battle versus Lara will be Garcia's 2nd since December 2020, when he was actually routed through Errol Spence Jr.The pick listed here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, presents enormous power, albeit against competitors under Garcia's degree. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's battle against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, defends his uncontested incredibly middleweight championship against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading star, have not scored a KO success considering that he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 fight to win the recognized very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a knockdown in his final 3 matches. Versus a fighter in Berlanga, that will be actually dealing with on the top degree for the very first time, Alvarez needs to add the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually injured in the ring in the past, particularly in a step-up battle versus Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Cycle 9. And also his self defense isn't specifically seem. Berlanga possesses electrical power (he began his job with 16 consecutive KO gains in the first round), as well as if he decides on to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez promised as a lot at a pair of news conferences this week to ensure the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Nothing else lightweight champ can easily beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a true threat to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and also beating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number choice to succeed the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in 3 of the 4 rounds, while his breakout gain with Ramirez was just one of the best fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world featherweight champ in history-- would certainly be a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get up from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was actually very soon subdued. As a specialist, Chirinho had actually never been knocked down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last 3 rounds. Although he is certainly not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the amount of strikes he has actually thrown in his final two fights, along with his height and also get to advantages, could possibly confirm overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked unconvincing in latest fights, while our experts still need to see a lot more from Chip Ball before we proclaim him the department's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight label with a split decision get Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment complied with a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza will tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually disappointing versus Round as well as has actually not won in almost 2 years, so it is difficult to provide a debate for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 arounds in a third defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually beat big problems in headline battles, like punching in a champion's neighborhood as well as receiving slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he succeeds on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he might probably encounter his greatest problem however in a headline marriage match against Espinoza to crown the best fighter in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' revival has been simply a year after being visited Oleksandr Usyk, current kind advises his initial IBF heavyweight label defense are going to finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in best form, much more therefore than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually needed to rebuild his career, after suffering back-to-back choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua fought carefully, with a consensual selection win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final 3 battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim heavyweight champ after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF belt, which implied Dubois was actually upgraded to total champ, and so offers Joshua with the option to end up being a three-time planet champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will try to exploit what Hrgovic had duplicated effectiveness with versus Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right hands on Dubois in the very early spheres, as well as Joshua has actually displayed in recent battles exactly how destructive his right hands seek he damaged Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC heavyweight champion's chin to take him out cold. Joshua is going to take the option if Dubois produces themself in a similar way available, as he performed against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a larger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois revealed toughness to absorb punches in June, he has actually been actually quit two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2014) and was actually defeated three attend the preliminary through Kevin Lerena prior to recovering to gain in Round 3. But it is no stroll in the playground for Joshua, who also needs to have to recognize Dubois' power. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's skin and can possibly manage a shock stoppage against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. However Joshua, that concluded as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is actually most likely to succeed this match by KO.-- Parkinson.