.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo generally celebration of a Leading Rank on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final loss remained in May 2019 and he has actually succeeded 14 consecutive fights because, featuring excellent triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently turned down a rewarding fight against fellow light-weight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis as well as while he hasn't introduced his retirement life, will definitely our experts observe "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely make his second band appearance this year, but not against the boxer followers have actually clamored for. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely deal with Edgar Berlanga, who is actually certainly never combated at this level in his quick occupation. While Berlanga has incredible power-- he began his occupation along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- may he discover a way to win, or even a minimum of go the range against Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua are going to fight for a label for the very first time in pair of years. Joshua will certainly experience IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually chosen to come to be a three-time planet champ (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champion Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for just the second time in almost 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that gained waistbands at 140 and also 147 extra pounds, is actually moving up in weight for the odds to end up being a three-division champ, however can easily he upset a more mature yet still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson respond to these inquiries and also more, attempting to identify what's genuine and what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely resign without yet another fightNot true ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually contemplating retired life, resources said to ESPN, portion of the factor he decreased a highly profitable battle along with Gervonta Davis in November. There's additionally an opportunity that Lomachenko will return in the first one-half of 2025 to shield his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a combating state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson needed to be separated at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was viewed informing Stevenson, "Permit's go right now.If that is actually any kind of sign, Lomachenko will definitely deal with again. Perhaps even against Davis or Stevenson, both largest matches on the desk for him. But if he certainly never laces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's tradition is safeguarded. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and an essential of the pound-for-pound list over the last 10 years.He likewise doesn't require to fight for the cash. He's gotten countless dollars in his job and also still stays in Ukraine, where he's one of the country's most well-liked athletes. Whether or not he fights once more, he absolutely won't do so a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and ends up being a champion in a 3rd divisionNot real. Garcia has actually upset the chances just before, consisting of a stunning KO get Amir Khan as well as a dominant decision triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The initial gain raised him to the higher echelon of the sporting activity and also the second bound that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years ago, though, and also those pair of signature Garcia wins 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 a distressed success over Lara would certainly accommodate the bill.Garcia didn't be similar to the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, as well as he hasn't competed given that. Right now, he'll go up an additional body weight training class (though the Lara battle is taking place at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 pounds) and need to emulate band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline match against Lara will certainly be Garcia's 2nd because December 2020, when he was directed by Errol Spence Jr.The choose listed here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, shows remarkable electrical power, albeit versus competitors under Garcia's amount. Lara is using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, defends his undeniable extremely middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's top star, hasn't racked up a KO triumph considering that he smoothed Caleb Plant in a November 2021 fight to win the unquestioned extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a presentation in his last three fights. Against a boxer in Berlanga, who will be combating on the leading amount for the very first time, Alvarez needs to incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been harmed in the band before, specifically in a step-up match versus Marcelo Coceres, who lost him in Cycle 9. As well as his self defense isn't precisely seem. Berlanga has power (he started his profession along with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the first round), as well as if he picks to swap with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez promised as a lot at a set of news conferences recently to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other lightweight champion can easily beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks an actual risk to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and beating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk decision to gain the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the four rounds, while his escapement succeed with Ramirez was among the very best battles in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world featherweight champ in record-- will be actually a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to rise coming from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, prior to he was actually quickly subdued. As a specialist, Chirinho had never been brought down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the final three rounds. Although he is actually certainly not as skilled as Lopez, the amount of blows he has thrown in his final pair of battles, in addition to his height and also reach conveniences, can confirm impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked implausible in current matches, while our company still need to observe more from Nick Ball prior to our experts announce him the division's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight title along with a split selection win over Raymond Ford in June. That triumph followed a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. However Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually frustrating versus Sphere and also has not won in nearly pair of years, so it is actually hard to provide a debate for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in 8 arounds in a third protection of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has overcome significant obstacles in headline matches, like boxing in a champ's neighborhood and obtaining slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he wins on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he might possibly encounter his largest difficulty however in a headline marriage fight against Espinoza to crown the very best competitor in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' revival has been actually simply a year after being actually stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, latest kind advises his very first IBF abundant label defense will definitely end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in leading type, extra thus than any other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually had to reconstruct his profession, after suffering next choice losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua battled very carefully, along with an unanimous choice get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last 3 battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim heavyweight champion after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk after that relinquished the IBF belt, which suggested Dubois was updated to full champ, and so provides Joshua along with the possibility to become a three-time planet champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will try to exploit what Hrgovic had repeated success with versus Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early arounds, and Joshua has actually shown in current battles just how destructive his right-hand men are after he ruined Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the past UFC heavyweight champion's jaw to knock him out cool. Joshua will certainly take possession of the possibility if Dubois makes themself in a similar way readily available, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a bigger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois presented durability to soak up type June, he has actually been ceased two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2015) as well as was actually floored three attend the first round through Kevin Lerena prior to bouncing back to gain in Cycle 3. Yet it is no stroll in the playground for Joshua, that additionally needs to have to recognize Dubois' energy. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's face as well as may potentially pull off a surprise standstill versus Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. Yet Joshua, that ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is very likely to win this match by KO.-- Parkinson.