.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo generally activity of a Leading Ranking on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction resided in May 2019 as well as he has actually succeeded 14 consecutive battles due to the fact that, consisting of excellent triumphes over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately turned down a financially rewarding battle versus fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Tank" Davis as well as while he have not declared his retired life, will definitely our company find "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will make his 2nd band appearance this year, however certainly not versus the fighter fans have demanded. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo is going to deal with Edgar Berlanga, that's certainly never battled at this amount in his brief profession. While Berlanga possesses incredible energy-- he started his career along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he find a way to succeed, or at least go the range versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will defend a headline for the first time in two years. Joshua will certainly encounter IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually chosen to come to be a three-time globe champion (-550 every ESPN BET). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the ring for simply the 2nd attend almost 4 years to tackle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that won waistbands at 140 and also 147 pounds, is actually moving up in weight for the chance to come to be a three-division champ, yet can easily he distress a much older yet still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Chip Parkinson respond to these inquiries and also additional, attempting to differentiate what's true and also what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely retire without another fightNot real ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is pondering retired life, resources informed ESPN, component of the reason he dropped a rewarding fight with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually likewise an opportunity that Lomachenko are going to come back in the very first fifty percent of 2025 to shield his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a combating state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson must be actually split at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was viewed informing Stevenson, "Permit's go correct now.If that's any type of sign, Lomachenko will fight once again. Perhaps even against Davis or even Stevenson, the 2 greatest fights on the table for him. Yet if he never ever laces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's tradition is secured. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a mainstay of the pound-for-pound checklist over the last 10 years.He likewise does not need to have to fight for the money. He's made millions of dollars in his career as well as still dwells in Ukraine, where he is among the country's very most well-liked athletes. Whether he fights once again, he surely will not accomplish this much longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as ends up being a champion in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has actually outplayed the chances just before, consisting of a stunning KO gain Amir Khan and a dominant decision triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st win raised him to the higher echelon of the sport as well as the second sealed that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years earlier, however, as well as those 2 trademark Garcia triumphes were at 140 extra pounds (he likewise succeeded a title at 147 extra pounds and went up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still seeking a win that matches that, and also a dismayed triumph over Lara would certainly match the bill.Garcia really did not be similar to the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and he have not contended since. Right now, he'll go up another body weight course (though the Lara fight is actually taking place at a catchweight between 155 as well as 160 pounds) as well as need to contend with ring inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline battle versus Lara will certainly be Garcia's second because December 2020, when he was actually transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The select below is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, shows incredible energy, albeit against competitors beneath Garcia's amount. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, shields his undisputed very middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best star, hasn't scored a KO success because he flattened Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 match to gain the unquestioned tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a knockdown in his last 3 battles. Against a fighter in Berlanga, that will be actually combating 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 been actually hurt in the ring previously, such as in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, who fell him in Cycle 9. And his defense isn't precisely sound. Berlanga has electrical power (he began his occupation with 16 consecutive KO gains in the preliminary), as well as if he picks to swap with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a pair of press conference this week to market the fight.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Nothing else light champ can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a genuine threat to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number decision to win the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the four shots, while his outbreak succeed with Ramirez was among the most effective fights in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest planet light champion in history-- would be actually an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to get up from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, before he was very soon overpowered. As a specialist, Chirinho had never ever been knocked down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the final three rounds. Although he is certainly not as experienced as Lopez, the amount of hits he has actually thrown in his last pair of matches, in addition to his height and arrive at conveniences, could possibly confirm overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared unconvincing in latest fights, while our team still need to have to observe much more from Scar Ball before our company declare him the division's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight headline along with a split decision sway Raymond Ford in June. That conquest adhered to a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. However Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Ball as well as has actually certainly not won in virtually two years, so it is difficult to show a debate for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in eight rounds in a 3rd self defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has overcome significant problems in title battles, like boxing in a champion's neighborhood as well as getting slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he wins on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he may probably experience his most significant difficulty however in a label marriage match versus Espinoza to crown the best boxer in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' revival has actually been merely a year after being visited Oleksandr Usyk, current kind recommends his initial IBF abundant label defense will definitely finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in best type, a lot more thus than some other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually must reconstruct his profession, after enduring next decision losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua battled very carefully, with a consensual decision draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his last three matches, he accomplished 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 ceased Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF belt, which implied Dubois was actually updated to total champ, consequently shows Joshua with the chance to become a three-time globe champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua are going to make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had repeated results with versus Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early arounds, and Joshua has received recent matches how damaging his right hands seek he damaged Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC heavyweight champion's chin to take him out cool. Joshua will certainly confiscate the option if Dubois produces themself similarly accessible, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois showed resilience to soak up type June, he has actually been ceased twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2014) and was knocked down 3 times in the preliminary by Kevin Lerena before bouncing back to win in Cycle 3. But it is actually no stroll in the playground for Joshua, who also needs to value Dubois' energy. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's skin as well as can potentially carry out a surprise stop versus Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, who concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards from 2019 to 2021, is very likely to succeed this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.