.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 resided in May 2019 and also he has won 14 successive fights given that, consisting of exceptional success over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently denied a beneficial battle versus fellow light-weight champ Gervonta "Container" Davis and while he hasn't introduced his retirement life, are going to our team view "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his 2nd band look this year, however certainly not versus the fighter fans have clamored for. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely encounter Edgar Berlanga, who is actually certainly never combated at this degree in his short career. While Berlanga has unbelievable energy-- he started his profession with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he discover a method to win, or at the very least go the proximity against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will certainly fight for a label for the first time in two years. Joshua will definitely face IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is favored to come to be a three-time planet champ (-550 per ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia comes back to the band for only the 2nd time in almost 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded waistbands at 140 and also 147 extra pounds, is moving up in body weight for the odds to become a three-division champ, but may he upset a much older but still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson answer these concerns and more, trying to differentiate what's genuine and what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to resign without another fightNot genuine ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is contemplating retired life, sources said to ESPN, component of the reason he decreased a profitable battle along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually likewise a probability 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) appeared in a combating mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson must be separated at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was viewed saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go ideal now.If that's any sign, Lomachenko will battle once again. Perhaps even against Davis or Stevenson, both biggest fights on the desk for him. However if he never shoelaces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's legacy is protected. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well as a pillar of the pound-for-pound list over the last 10 years.He also doesn't need to eliminate for the cash. He is actually gotten numerous bucks in his profession and still lives in Ukraine, where he's one of the country's very most prominent sportsmens. Whether or not he combats once again, he definitely won't accomplish this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and becomes a champion in a third divisionNot real. Garcia has upset the odds prior to, including a stunning KO sway Amir Khan as well as a leading selection success over Lucas Matthysse. The initial gain raised him to the top tier of the sporting activity as well as the latter bound that status.But the Matthysse match was 11 years back, however, and those 2 trademark Garcia victories were at 140 pounds (he likewise gained a headline at 147 extra pounds and also went up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still hunting for a win that matches that, as well as a distressed triumph over Lara would suit the bill.Garcia failed to look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and also he hasn't contended given that. Currently, he'll go up an additional body weight class (though the Lara fight is taking place at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 extra pounds) and must emulate ring lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight label fight against Lara will certainly be actually Garcia's 2nd due to the fact that December 2020, when he was routed by Errol Spence Jr.The decide on here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, shows enormous energy, albeit versus competitors below Garcia's amount. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's battle against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, protects his unquestioned extremely middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading star, have not racked up a KO victory due to the fact that he smoothed Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 fight to win the indisputable tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a presentation in his last 3 fights. Against a boxer in Berlanga, that will be actually combating on the top degree for the very first time, Alvarez should incorporate the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been hurt in the band previously, particularly in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, that fell him in Cycle 9. And also his defense isn't precisely appear. Berlanga has electrical power (he started his job along with 16 successive KO wins in the preliminary), as well as if he picks to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez vowed as much at a set of press conference today to advertise the match.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Nothing else featherweight champ may hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a real risk to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez by a majority choice to gain the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the 4 shots, while his breakout succeed with Ramirez was among the very best fights in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world light champ in past history-- will be actually a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get out of bed from an uppercut from Espinoza in Around 1, just before he was quickly overpowered. As a qualified, Chirinho had actually never ever been brought down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last three rounds. Although he is not as seasoned as Lopez, the amount of strikes he has included his final pair of fights, together with his elevation and hit benefits, could verify overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked implausible in recent fights, while our experts still require to observe extra from Chip Sphere just before our team proclaim him the department's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight headline along with a split decision gain Raymond Ford in June. That victory complied with a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. Yet Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfactory versus Round and also has not gained in nearly 2 years, so it is actually tough to show a disagreement for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a third protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has gotten over significant problems in label battles, like boxing in a champ's home town as well as receiving slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he succeeds on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he might perhaps face his greatest obstacle but in a headline unification match versus Espinoza to dental crown the most ideal fighter in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' rebirth has been actually only a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, recent type suggests his 1st IBF abundant headline self defense will certainly end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in leading kind, more so than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has must rebuild his occupation, after suffering next choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua combated very carefully, with an unanimous decision get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final three fights, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting big-time champion after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF belt, which suggested Dubois was actually updated to total champion, therefore presents Joshua along with the option to end up being a three-time world champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua are going to make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had duplicated effectiveness with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continually landed right hands on Dubois in the early spheres, and Joshua has actually displayed in latest fights exactly how damaging his right-hand men desire he damaged Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC big-time champion's jaw to take him out cold. Joshua will take possession of the chance if Dubois produces himself in a similar way readily available, as he did against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a larger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois presented resilience to absorb type June, he has been actually ceased two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk last year) and also was actually defeated three attend the first round by Kevin Lerena before recovering to succeed in Cycle 3. Yet it is no stroll in the playground for Joshua, who likewise needs to have to recognize Dubois' electrical power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's face as well as may likely manage a shock stoppage against Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. However Joshua, that ruled as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is most likely to gain this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.