.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo generally celebration of a Best Position 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 he has succeeded 14 successive battles given that, consisting of excellent victories over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently declined a beneficial fight against fellow lightweight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and also while he have not revealed his retirement, will certainly we observe "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly create his second band look this year, yet certainly not versus the competitor enthusiasts have actually demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will deal with Edgar Berlanga, that is actually certainly never fought at this level in his quick profession. While Berlanga has awesome electrical power-- he started his occupation along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can he find a way to succeed, or at least go the span against Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will certainly fight for a headline for the first time in 2 years. Joshua will encounter IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is preferred to become a three-time globe champ (-550 every ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champion Danny Garcia returns to the ring for merely the 2nd attend just about four years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded waistbands at 140 and 147 pounds, is actually going up in body weight for the chance to become a three-division champ, yet can he disturb a more mature yet still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson respond to these questions as well as more, trying to differentiate what's actual and also what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to retire without yet another fightNot actual ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually considering retirement, resources said to ESPN, part of the reason he dropped a financially rewarding battle along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually also an option that Lomachenko will definitely return in the initial half of 2025 to guard his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a combating state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson needed to be separated at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was actually seen telling Stevenson, "Permit's go appropriate now.If that is actually any type of evidence, Lomachenko will certainly fight again. Perhaps even versus Davis or Stevenson, both largest battles on the table for him. But if he never ever laces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's tradition is gotten. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and an essential of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He additionally does not require to fight for the money. He is actually gotten countless bucks in his profession as well as still stays in Ukraine, where he is among the country's most well-liked athletes. Regardless if he combats once more, he absolutely won't accomplish this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and ends up being a champion in a 3rd divisionNot real. Garcia has outplayed the probabilities before, consisting of a stunning KO get Amir Khan as well as a dominant selection victory over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st gain elevated him to the upper echelon of the sporting activity and also the second cemented that status.But the Matthysse match was 11 years back, though, as well as those two signature Garcia victories went to 140 pounds (he additionally won a title at 147 pounds and also went up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still searching for a gain that matches that, as well as a dismayed success over Lara will match the bill.Garcia really did not resemble the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and he hasn't contended since. Currently, he'll go up an additional weight training class (though the Lara battle is happening at a catchweight between 155 and 160 pounds) and also must emulate band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline fight versus Lara will certainly be Garcia's second given that December 2020, when he was actually directed by Errol Spence Jr.The select listed here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, shows tremendous electrical power, albeit against boxers under Garcia's level. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, guards his uncontested very middleweight championship against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best star, have not racked up a KO success because he squashed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 match to gain the unquestioned incredibly middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a presentation in his last three battles. Against a competitor in Berlanga, who will definitely be battling on the leading degree for the first time, Alvarez ought to add the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually hurt in the ring in the past, particularly in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Round 9. As well as his defense isn't precisely appear. Berlanga has electrical power (he began his profession along with 16 consecutive KO wins in the preliminary), and if he chooses to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez vowed as much at a set of press conference today to ensure the match.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other featherweight champion may hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a genuine danger to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June and defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority decision to succeed the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the 4 shots, while his escapement gain with Ramirez was just one of the very best fights in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest globe lightweight champion in background-- would certainly be actually an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho did well to stand up coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was actually soon overwhelmed. As a qualified, Chirinho had actually never ever been actually brought down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the final three spheres. Although he is actually not as experienced as Lopez, the amount of hits he has included his final 2 matches, along with his height and hit advantages, can prove unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked unconvincing in current battles, while our team still need to view extra from Scar Sphere just before our experts proclaim him the department's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight label with a split selection draw Raymond Ford in June. That triumph observed a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza would tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfying versus Ball and has actually certainly not succeeded in nearly pair of years, so it is actually difficult to provide an argument for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 spheres in a third protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually gotten rid of significant problems in label matches, like punching in a champion's neighborhood and receiving slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he wins on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may probably experience his most significant challenge but in a headline unification fight against Espinoza to dental crown the greatest fighter in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' rebirth has been merely a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, recent type recommends his initial IBF heavyweight title self defense will certainly end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in best kind, a lot more therefore than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has had to reconstruct his career, after suffering next selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua battled meticulously, with a consentaneous decision win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last three battles, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting big-time champ after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF waistband, which implied Dubois was improved to complete champion, consequently presents Joshua along with the possibility to become a three-time planet champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had actually duplicated effectiveness along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic frequently landed right hands on Dubois in the very early rounds, as well as Joshua has received latest fights exactly how damaging his right-hand men want he damaged Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the past UFC heavyweight champ's chin to take him out chilly. Joshua will definitely take the possibility if Dubois makes himself in a similar way readily available, as he did against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois presented longevity to absorb punches in June, he has actually been actually ceased twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2013) and also was floored 3 attend the first round by Kevin Lerena just before recovering to gain in Round 3. But it is no walk in the park for Joshua, that additionally needs to recognize Dubois' power. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's skin and may possibly pull off a shock stoppage versus Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. But Joshua, that ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards coming from 2019 to 2021, is more probable to succeed this battle by KO.-- Parkinson.