.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband 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 reduction was in May 2019 and he has actually succeeded 14 successive fights because, including outstanding triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately declined a profitable battle against fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Container" Davis and also while he have not revealed his retirement, will certainly our company see "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely create his 2nd ring appeal this year, yet certainly not against the competitor followers have demanded. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely face Edgar Berlanga, that's never ever combated at this level in his quick profession. While Berlanga has unbelievable power-- he started his job with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he locate a technique to succeed, or a minimum of go the span versus Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua are going to fight for a headline for the very first time in 2 years. Joshua will definitely face IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is preferred to end up being a three-time globe champion (-550 every ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the band for just the 2nd time in almost 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that won belts at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is going up in weight for the opportunity to come to be a three-division champion, but can easily he disturb an older yet still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Chip Parkinson answer these concerns and also even more, trying to identify what's real and what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely retire without yet another fightNot real ... for now. Lomachenko is considering retired life, resources informed ESPN, portion of the main reason he dropped a highly profitable battle with Gervonta Davis in November. There's additionally an option that Lomachenko will certainly return in the initial fifty percent of 2025 to shield his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a combating mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson must be split at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was observed telling Stevenson, "Allow's go ideal now.If that is actually any kind of indicator, Lomachenko will definitely fight once again. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, both largest fights on the table for him. However if he never laces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's heritage is gotten. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well as a mainstay of the pound-for-pound checklist over the last 10 years.He additionally does not need to overcome for the money. He's made countless dollars in his occupation as well as still stays in Ukraine, where he is just one of the nation's most prominent athletes. Whether he battles again, he certainly will not do so a lot longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also ends up being a champion in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has actually upset the possibilities just before, featuring a surprising KO gain Amir Khan and also a prevalent choice triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The first win elevated him to the upper tier of the sport and the last glued that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years back, however, and those 2 trademark Garcia wins went to 140 pounds (he likewise succeeded a headline at 147 extra pounds and also moved up to 154 for a July 2022 get Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still searching for a win that matches that, and also a dismayed triumph over Lara would certainly accommodate the bill.Garcia really did not resemble the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, as well as he hasn't completed because. Right now, he'll move up yet another weight class (though the Lara battle is occurring at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 pounds) as well as must contend with ring stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight label fight versus Lara are going to be actually Garcia's 2nd because December 2020, when he was directed by Errol Spence Jr.The choose listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, reveals incredible power, albeit versus fighters beneath Garcia's degree. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's battle against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, guards his undisputed extremely middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's top superstar, have not racked up a KO success because he smoothed Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 match to succeed the recognized extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a presentation in his last three fights. Against a boxer in Berlanga, who will definitely be battling on the leading degree for the first time, Alvarez should incorporate the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually harmed in the band previously, namely in a step-up battle versus Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Cycle 9. And his protection isn't exactly sound. Berlanga has electrical power (he started his profession along with 16 successive KO gains in the first round), as well as if he picks to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a pair of press conference recently to advertise the match.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: No other lightweight champ can easily hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a real risk to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June and beating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk decision to gain the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the 4 shots, while his outbreak win with Ramirez was just one of the very best matches in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet featherweight champ in history-- would certainly be a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to rise from an uppercut from Espinoza in Round 1, prior to he was quickly overthrown. As a qualified, Chirinho had actually certainly never been torn down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last three rounds. Although he is actually certainly not as skilled as Lopez, the amount of punches he has actually thrown in his final 2 fights, alongside his elevation and also get to advantages, can verify unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked unconvincing in current battles, while our team still require to find extra from Chip Ball prior to our experts proclaim him the division's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight label along with a split selection win over Raymond Ford in June. That triumph complied with a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza would stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was frustrating versus Round and also has actually not gained in nearly 2 years, so it is difficult to show an argument for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in eight rounds in a third defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually gotten over large obstacles in headline matches, like punching in a champion's neighborhood as well as receiving slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he succeeds on Saturday versus Angelo Leo, he might possibly encounter his largest difficulty yet in a label marriage match against Espinoza to crown the most ideal competitor in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' revival has actually been actually only a year after being actually visited Oleksandr Usyk, recent form advises his initial IBF abundant label protection will finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in best kind, much more therefore than any other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually had to reconstruct his profession, after experiencing back-to-back selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua battled meticulously, along with an unanimous choice win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his last 3 fights, he finished 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 quit Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF waistband, which implied Dubois was improved to full champ, therefore provides Joshua along with the possibility to end up being a three-time planet champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will try to exploit what Hrgovic had actually duplicated results with versus Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early arounds, and also Joshua has displayed in recent fights how detrimental his right-hand men seek he damaged Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC big-time champion's face to take him out chilly. Joshua will seize the chance if Dubois makes himself likewise offered, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois revealed durability to take in type June, he has actually been ceased two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2015) and also was actually defeated 3 attend the first round by Kevin Lerena before recuperating to gain in Round 3. However it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, that likewise requires to value Dubois' power. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's face and also can possibly manage a surprise stop against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. But Joshua, who ruled as champion from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is very likely to win this match through KO.-- Parkinson.