.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo generally activity of a Top Position on ESPN memory 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 actually won 14 successive fights considering that, consisting of exceptional victories over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the very best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently denied a financially rewarding match versus fellow light-weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and also while he have not introduced his retirement, will definitely our company see "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will create his second ring appearance this year, but certainly not against the fighter enthusiasts have demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly encounter Edgar Berlanga, who's never fought at this degree in his short occupation. While Berlanga has extraordinary electrical power-- he started his profession along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- may he locate a technique to win, or a minimum of go the distance versus Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua are going to defend a title for the first time in 2 years. Joshua is going to encounter IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually preferred to come to be a three-time world champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And two-division champ Danny Garcia comes back to the band for merely the second attend just about four years to tackle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who gained waistbands at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is actually moving up in body weight for the odds to come to be a three-division champion, yet can he disturb an older yet still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and Chip Parkinson answer these questions as well as more, making an effort to identify what's genuine as well as what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely resign without yet another fightNot genuine ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is actually contemplating retirement, sources said to ESPN, aspect of the cause he decreased a profitable battle along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's additionally a possibility that Lomachenko will come back in the very first half of 2025 to protect his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a fighting mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson had to be actually divided at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was actually viewed informing Stevenson, "Permit's go ideal now.If that is actually any type of indication, Lomachenko is going to fight once again. Perhaps even against Davis or even Stevenson, the two largest matches on the table for him. Yet if he never ever laces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's tradition is actually gotten. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and an essential of the pound-for-pound checklist over the final 10 years.He additionally does not need to have to combat for the cash. He's made millions of bucks in his career and also still stays in Ukraine, where he is among the nation's most well-liked athletes. Whether or not he fights once again, he surely will not do so much longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and also becomes a champ in a third divisionNot real. Garcia has actually outplayed the chances prior to, featuring a stunning KO draw Amir Khan and also a dominant decision victory over Lucas Matthysse. The first gain raised him to the upper echelon of the sporting activity and also the last bound that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years back, though, as well as those 2 signature Garcia triumphes went to 140 pounds (he likewise succeeded a title at 147 pounds and also moved up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still hunting for a gain that matches that, and an upset victory over Lara would certainly suit the bill.Garcia failed to resemble the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and he have not competed since. Now, he'll go up one more body weight lesson (though the Lara match is happening at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 pounds) as well as have to emulate ring sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline match versus Lara will definitely be actually Garcia's 2nd due to the fact that December 2020, when he was actually transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The choose listed below is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, shows enormous power, albeit versus competitors below Garcia's level. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, defends his unquestioned tremendously middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's top celebrity, have not scored a KO triumph given that he flattened Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 match to succeed the undisputed very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a knockdown in his last 3 matches. Against a fighter in Berlanga, that will be actually fighting on the best degree for the first time, Alvarez needs to add the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually hurt in the band in the past, specifically in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, that fell him in Round 9. And his defense isn't precisely appear. Berlanga possesses power (he began his career along with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the first round), and if he selects to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez vowed as much at a set of press conference recently to market the match.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other lightweight champion may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears an actual risk to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and also beating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority selection to win the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the 4 rounds, while his escapement win with Ramirez was among the most ideal matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world light champion in record-- will be a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho did well to get up from an uppercut from Espinoza in Around 1, just before he was quickly overpowered. As an expert, Chirinho had actually never ever been actually torn down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the final 3 arounds. Although he is actually not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the amount of strikes he has thrown in his final two fights, alongside his height as well as reach conveniences, could possibly show overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared unconvincing in latest matches, while we still require to find even more from Chip Ball before our team proclaim him the division's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight label along with a split decision get Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment complied with a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. However Espinoza would overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually frustrating versus Round as well as has actually certainly not won in almost pair of years, so it is challenging to present an argument for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in 8 rounds in a 3rd defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has beat large challenges in title battles, like punching in a champion's home town as well as receiving cut very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he succeeds on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he may maybe encounter his largest difficulty but in a title marriage match against Espinoza to dental crown the very best fighter in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' rebirth has actually been actually simply a year after being visited Oleksandr Usyk, current form recommends his first IBF abundant headline protection will certainly end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in leading kind, a lot more thus than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has had to fix his occupation, after going through next decision reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua fought very carefully, along with a consentaneous choice draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final 3 battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim heavyweight champ after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF belt, which meant Dubois was actually upgraded to full champion, consequently shows Joshua with the possibility to become a three-time globe champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua are going to make an effort to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually duplicated effectiveness along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early arounds, and also Joshua has shown in current matches just how destructive his right hands want he damaged Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the former UFC heavyweight champ's face to take him out cold. Joshua will certainly confiscate the option if Dubois creates themself in a similar way available, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a greater puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois revealed resilience to take in type June, he has actually been actually stopped twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk last year) and was actually defeated three attend the first round by Kevin Lerena prior to recouping to win in Round 3. Yet it is actually no stroll in the playground for Joshua, who also needs to recognize Dubois' power. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's face and also may likely carry out a surprise stoppage versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. Yet Joshua, that ruled as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is actually most likely to succeed this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.