.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo generally activity 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 last reduction was in May 2019 and also he has gained 14 successive battles due to the fact that, featuring excellent success over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently declined a financially rewarding fight versus fellow light-weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis as well as while he have not announced his retired life, are going to our experts observe "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his 2nd band appeal this year, but not against the competitor followers have clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo is going to face Edgar Berlanga, that is actually certainly never dealt with at this amount in his short occupation. While Berlanga possesses extraordinary energy-- he began his profession along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he discover a means to win, or at least go the distance versus Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will fight for a title for the first time in pair of years. Joshua is going to face IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually chosen to end up being a three-time planet champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the ring for merely the second time in just about 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded belts at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is actually going up in body weight for the opportunity to come to be a three-division champion, yet can he disturb a much older yet still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Scar Parkinson respond to these questions as well as even more, making an effort to distinguish what's genuine as well as what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely retire without one more fightNot real ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually pondering retired life, resources said to ESPN, aspect of the main reason he decreased a rewarding battle along with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually additionally an opportunity that Lomachenko will come back in the initial one-half of 2025 to guard his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a dealing with mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson had to be actually split at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was actually observed telling Stevenson, "Permit's go correct now.If that's any sort of evidence, Lomachenko is going to battle again. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, both greatest fights on the table for him. Yet if he never ever laces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's legacy is protected. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a backbone of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He likewise does not require to fight for the cash. He's gotten numerous bucks in his job and still dwells in Ukraine, where he's one of the country's very most popular athletes. Whether he fights once again, he absolutely won't do so much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara as well as becomes a champ in a third divisionNot genuine. Garcia has upset the odds just before, featuring a shocking KO win over Amir Khan and also a prevalent choice victory over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st gain lifted him to the top echelon of the sporting activity and the latter sealed that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years back, though, and those pair of signature Garcia success went to 140 extra pounds (he likewise won a title at 147 pounds and went up to 154 for a July 2022 gain Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still searching for a gain that matches that, and an upset success over Lara would match the bill.Garcia failed to look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, as well as he have not completed given that. Right now, he'll go up an additional weight course (though the Lara battle is actually occurring at a catchweight between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and also must contend with ring stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight label battle versus Lara will definitely be actually Garcia's 2nd due to the fact that December 2020, when he was actually transmitted by Errol Spence Jr.The pick right here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, shows incredible energy, albeit against fighters below Garcia's level. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, safeguards his undeniable super middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading superstar, have not scored a KO victory given that he flattened Caleb Plant in a November 2021 fight to gain the undisputed super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a presentation in his last three battles. Versus a fighter in Berlanga, that will definitely be fighting on the leading degree for the very first time, Alvarez needs to add the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been hurt in the band before, specifically in a step-up battle versus Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Cycle 9. And also his defense isn't precisely sound. Berlanga has power (he began his career with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the preliminary), as well as if he picks to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as a lot at a pair of press conference recently to advertise the fight.-- Coppinger Real or not: Nothing else featherweight champ may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a genuine danger to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June and beating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk decision to win the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the 4 rounds, while his outbreak succeed with Ramirez was among the very best fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet light champ in history-- would certainly be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho did well to get up from an uppercut from Espinoza in Round 1, just before he was quickly subdued. As a qualified, Chirinho had certainly never been brought down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the final three rounds. Although he is certainly not as experienced as Lopez, the quantity of strikes he has actually included his last 2 matches, alongside his height and also hit conveniences, can prove overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared unconvincing in recent matches, while we still need to find much more coming from Scar Sphere prior to we proclaim him the department's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) caught the WBA featherweight title along with a split selection gain Raymond Ford in June. That victory observed a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. However Espinoza will overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfactory versus Round and also has certainly not succeeded in virtually 2 years, so it is actually tough to present an argument for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in eight spheres in a 3rd defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has overcome huge challenges in label fights, like boxing in a champ's home town and receiving cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he gains on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he may perhaps encounter his biggest difficulty yet in a title unification fight against Espinoza to dental crown the very best boxer in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' revival has been merely a year after being visited Oleksandr Usyk, recent type suggests his first IBF heavyweight label protection will finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in top type, a lot more therefore than some other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually needed to restore his career, after experiencing back-to-back choice losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua fought cautiously, along with a consensual choice gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last three fights, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting heavyweight champ after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF belt, which indicated Dubois was actually improved to total champion, consequently offers Joshua with the chance to end up being a three-time planet champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will definitely make an effort to manipulate what Hrgovic had duplicated effectiveness with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continuously landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early rounds, and also Joshua has actually shown in latest fights just how detrimental his right hands desire he damaged Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the former UFC heavyweight champ's chin to knock him out chilly. Joshua will seize the option if Dubois produces themself likewise available, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois revealed toughness to soak up punches in June, he has actually been actually quit twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2015) as well as was knocked down 3 attend the first round through Kevin Lerena just before bouncing back to win in Cycle 3. But it is actually no stroll in the playground for Joshua, that also requires to appreciate Dubois' power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's face as well as can likely carry out a surprise blockage versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. But Joshua, that ruled as champion from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards from 2019 to 2021, is very likely to gain this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.