.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo generally activity of a Leading Position on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction resided in May 2019 and also he has gained 14 successive battles because, including outstanding success over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently refused a lucrative fight versus fellow lightweight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and also while he have not introduced his retirement life, will definitely our team observe "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will create his second ring appearance this year, however certainly not versus the boxer enthusiasts have clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo is going to encounter Edgar Berlanga, that's never ever combated at this degree in his short occupation. While Berlanga possesses awesome power-- he began his occupation along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can he find a way to win, or at the very least go the range against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will certainly fight for a title for the first time in 2 years. Joshua will certainly face IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is favored to end up being a three-time world champ (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the band for just the second attend virtually four years to tackle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded waistbands at 140 and also 147 extra pounds, is moving up in body weight for the chance to come to be a three-division champion, however can he disturb a much older yet still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Scar Parkinson address these questions and also more, trying to differentiate what's actual as well as what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will retire without an additional fightNot genuine ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is pondering retired life, resources informed ESPN, aspect of the factor he decreased a beneficial match along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually likewise a possibility that Lomachenko will certainly come back in the initial fifty percent of 2025 to guard his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a combating mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson needed to be actually divided at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was actually found saying to Stevenson, "Allow's go correct now.If that is actually any type of indicator, Lomachenko will definitely fight once again. Perhaps even against Davis or Stevenson, both largest matches on the desk for him. But if he never laces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's heritage is actually gotten. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and also a pillar of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He additionally does not need to have to combat for the cash. He is actually made millions of bucks in his profession and still resides in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's very most prominent professional athletes. Whether he battles again, he surely won't do this much longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as ends up being a champion in a 3rd divisionNot genuine. Garcia has upset the chances before, consisting of a shocking KO get Amir Khan and also a leading choice victory over Lucas Matthysse. The first gain raised him to the top echelon of the sport and the second cemented that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years back, though, and those two signature Garcia victories went to 140 extra pounds (he likewise won a headline at 147 extra pounds as well as went up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still hunting for a win that matches that, as well as a distressed victory over Lara would accommodate the bill.Garcia failed to be similar to the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, as well as he have not competed because. Now, he'll go up yet another body weight lesson (though the Lara battle is actually occurring at a catchweight between 155 as well as 160 extra pounds) and also need to contend with ring stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight label battle against Lara will be Garcia's second considering that December 2020, when he was actually routed by Errol Spence Jr.The pick here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, reveals tremendous energy, albeit against competitors below Garcia's level. Lara is using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, defends his undeniable extremely middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading celebrity, hasn't scored a KO success since he flattened Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 match to succeed the undisputed incredibly middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a knockdown in his final three fights. Versus a competitor in Berlanga, that will certainly be fighting on the leading level for the very first time, Alvarez should include the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually hurt in the band before, namely in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Cycle 9. And also his protection isn't precisely appear. Berlanga possesses power (he began his career along with 16 consecutive KO wins in the first round), and also if he selects to swap with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as a lot at a pair of news conferences today to ensure the fight.-- Coppinger Real or not: No other lightweight champ may hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a true threat to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority choice to gain the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the four rounds, while his breakout win with Ramirez was among the most ideal matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world featherweight champion in history-- would certainly be a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get out of bed coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Around 1, before he was actually soon overwhelmed. As a specialist, Chirinho had actually never been actually torn down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the final three rounds. Although he is certainly not as professional as Lopez, the amount of punches he has actually included his last two fights, in addition to his height and get to advantages, can confirm unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared implausible in current matches, while our team still need to have to see a lot more coming from Scar Round prior to we announce him the department's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight title along with a split choice get Raymond Ford in June. That victory adhered to a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. But Espinoza would certainly stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually frustrating versus Sphere and also has actually not won in nearly 2 years, so it is actually hard to offer a debate for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in eight rounds in a 3rd protection of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually overcome significant problems in title fights, like punching in a champ's home town and also getting cut very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he gains on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he might possibly face his greatest challenge however in a title marriage match versus Espinoza to crown the greatest competitor in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' revival has been actually simply a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, latest type advises his first IBF heavyweight title protection will definitely end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in top type, more thus than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has had to fix his occupation, after enduring next selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua dealt with meticulously, with a consensual decision get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last 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 acting big-time champion after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF belt, which meant Dubois was improved to full champ, consequently provides Joshua along with the option to become a three-time world champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will definitely make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had actually redoed success along with against Dubois. Hrgovic continually landed right hands on Dubois in the very early arounds, and also Joshua has actually received latest fights exactly how detrimental his right-hand men are after he destroyed Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC heavyweight champion's jaw to knock him out cool. Joshua will certainly seize the possibility if Dubois makes himself similarly readily available, as he did versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois showed toughness to take in punches in June, he has been actually ceased twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk last year) and also was actually floored three attend the first round by Kevin Lerena just before recuperating to succeed in Cycle 3. However it is no stroll in the park for Joshua, who also needs to recognize Dubois' energy. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's skin and may likely manage a surprise discontinuance versus Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. However Joshua, who concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually most likely to win this fight by KO.-- Parkinson.