.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo in the main activity of a Best 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 as well as he has actually succeeded 14 successive matches because, consisting of outstanding triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently rejected a highly profitable fight versus fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Container" Davis as well as while he have not introduced his retirement life, will we view "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his second ring appeal this year, but not against the fighter supporters have demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely face Edgar Berlanga, who is actually never ever combated at this level in his brief occupation. While Berlanga possesses fabulous power-- he started his job along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- may he find a method to succeed, or at least go the span against Alvarez?Former heavyweight 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 London, as "AJ" is favored to end up being a three-time world champion (-550 every ESPN BET). And also two-division champion Danny Garcia returns to the band for just the 2nd attend almost four years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that won belts at 140 and also 147 extra pounds, is going up in weight for the opportunity to come to be a three-division champ, however may he disturb an older but still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Chip Parkinson address these inquiries as well as additional, trying to differentiate what's true as well as what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely retire without one more fightNot real ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually considering retirement life, sources said to ESPN, portion of the reason he dropped a highly profitable fight with Gervonta Davis in November. There's also an opportunity that Lomachenko will certainly return in the very first one-half of 2025 to defend his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a fighting state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson must be actually separated at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was seen saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go ideal now.If that is actually any kind of indication, Lomachenko will definitely combat once again. Maybe even against Davis or even Stevenson, the 2 greatest matches on the desk for him. Yet if he never shoelaces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's legacy is secured. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and also a backbone of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He also does not need to have to fight for the money. He is actually earned millions of bucks in his career as well as still dwells in Ukraine, where he is among the country's very most popular sportsmens. Whether he fights again, he definitely will not accomplish this much longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also comes to be a champ in a third divisionNot real. Garcia has actually upset the probabilities just before, consisting of a stunning KO gain Amir Khan and also a leading choice success over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st gain lifted him to the top echelon of the sporting activity and the latter cemented that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years ago, though, and also those 2 signature Garcia success were at 140 pounds (he also succeeded a title at 147 pounds and also went up to 154 for a July 2022 gain Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still looking for a win that matches that, and also an upset victory over Lara will fit the bill.Garcia really did not be similar to the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, as well as he hasn't contended considering that. Now, he'll move up one more body weight class (though the Lara battle is actually occurring at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 pounds) and also need to contend with band inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline battle against Lara will definitely be actually Garcia's 2nd because December 2020, when he was actually routed through Errol Spence Jr.The decide on below is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, presents significant electrical power, albeit versus competitors below Garcia's amount. Lara is riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, protects his undisputed tremendously middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading superstar, have not scored a KO success due to the fact that he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 fight to succeed the undeniable super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a presentation in his final three fights. Against a fighter in Berlanga, who will definitely be actually combating on the leading level for the first time, Alvarez ought to add the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually injured in the ring in the past, particularly in a step-up battle against Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Round 9. And also his protection isn't precisely seem. Berlanga possesses electrical power (he began his job along with 16 successive KO gains in the first round), and if he selects to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez assured as much at a set of news conferences today to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other light champion may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a true risk to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June and also beating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number decision to gain the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the four shots, while his outbreak gain with Ramirez was among the very best fights in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest planet featherweight champion in past history-- would be a problem for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to rise from an uppercut from Espinoza in Round 1, prior to he was soon overthrown. As a specialist, Chirinho had actually never ever been actually brought down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the final 3 rounds. Although he is not as expert as Lopez, the volume of hits he has actually included his last pair of fights, in addition to his elevation and also arrive at perks, could possibly confirm unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked implausible in current fights, while our team still need to see even more coming from Nick Round just before our company announce him the branch's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight title along with a split choice sway Raymond Ford in June. That victory followed a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. However Espinoza will stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Ball and also has actually not gained in almost two years, so it is difficult to offer a disagreement for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 spheres in a 3rd protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually gotten rid of significant challenges in label battles, like boxing in a champ's home town as well as getting slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he gains on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may perhaps experience his greatest difficulty but in a label marriage battle versus Espinoza to crown the most effective fighter in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' rebirth has been actually merely a year after being visited Oleksandr Usyk, recent form recommends his initial IBF heavyweight title defense will certainly end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in best type, a lot more so than any other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has must restore his occupation, after suffering next decision losses to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua combated carefully, along with a consentaneous selection gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last three matches, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting heavyweight champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF belt, which indicated Dubois was actually upgraded to complete champ, and so shows Joshua with the opportunity to come to be a three-time world champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will definitely make an effort to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually repeated results along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic constantly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early spheres, as well as Joshua has received current battles exactly how damaging his right hands desire he damaged Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC big-time champ's jaw to knock him out cold. Joshua will certainly seize the possibility if Dubois creates himself likewise offered, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a larger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois presented longevity to take in punches in June, he has actually been actually stopped twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2015) and also was knocked down 3 times in the first round by Kevin Lerena before recuperating to win in Cycle 3. Yet it is actually no stroll in the playground for Joshua, that additionally needs to have to value Dubois' power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's face as well as may likely carry out a shock stop against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. However Joshua, that ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and after that coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually most likely to gain this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.