.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo generally celebration of a Top Rank on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final loss was in May 2019 as well as he has succeeded 14 successive fights because, featuring excellent success over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the very best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently turned down a beneficial fight against fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Container" Davis and while he have not revealed his retirement life, are going to our experts observe "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will make his second ring appearance this year, however not against the competitor enthusiasts have actually demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely deal with Edgar Berlanga, that is actually certainly never combated at this level in his quick occupation. While Berlanga possesses awesome power-- he started his occupation along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- may he discover a method to gain, or at least go the span versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will certainly fight for a title for the first time in two years. Joshua will face IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually favored to end up being a three-time planet champion (-550 per ESPN BET). And two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the ring for simply the 2nd time in almost 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded belts at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is going up in body weight for the odds to become a three-division champ, but can easily he disturb a much older but still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Chip Parkinson respond to these questions and additional, attempting to identify what's real as well as what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely resign without an additional fightNot true ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually considering retirement life, sources told ESPN, part of the main reason he declined a beneficial battle with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually also an opportunity that Lomachenko will return in the initial fifty percent of 2025 to defend his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a dealing with mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson needed to be split at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was seen telling Stevenson, "Permit's go best now.If that's any evidence, Lomachenko will definitely battle once more. Maybe even versus Davis or Stevenson, the two biggest fights on the desk for him. But if he never laces up the handwear covers again, Lomachenko's heritage is secured. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well as a pillar of the pound-for-pound checklist over the final 10 years.He also does not need to fight for the money. He is actually gotten numerous dollars in his occupation as well as still stays in Ukraine, where he's one of the country's very most well-liked professional athletes. Regardless if he fights once again, he definitely will not accomplish this much longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as becomes a champ in a 3rd divisionNot true. Garcia has upset the chances before, featuring a surprising KO draw Amir Khan and also a dominant selection success over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st gain elevated him to the top echelon of the sport as well as the last cemented that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years earlier, though, as well as those 2 trademark Garcia victories went to 140 pounds (he likewise gained a headline at 147 pounds and also went up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still seeking a win that matches that, and also an upset victory over Lara would certainly fit the bill.Garcia failed to appear like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and he have not contended due to the fact that. Currently, he'll go up yet another weight class (though the Lara fight is occurring at a catchweight between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and need to contend with ring sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight label fight versus Lara will certainly be actually Garcia's 2nd given that December 2020, when he was actually routed through Errol Spence Jr.The select below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, presents enormous power, albeit versus competitors under Garcia's level. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's battle against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, protects his undeniable 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 triumph since he squashed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 battle to win the uncontested tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a knockdown in his final three fights. Against a competitor in Berlanga, who will certainly be combating on the leading amount for the first time, Alvarez needs to add the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been injured in the ring before, particularly in a step-up battle against Marcelo Coceres, who dropped him in Cycle 9. As well as his protection isn't precisely sound. Berlanga has power (he began his occupation with 16 successive KO gains in the first round), and if he picks to swap with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez vowed as a lot at a pair of news conferences today to advertise the fight.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other lightweight champ can easily hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks an actual threat to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk choice to win the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in 3 of the four shots, while his breakout gain with Ramirez was one of the most ideal matches in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest globe light champ in history-- will be actually a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to get out of bed from an uppercut from Espinoza in Around 1, before he was very soon overwhelmed. As an expert, Chirinho had never been torn down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last 3 spheres. Although he is certainly not as expert as Lopez, the volume of hits he has actually thrown in his last two battles, in addition to his height and also hit advantages, could prove overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked implausible in current matches, while our team still need to have to see more coming from Scar Ball just before our company proclaim him the department's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight title with a split selection gain Raymond Ford in June. That triumph adhered to a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. However Espinoza will overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Round and has certainly not gained in almost two years, so it is actually difficult to present a disagreement for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in eight rounds in a 3rd self defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually beat large challenges in label matches, like boxing in a champion's hometown and also receiving cut very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he wins on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he may perhaps experience his largest challenge but in a label unification match versus Espinoza to dental crown the best boxer in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will certainly KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' rebirth has actually been merely a year after being actually visited Oleksandr Usyk, recent type recommends his very first IBF heavyweight label defense will certainly end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in best form, even more thus than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually needed to fix his career, after suffering next selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua fought carefully, with an unanimous choice win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his last three battles, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim big-time champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF waistband, which implied Dubois was actually improved to total champion, therefore provides Joshua with the opportunity to come to be a three-time globe champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will certainly make an effort to manipulate what Hrgovic had duplicated effectiveness with versus Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early rounds, and also Joshua has displayed in recent battles just how destructive his right hands seek he ruined Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC heavyweight champ's face to knock him out cold. Joshua will certainly confiscate the possibility if Dubois creates himself similarly offered, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a greater puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois showed durability to take in punches in June, he has actually been actually quit two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2013) and also was actually defeated 3 attend the first round by Kevin Lerena prior to recovering to succeed in Round 3. But it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, that also requires to recognize Dubois' power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's face and also can potentially pull off a surprise standstill against Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. However Joshua, who ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is actually very likely to gain this battle by KO.-- Parkinson.