.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo in the main celebration of a Leading Position on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last loss remained in May 2019 and also he has actually won 14 consecutive fights considering that, consisting of impressive triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently declined a rewarding battle versus fellow light in weight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis as well as while he have not introduced his retirement life, are going to our company observe "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will create his 2nd band appearance this year, yet certainly not versus the boxer enthusiasts have actually demanded. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely deal with Edgar Berlanga, that's never dealt with at this degree in his short career. While Berlanga has incredible electrical power-- he began his occupation along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can he locate a way to gain, or at the very least go the span versus Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua are going to fight for a headline for the first time in 2 years. Joshua is going to face IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is preferred to end up being a three-time globe champ (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the band for simply the 2nd attend nearly 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that won belts at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is moving up in body weight for the opportunity to become a three-division champ, yet may he upset an older however still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger and Scar Parkinson answer these questions and even more, making an effort to distinguish what's actual as well as what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly resign without one more fightNot true ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is pondering retirement, resources informed ESPN, portion of the factor he decreased a lucrative fight along with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually also a possibility that Lomachenko will return in the first one-half of 2025 to protect his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a combating mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson needed to be actually split at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually found telling Stevenson, "Permit's go right now.If that's any sort of indicator, Lomachenko will certainly battle once again. Perhaps even against Davis or even Stevenson, both largest matches on the desk for him. But if he never ever laces up the gloves again, Lomachenko's tradition is secured. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a mainstay of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He additionally does not need to fight for the money. He is actually gained millions of bucks in his career as well as still dwells in Ukraine, where he's one of the country's most well-liked professional athletes. Whether or not he fights once again, he certainly won't do so much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as ends up being a champ in a third divisionNot real. Garcia has actually upset the chances just before, including a surprising KO draw Amir Khan as well as a dominant decision triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The first gain lifted him to the upper echelon of the sporting activity and also the last glued that status.But the Matthysse match was actually 11 years earlier, though, and those 2 signature Garcia success went to 140 pounds (he likewise gained a label at 147 extra pounds and also went up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still hunting for a gain that matches that, and an upset triumph over Lara would suit the bill.Garcia failed to look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and he hasn't contended since. Now, he'll move up an additional body weight training class (though the Lara fight is happening at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 extra pounds) and must contend with ring inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight title match against Lara will be Garcia's 2nd because December 2020, when he was actually transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The pick here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, reveals enormous power, albeit against competitors below Garcia's amount. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, defends his indisputable extremely middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading superstar, hasn't racked up a KO triumph due to the fact that he smoothed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 fight to succeed the undisputed super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a knockdown in his final three battles. Against a boxer in Berlanga, who will certainly be actually dealing with on the best level for the very first time, Alvarez should include the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually harmed in the band before, such as in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, that fell him in Round 9. As well as his self defense isn't precisely sound. Berlanga possesses energy (he began his job along with 16 consecutive KO wins in the preliminary), and also if he opts for to exchange with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez assured as much at a set of press conference this week to advertise the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: No other lightweight champion can beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks an actual risk to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a bulk choice to gain the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the 4 shots, while his outbreak gain along with Ramirez was one of the best matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world featherweight champion in past history-- would be actually an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to stand up coming from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, before he was very soon subdued. As a professional, Chirinho had certainly never been actually knocked down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a shock in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the last 3 rounds. Although he is actually not as experienced as Lopez, the quantity of strikes he has actually thrown in his final pair of matches, in addition to his height and also reach perks, could possibly prove impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked unconvincing in latest battles, while our experts still need to have to see a lot more coming from Chip Ball prior to our company declare him the division's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight headline along with a split decision win over Raymond Ford in June. That victory complied with a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza would stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually disappointing versus Round and also has actually not gained in virtually pair of years, so it is hard to present an argument for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in eight spheres in a 3rd protection of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually conquered huge challenges in headline battles, like boxing in a champ's hometown as well as acquiring cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he succeeds on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he may probably face his most significant challenge however in a title unification match versus Espinoza to crown the best boxer in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' rebirth has been simply a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, latest kind proposes his very first IBF heavyweight label protection will definitely finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in best type, more so than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually needed to reconstruct his job, after suffering back-to-back decision losses to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua dealt with very carefully, with a consentaneous selection draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final three fights, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim big-time champion after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF waistband, which meant Dubois was upgraded to complete champion, consequently offers Joshua with the option to come to be a three-time planet champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will try to exploit what Hrgovic had redoed success with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continually landed right hands on Dubois in the early spheres, as well as Joshua has shown in recent matches just how destructive his right-hand men desire he destroyed Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC heavyweight champ's jaw to knock him out cool. Joshua will take the option if Dubois creates themself similarly offered, as he performed against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a larger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois revealed toughness to soak up type June, he has actually been actually quit twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2013) and also was defeated three attend the preliminary by Kevin Lerena before recovering to win in Cycle 3. Yet it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, who additionally requires to respect Dubois' energy. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's face as well as can likely pull off a surprise discontinuance versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. Yet Joshua, who ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards coming from 2019 to 2021, is very likely to win this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.