.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo generally occasion of a Top Ranking on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction remained in May 2019 as well as he has actually gained 14 consecutive fights given that, featuring remarkable success over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the very best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently rejected a highly profitable battle against fellow light in weight champion Gervonta "Container" Davis and also while he have not announced his retired life, will definitely our company find "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly create his 2nd band appearance this year, however not versus the competitor enthusiasts have clamored for. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely experience Edgar Berlanga, who's never dealt with at this amount in his quick job. While Berlanga possesses awesome power-- he began his profession with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he discover a technique to gain, or even at the very least go the proximity against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will definitely defend a label for the very first time in pair of years. Joshua will certainly face IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually preferred to become a three-time world champ (-550 every ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for just the 2nd attend almost four years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded belts at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is actually going up in body weight for the chance to come to be a three-division champ, but can he disturb an older but still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Scar Parkinson address these inquiries as well as more, trying to identify what's genuine as well as what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely resign without another fightNot genuine ... for now. Lomachenko is considering retired life, sources informed ESPN, portion of the reason he dropped a profitable battle with Gervonta Davis in November. There's also an option that Lomachenko will definitely return in the initial fifty percent of 2025 to protect his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a battling state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson must be split at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was viewed saying to Stevenson, "Let's go ideal now.If that's any kind of indicator, Lomachenko will certainly battle once more. Perhaps even against Davis or even Stevenson, the 2 greatest fights on the table for him. Yet if he never shoelaces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's heritage is safeguarded. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and also an essential of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He also does not need to combat for the money. He's gotten millions of bucks in his job as well as still resides in Ukraine, where he is among the nation's very most well-liked athletes. Whether he combats once more, he absolutely will not accomplish this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and also becomes a champ in a third divisionNot actual. Garcia has actually outplayed the probabilities just before, including an astonishing KO gain Amir Khan and a prevalent selection success over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st win raised him to the top echelon of the sport and the last cemented that status.But the Matthysse match was 11 years back, though, as well as those 2 trademark Garcia success were at 140 extra pounds (he additionally gained a headline at 147 pounds and also moved 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, as well as an upset triumph over Lara will fit the bill.Garcia really did not resemble the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and he hasn't completed since. Now, he'll go up one more body weight course (though the Lara match is taking place at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and also need to contend with ring lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight title match against Lara will certainly be Garcia's second considering that December 2020, when he was transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The decide on here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, shows significant power, albeit against competitors below Garcia's level. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's battle against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, protects his unquestioned incredibly middleweight championship against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading celebrity, have not racked up a KO victory considering that he smoothed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 match to succeed the undisputed tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a knockdown in his final 3 fights. Against a fighter in Berlanga, who will certainly be dealing with on the best level for the very first time, Alvarez should incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been harmed in the ring before, specifically in a step-up match versus Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Cycle 9. And his protection isn't exactly seem. Berlanga possesses electrical power (he began his job with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the first round), as well as if he selects to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez vowed as much at a pair of news conferences today to advertise the fight.-- Coppinger Real or not: No other lightweight champion may hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a true danger to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority selection to gain the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in 3 of the four rounds, while his outbreak succeed with Ramirez was among the most ideal battles in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest planet lightweight champ in past-- will be actually a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to rise from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, before he was actually soon overpowered. As a qualified, Chirinho had actually never ever been actually knocked down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a shock in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last three rounds. Although he is certainly not as expert as Lopez, the volume of punches he has thrown in his last 2 matches, alongside his elevation as well as reach advantages, might verify impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked implausible in current matches, while our company still require to observe a lot more from Scar Ball prior to we declare him the department's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight label with a split choice win over Raymond Ford in June. That conquest complied with a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. But Espinoza will overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually frustrating versus Sphere as well as has certainly not succeeded in nearly 2 years, so it is actually challenging to provide an argument for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in 8 spheres in a 3rd protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually conquered huge problems in title fights, like boxing in a champion's neighborhood and obtaining slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he gains on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he may possibly face his greatest difficulty however in a title unification fight against Espinoza to crown the most ideal competitor in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' resurgence has been only a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, latest form recommends his very first IBF abundant title self defense will certainly finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in best form, much more therefore than any other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually must reconstruct his profession, after suffering next choice losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua combated meticulously, with a consensual selection win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his final three battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim big-time champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF belt, which indicated Dubois was upgraded to full champ, and so offers Joshua with the possibility to end up being a three-time world champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will attempt to exploit what Hrgovic had duplicated excellence with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continually landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early spheres, and Joshua has shown in latest matches just how destructive his right hands desire he ruined Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC big-time champion's face to knock him out cold. Joshua will certainly seize the opportunity if Dubois creates himself similarly readily available, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois presented toughness to take in punches in June, he has actually been ceased twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2014) and also was floored 3 times in the first round through Kevin Lerena prior to recuperating to win in Cycle 3. Yet it is actually no walk in the park for Joshua, that likewise needs to recognize Dubois' power. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's skin and also can possibly carry out a surprise halt against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. Yet Joshua, that ruled as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is actually very likely to gain this match by KO.-- Parkinson.