.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo generally event of a Leading 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 remained in May 2019 and also he has actually succeeded 14 consecutive matches because, consisting of outstanding victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the most effective featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently denied a financially rewarding match against fellow light in weight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis as well as while he hasn't introduced his retired life, will certainly we see "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will create his second band look this year, but certainly not versus the boxer followers have demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will deal with Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never ever combated at this level in his quick career. While Berlanga possesses fabulous energy-- he began his occupation with 16 successive first-round KOs-- may he locate a way to win, or even at the very least go the distance against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will definitely defend a headline for the very first time in 2 years. Joshua will deal with IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is chosen to end up being a three-time globe champ (-550 every ESPN BET). And also two-division champion Danny Garcia returns to the ring for simply the second time in virtually 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who gained belts at 140 and 147 pounds, is actually going up in weight for the chance to come to be a three-division champion, however can easily he distress an older however still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Nick Parkinson answer these concerns and more, making an effort to differentiate what's actual as well as what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly resign without another fightNot true ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually considering retired life, sources informed ESPN, aspect of the cause he declined a lucrative fight with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's also an option that Lomachenko will certainly return in the 1st one-half of 2025 to defend his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a fighting mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson must be divided at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was actually viewed informing Stevenson, "Allow's go ideal now.If that is actually any evidence, Lomachenko will certainly deal with again. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, both biggest matches on the desk for him. Yet if he never ever shoelaces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's tradition is actually secured. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer as well as a mainstay of the pound-for-pound list over the last 10 years.He additionally doesn't need to overcome for the money. He's made numerous bucks in his profession and also still dwells in Ukraine, where he is just one of the nation's very most well-known sportsmens. Whether he battles once again, he undoubtedly won't do this a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and becomes a champ in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has upset the probabilities before, including an astonishing KO sway Amir Khan and a dominant choice triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The first win lifted him to the top tier of the sporting activity as well as the second bound that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years ago, however, as well as those two trademark Garcia success went to 140 extra pounds (he likewise succeeded a headline at 147 pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still looking for a gain that matches that, and also an upset triumph over Lara would fit the bill.Garcia didn't be similar to the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and he hasn't contended considering that. Currently, he'll go up an additional weight training class (though the Lara fight is actually happening at a catchweight between 155 and 160 pounds) and also need to contend with ring sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline battle against Lara are going to be actually Garcia's 2nd since December 2020, when he was actually transmitted by Errol Spence Jr.The pick here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, reveals significant power, albeit versus boxers beneath Garcia's amount. Lara is using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, protects his indisputable very middleweight championship against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading celebrity, have not racked up a KO triumph considering that he smoothed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 battle to gain the undisputed extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a presentation in his final three matches. Versus a fighter in Berlanga, who will be battling on the leading degree for the first time, Alvarez must include the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually hurt in the ring before, namely in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, who fell him in Cycle 9. And also his protection isn't precisely sound. Berlanga possesses energy (he began his career with 16 consecutive KO wins in the preliminary), as well as if he opts for to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as a lot at a pair of news conferences recently to ensure the match.-- Coppinger Real or not: Nothing else light champion can easily beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a genuine danger to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a majority choice to gain the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in 3 of the four shots, while his breakout win along with Ramirez was just one of the best matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest globe lightweight champion in past history-- would certainly be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to stand up coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was quickly overthrown. As a professional, Chirinho had certainly never been actually torn down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a shock in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the final three rounds. Although he is certainly not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the quantity of punches he has thrown in his final 2 battles, together with his elevation and also get to conveniences, could possibly show impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked implausible in current battles, while our experts still require to observe more coming from Chip Ball just before our team proclaim him the branch's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) caught the WBA featherweight label along with a split decision draw Raymond Ford in June. That conquest complied with a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. But Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was frustrating versus Round as well as has actually certainly not gained in nearly 2 years, so it is actually difficult to offer a disagreement for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a third protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has beat huge challenges in label battles, like boxing in a champ's neighborhood and acquiring slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he succeeds on Saturday versus Angelo Leo, he may possibly encounter his largest challenge yet in a label marriage battle against Espinoza to crown the best boxer in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' rebirth has been simply a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, latest type advises his 1st IBF abundant title defense will certainly finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in top type, even more so than some other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has had to rebuild his profession, after experiencing next choice losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua combated carefully, with a consensual decision get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last three fights, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting heavyweight champion after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF waistband, which indicated Dubois was actually upgraded to complete champ, therefore presents Joshua along with the opportunity to become a three-time world champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will definitely try to exploit what Hrgovic had repeated success with versus Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early arounds, and also Joshua has displayed in latest battles exactly how detrimental his right-hand men seek he ruined Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the past UFC heavyweight champion's face to take him out cool. Joshua will certainly take possession of the possibility if Dubois makes themself similarly accessible, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a bigger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois showed toughness to soak up type June, he has been actually quit twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2013) and was actually defeated 3 times in the preliminary through Kevin Lerena just before recuperating to succeed in Round 3. Yet it is actually no stroll in the playground for Joshua, that also needs to have to appreciate Dubois' electrical power. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's skin and also can potentially manage a surprise standstill against Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, that concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is actually more probable to gain this match by KO.-- Parkinson.