.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo in the main occasion 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 final reduction was in May 2019 and also he has actually succeeded 14 successive matches because, featuring remarkable triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently turned down a profitable match against fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Container" Davis as well as while he have not revealed his retired life, are going to our company see "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his 2nd band look this year, however certainly not versus the fighter supporters have clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly experience Edgar Berlanga, who is actually certainly never battled at this amount in his brief career. While Berlanga possesses unbelievable electrical power-- he began his occupation with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can he discover a means to succeed, or even a minimum of go the proximity versus Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will definitely fight for a title for the very first time in two years. Joshua is going to encounter IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is chosen to become a three-time globe champ (-550 per ESPN BET). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the band for simply the 2nd attend nearly 4 years to tackle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who gained waistbands at 140 and 147 pounds, is moving up in body weight for the possibility to become a three-division champion, however can easily he disturb an older however still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Scar Parkinson address these concerns as well as even more, making an effort to differentiate what's genuine as well as what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will retire without one more fightNot genuine ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is considering retirement, sources told ESPN, portion of the cause he dropped a rewarding match along with Gervonta Davis in November. There's likewise an option that Lomachenko will return in the very first half of 2025 to guard his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a dealing with state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson had to be actually split at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was actually found saying to Stevenson, "Allow's go appropriate now.If that's any sort of indicator, Lomachenko will combat again. Perhaps even against Davis or even Stevenson, the two greatest matches on the table for him. But if he certainly never shoelaces up the handwear covers again, Lomachenko's heritage is actually secured. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well as a backbone of the pound-for-pound checklist over the last 10 years.He also does not need to have to combat for the cash. He is actually gained numerous bucks in his occupation and also still dwells in Ukraine, where he's one of the nation's very most well-known sportsmens. Regardless if he fights once again, he absolutely will not do this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara as well as becomes a champ in a third divisionNot real. Garcia has upset the possibilities before, including an astonishing KO get Amir Khan and a dominant choice triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st gain raised him to the upper echelon of the sport as well as the last sealed that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years ago, though, and those two trademark Garcia wins were at 140 extra pounds (he likewise succeeded a title 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 still looking for a gain that matches that, and also a dismayed triumph over Lara would match the bill.Garcia didn't resemble the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and also he hasn't competed due to the fact that. Right now, he'll move up an additional body weight lesson (though the Lara match is taking place at a catchweight between 155 as well as 160 pounds) as well as must emulate ring sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight label match versus Lara are going to be actually Garcia's second given that December 2020, when he was actually transmitted by Errol Spence Jr.The decide on listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, reveals tremendous energy, albeit against boxers beneath Garcia's amount. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's fight versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, guards his undeniable incredibly middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's top star, hasn't racked up a KO triumph since he smoothed Caleb Plant in a November 2021 battle to win the undeniable very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a knockdown in his final 3 battles. Against a fighter in Berlanga, who will definitely be actually dealing with on the leading level for the first time, Alvarez should include the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually injured in the ring previously, namely in a step-up battle versus Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Round 9. And also his protection isn't exactly sound. Berlanga has power (he began his career along with 16 successive KO succeeds in the preliminary), as well as if he decides on to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez promised as a lot at a pair of press conference today to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: No other light champion may hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a genuine hazard to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and also defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk choice to win the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the 4 rounds, while his escapement win with Ramirez was one of the greatest battles in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world light champ in past history-- will be a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get up coming from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, prior to he was actually soon overpowered. As an expert, Chirinho had actually never been actually brought down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the final three rounds. Although he is certainly not as experienced as Lopez, the volume of hits he has thrown in his final two battles, along with his height and also get to benefits, can prove overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared implausible in latest matches, while we still need to have to observe more from Scar Round just before our company announce him the department's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight title along with a split decision get Raymond Ford in June. That conquest observed a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. Yet Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was frustrating versus Round and has actually not gained in nearly two years, so it is actually challenging to present an argument for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a third defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has overcome huge challenges in label battles, like punching in a champion's neighborhood and also getting cut very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he gains on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may perhaps face his biggest problem yet in a title marriage battle against Espinoza to crown the greatest fighter in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' rebirth has actually been merely a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, recent type recommends his initial IBF abundant label self defense will certainly end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in leading type, extra thus than any other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually had to fix his career, after suffering back-to-back selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua combated carefully, along with a consensual selection draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his final three fights, he finished 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 then relinquished the IBF belt, which indicated Dubois was updated to total champion, consequently shows Joshua along with the chance to end up being a three-time planet champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will certainly try to manipulate what Hrgovic had duplicated results along with against Dubois. Hrgovic frequently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early arounds, as well as Joshua has received recent matches exactly how damaging his right hands desire he destroyed Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the former UFC big-time champ's face to knock him out cold. Joshua will definitely take the option if Dubois creates themself similarly on call, as he performed against Hrgovic. Joshua is a bigger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois showed sturdiness to take in punches in June, he has actually been actually ceased twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk last year) and also was floored three attend the first round by Kevin Lerena just before bouncing back to succeed in Cycle 3. But it is actually no stroll in the playground for Joshua, who also needs to recognize Dubois' electrical power. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's face and may potentially carry out a surprise standstill versus Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. Yet Joshua, that concluded as champ from 2016 to 2019 and after that coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually more likely to succeed this match through KO.-- Parkinson.