.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo in the main occasion of a Top Rank on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction was in May 2019 and also he has gained 14 successive battles due to the fact that, featuring exceptional triumphes over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently rejected a profitable battle against fellow light-weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and also while he have not introduced his retired life, are going to our company find "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will create his second band look this year, however not versus the competitor supporters have actually demanded. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly face Edgar Berlanga, who's certainly never combated at this level in his brief profession. While Berlanga has astonishing energy-- he began his career along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he discover a way to succeed, or a minimum of go the proximity against Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua are going to fight for a title for the very first time in 2 years. Joshua will certainly encounter IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is favored to come to be a three-time planet champion (-550 per ESPN BET). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia returns to the ring for simply the second time in practically 4 years to tackle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who won waistbands at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is going up in weight for the possibility to become a three-division champion, however can he distress an older however still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson respond to these concerns and even more, attempting to distinguish what's genuine and what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will resign without yet another fightNot actual ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is contemplating retirement, resources told ESPN, part of the cause he declined a beneficial match along with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually likewise a possibility that Lomachenko will certainly come back in the first fifty percent of 2025 to defend his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a combating state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson must be divided at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was observed telling Stevenson, "Let's go appropriate now.If that is actually any indicator, Lomachenko will combat again. Maybe even against Davis or Stevenson, the 2 most significant matches on the desk for him. Yet if he never laces up the handwear covers again, Lomachenko's heritage is actually protected. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and an essential of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He also doesn't need to eliminate for the cash. He's earned millions of dollars in his career as well as still resides in Ukraine, where he's one of the country's very most well-known professional athletes. Regardless if he deals with again, he undoubtedly won't do so much longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara as well as comes to be a champion in a 3rd divisionNot genuine. Garcia has actually outplayed the odds just before, including a stunning KO gain Amir Khan as well as a leading choice success over Lucas Matthysse. The initial gain raised him to the higher echelon of the sport and also the latter sealed that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years back, however, and also those pair of signature Garcia success went to 140 pounds (he additionally gained a title at 147 extra pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 gain Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still looking for a gain that matches that, and also a dismayed victory over Lara will fit the bill.Garcia really did not look like the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and also he hasn't completed since. Now, he'll go up one more weight class (though the Lara match is happening at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) as well as must contend with ring inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight label battle against Lara will certainly be actually Garcia's second because December 2020, when he was routed by Errol Spence Jr.The pick right here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, shows enormous energy, albeit versus boxers under Garcia's amount. Lara is using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's match versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, protects his undisputed incredibly middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's best superstar, hasn't racked up a KO success considering that he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 battle to succeed the recognized super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a knockdown in his last 3 matches. Against a fighter in Berlanga, that are going to be actually fighting on the best amount for the very first time, Alvarez ought to incorporate the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been harmed in the ring in the past, specifically in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, who fell him in Round 9. And his defense isn't specifically sound. Berlanga has electrical power (he began his job with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the first round), as well as if he decides on to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as a lot at a pair of press conference this week to ensure the fight.-- Coppinger Real or not: No other lightweight champ can easily hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a genuine threat to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number choice to gain the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the four shots, while his escapement gain along with Ramirez was one of the very best battles in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest planet light champion in record-- will be a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get up from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, prior to he was actually soon overwhelmed. As a qualified, Chirinho had actually never ever been actually brought down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last 3 spheres. Although he is not as seasoned as Lopez, the quantity of hits he has actually thrown in his last pair of fights, along with his height as well as hit perks, could possibly prove insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked implausible in recent battles, while our experts still require to see more coming from Nick Round just before we proclaim him the branch's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight label with a split choice draw Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment complied with a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. But Espinoza would stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfying versus Sphere and has certainly not gained in almost 2 years, so it is actually tough to offer a disagreement for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a 3rd defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually gotten over huge difficulties in title fights, like boxing in a champion's hometown and getting slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he gains on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might possibly face his largest obstacle yet in a headline unification fight against Espinoza to crown the most effective competitor in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will certainly KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' rebirth has actually been merely a year after being actually stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, recent kind suggests his 1st IBF heavyweight headline defense will end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in best form, even more thus than some other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually needed to fix his occupation, after enduring back-to-back selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua combated meticulously, along with a consensual decision get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final 3 fights, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting heavyweight champ after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF belt, which meant Dubois was actually improved to total champ, therefore shows Joshua along with the option to become a three-time world champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua are going to attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had duplicated success along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continuously landed right hands on Dubois in the very early arounds, as well as Joshua has actually displayed in recent battles exactly how detrimental his right hands are after he destroyed Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the former UFC big-time champ's chin to take him out chilly. Joshua is going to take possession of the chance if Dubois produces themself similarly on call, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is a bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois presented toughness to take in type June, he has actually been actually quit twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk last year) as well as was knocked down 3 attend the first round by Kevin Lerena just before recouping to succeed in Cycle 3. Yet it is actually no walk in the playground for Joshua, that additionally needs to appreciate Dubois' electrical power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's face and can potentially pull off a surprise deduction versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, that ruled as champ from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually most likely to succeed this fight by KO.-- Parkinson.