.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo in the main activity of a Top Rank on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction was in May 2019 and he has actually gained 14 successive fights because, including exceptional victories over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently declined a financially rewarding fight against fellow light in weight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis and while he hasn't announced his retired life, will our company view "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely create his 2nd band appeal this year, yet not against the competitor supporters have demanded. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo is going to face Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never ever battled at this amount in his short occupation. While Berlanga possesses fabulous electrical power-- he started his occupation along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he find a technique to succeed, or at least go the span against Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will certainly defend a label for the first time in two years. Joshua will certainly experience IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually favored to end up being a three-time world champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champion Danny Garcia goes back to the band for simply the 2nd attend almost 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that gained belts at 140 and 147 pounds, is actually moving up in body weight for the chance to become a three-division champ, yet can he disturb a much older however still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson address these concerns and additional, trying to distinguish what's actual and also what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely retire without one more fightNot true ... for now. Lomachenko is actually considering retired life, resources informed ESPN, part of the main reason he declined a highly profitable battle along with Gervonta Davis in November. There's likewise a possibility that Lomachenko will certainly come back in the 1st fifty percent of 2025 to shield his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a fighting state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson must be actually divided at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was observed saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go best now.If that is actually any kind of evidence, Lomachenko will certainly deal with again. Maybe even against Davis or Stevenson, the 2 most significant matches on the desk for him. However if he never ever laces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's tradition is gotten. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and also an essential of the pound-for-pound list over the final 10 years.He additionally doesn't need to overcome for the cash. He is actually made numerous bucks in his job and also still dwells in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's most popular sportsmens. Regardless if he battles once more, he surely will not do this a lot longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara as well as ends up being a champ in a third divisionNot real. Garcia has actually upset the odds just before, consisting of a shocking KO get Amir Khan and a prevalent choice success over Lucas Matthysse. The first gain lifted him to the top echelon of the sport and the second bound that status.But the Matthysse match was 11 years ago, however, and those two signature Garcia wins were at 140 extra pounds (he also succeeded a headline at 147 pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still looking for a win that matches that, as well as an upset success over Lara would certainly fit the bill.Garcia didn't be similar to the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and also he have not competed considering that. Now, he'll move up yet another body weight course (though the Lara battle is occurring at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 pounds) and need to contend with band stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight title battle versus Lara will definitely be Garcia's 2nd since December 2020, when he was actually routed by Errol Spence Jr.The select here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, reveals significant electrical power, albeit against fighters under Garcia's level. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, safeguards his recognized incredibly middleweight championship against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's best superstar, have not scored a KO success due to the fact that he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 match to win the undeniable super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a presentation in his final 3 battles. Against a competitor in Berlanga, that are going to be combating on the best degree for the very first time, Alvarez ought to incorporate the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually harmed in the band before, namely in a step-up battle against Marcelo Coceres, who lost him in Cycle 9. And his self defense isn't specifically seem. Berlanga has electrical power (he started his occupation with 16 consecutive KO wins in the first round), and if he opts for to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as much at a pair of news conferences recently to market the fight.-- Coppinger Real or not: No other featherweight champ can beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a true risk to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and also defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a bulk decision to win the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the four rounds, while his escapement gain with Ramirez was just one of the most ideal matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world light champion in background-- would be a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to stand up from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, prior to he was actually quickly overthrown. As an expert, Chirinho had actually certainly never been actually knocked down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the last 3 rounds. Although he is actually not as skilled as Lopez, the quantity of strikes he has actually thrown in his last pair of fights, alongside his height and arrive at conveniences, might show unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared unconvincing in current battles, while our experts still need to have to view much more from Chip Sphere before our company declare him the division's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight title along with a split selection gain Raymond Ford in June. That conquest observed a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. However Espinoza would overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually frustrating versus Ball and also has certainly not gained in virtually two years, so it is hard to offer a disagreement for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 spheres in a 3rd self defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually eliminated big problems in headline matches, like punching in a champ's neighborhood and also obtaining slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he wins on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he might probably face his greatest challenge however in a title marriage match versus Espinoza to crown the best competitor in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' revival has been actually simply a year after being visited Oleksandr Usyk, current form suggests his first IBF abundant label self defense will finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in leading form, much more therefore than any other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually needed to restore his profession, after experiencing back-to-back selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua dealt with carefully, along with a consentaneous selection gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last three matches, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim big-time champion after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF waistband, which implied Dubois was actually updated to complete champ, consequently provides Joshua along with the option to end up being a three-time planet champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will make an effort to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually duplicated effectiveness along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic constantly landed right hands on Dubois in the early spheres, as well as Joshua has actually shown in latest fights exactly how detrimental his right hands are after he damaged Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the past UFC big-time champion's chin to take him out cool. Joshua will seize the option if Dubois produces themself in a similar way accessible, as he did against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a bigger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois showed longevity to soak up type June, he has actually been quit twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2015) and was floored three attend the preliminary through Kevin Lerena just before recovering to succeed in Round 3. However it is actually no walk in the park for Joshua, that additionally requires to recognize Dubois' power. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's skin as well as can likely manage a surprise deduction versus Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. But Joshua, that ruled as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is actually most likely to win this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.