.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo generally activity of a Top Rank on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final loss remained in May 2019 and also he has succeeded 14 successive battles due to the fact that, consisting of outstanding triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently declined a lucrative fight versus fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and also while he hasn't introduced his retired life, will certainly we observe "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely make his 2nd ring appeal this year, however not versus the competitor supporters have actually demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo is going to experience Edgar Berlanga, who's never ever fought at this level in his quick occupation. While Berlanga possesses awesome energy-- he started his profession along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- may he find a way to succeed, or even a minimum of go the distance against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will definitely fight for a label for the first time in 2 years. Joshua will certainly face IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually favored to become a three-time globe champ (-550 per ESPN BET). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the ring for just the 2nd time in just about four years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who won belts at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is actually moving up in weight for the odds to end up being a three-division champion, however can he upset a more mature however still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Scar Parkinson answer these inquiries and even more, making an effort to differentiate what's actual and also what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely resign without an additional fightNot true ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually reflecting upon retirement, sources told ESPN, part of the reason he decreased a profitable fight with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's also an opportunity that Lomachenko will return in the very first fifty percent of 2025 to shield his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a combating mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson needed to be actually divided at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was viewed telling Stevenson, "Let's go best now.If that's any sort of sign, Lomachenko will deal with again. Perhaps even against Davis or Stevenson, both most significant battles on the desk for him. But if he certainly never laces up the handwear covers once more, Lomachenko's tradition is protected. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well as a mainstay of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He likewise does not need to combat for the cash. He is actually made countless dollars in his career and also still lives in Ukraine, where he is just one of the nation's very most well-liked athletes. Regardless if he battles again, he absolutely won't accomplish this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as becomes a champion in a third divisionNot genuine. Garcia has upset the odds before, including a surprising KO gain Amir Khan and also a leading decision success over Lucas Matthysse. The very first gain raised him to the upper tier of the sporting activity and the second cemented that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years earlier, though, as well as those 2 trademark Garcia success went to 140 extra pounds (he additionally won a headline at 147 pounds and also moved up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still looking for a win that matches that, and a distressed success over Lara would certainly suit the bill.Garcia didn't look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, as well as he have not completed due to the fact that. Right now, he'll go up yet another weight course (though the Lara battle is occurring at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and must emulate band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline match against Lara will certainly be Garcia's 2nd considering that December 2020, when he was routed through Errol Spence Jr.The pick listed here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, presents significant electrical power, albeit against fighters 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, defends his indisputable very middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading superstar, hasn't scored a KO triumph considering that he flattened Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 fight to succeed the indisputable very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a knockdown in his final three battles. Versus a competitor in Berlanga, who will be actually battling on the best level for the first time, Alvarez should incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually hurt in the ring before, such as in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, who fell him in Round 9. As well as his self defense isn't precisely appear. Berlanga has power (he started his occupation along with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the preliminary), as well as if he decides on to trade with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez assured as much at a set of press conference today to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other lightweight champion can beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a real danger to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and beating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number selection to gain the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in 3 of the 4 rounds, while his outbreak win along with Ramirez was just one of the very best matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet light champ in past history-- will be actually a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to get up coming from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was very soon overwhelmed. As a qualified, Chirinho had actually never ever been actually brought down 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 3 spheres. Although he is certainly not as professional as Lopez, the amount of strikes he has actually included his last pair of fights, along with his height as well as reach perks, can prove insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked unconvincing in current fights, while our team still need to have to find much more coming from Chip Ball just before our team proclaim him the branch's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight title with a split decision get Raymond Ford in June. That conquest adhered to a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. But Espinoza would stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfactory versus Round and also has actually certainly not gained in virtually 2 years, so it is hard to show an argument for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in eight spheres in a 3rd protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has conquered significant obstacles in label matches, like boxing in a champ's home town and also getting slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he succeeds on Saturday versus Angelo Leo, he may possibly experience his largest difficulty but in a title marriage fight against Espinoza to dental crown the best fighter in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' revival has been actually merely a year after being visited Oleksandr Usyk, recent type recommends his 1st IBF heavyweight label defense will finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in best form, much more so than some other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has needed to reconstruct his occupation, after suffering back-to-back choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua combated carefully, with an unanimous selection draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final 3 matches, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting big-time champion after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk after that relinquished the IBF belt, which indicated Dubois was upgraded to total champ, and so presents Joshua along with the opportunity to end up being a three-time world champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will certainly try to exploit what Hrgovic had actually redoed excellence with versus Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early spheres, and Joshua has displayed in latest matches how destructive his right-hand men are after he destroyed Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC heavyweight champ's jaw to take him out chilly. Joshua will take possession of the chance if Dubois makes himself likewise offered, as he did versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois showed toughness to take in punches in June, he has been quit twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2015) and also was defeated three times in the preliminary by Kevin Lerena prior to recovering to win in Cycle 3. But it is no stroll in the playground for Joshua, that additionally requires to appreciate Dubois' power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's skin and also may possibly carry out a surprise halt versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, who ruled as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and then coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually more likely to win this battle by KO.-- Parkinson.