.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo generally event of a Leading Position on ESPN 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 as well as he has actually gained 14 consecutive matches considering that, featuring remarkable victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately declined a beneficial battle versus fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis as well as while he have not announced his retired life, are going to our team view "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will create his second band appearance this year, but certainly not against the boxer supporters have demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely experience Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never ever battled at this degree in his brief career. While Berlanga possesses fabulous energy-- he began his career with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he find a method to succeed, or at least go the distance against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will certainly fight for a headline for the very first time in pair of years. Joshua will certainly encounter IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually favored to end up being a three-time world champion (-550 every ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champion Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for simply the 2nd attend nearly 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded belts at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is going up in body weight for the odds to come to be a three-division champion, yet can he distress a more mature yet still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson address these inquiries and also more, trying to differentiate what's real and also what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will resign without an additional fightNot genuine ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is pondering retired life, resources told ESPN, part of the factor he declined a rewarding battle with Gervonta Davis in November. There's also an option that Lomachenko will definitely return in the very first fifty percent of 2025 to protect his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a battling state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson had to be divided at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was seen informing Stevenson, "Let's go ideal now.If that's any kind of sign, Lomachenko will definitely fight once again. Maybe even against Davis or even Stevenson, the two most significant battles on the desk for him. But if he certainly never laces up the handwear covers again, Lomachenko's tradition is gotten. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well as an essential of the pound-for-pound list over the final 10 years.He likewise does not need to have to overcome for the cash. He is actually earned millions of bucks in his job and also still dwells in Ukraine, where he's one of the country's very most popular sportsmens. Whether he combats again, he certainly won't do this a lot longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara as well as becomes a champion in a 3rd divisionNot real. Garcia has actually upset the probabilities just before, featuring a stunning KO sway Amir Khan as well as a prevalent choice victory over Lucas Matthysse. The initial gain raised him to the top tier of the sport and also the second bound that status.But the Matthysse match was actually 11 years ago, however, as well as those pair of signature Garcia wins were at 140 pounds (he additionally won a label at 147 pounds and also went up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still seeking a win that matches that, and also a distressed triumph over Lara would certainly fit the bill.Garcia failed to appear like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, as well as he have not competed due to the fact that. Currently, he'll go up an additional body weight lesson (though the Lara match is actually taking place at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 pounds) as well as need to contend with ring lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight label fight against Lara will definitely be Garcia's 2nd since December 2020, when he was actually routed by Errol Spence Jr.The select listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, shows remarkable power, albeit against competitors under Garcia's degree. Lara is using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, defends his undeniable very middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading celebrity, hasn't racked up a KO success due to the fact that he smoothed Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 battle to win the uncontested extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a knockdown in his last three matches. Against a competitor in Berlanga, that will definitely be actually fighting on the best amount for the first time, Alvarez ought to include the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually injured in the ring before, particularly in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Cycle 9. And also his self defense isn't specifically seem. Berlanga has energy (he began his occupation along with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the preliminary), as well as if he chooses to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as a lot at a set of press conference this week to ensure the match.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other light champion can easily hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks an actual danger to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number decision to succeed the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the four shots, while his breakout succeed along with Ramirez was just one of the most effective fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest globe light champ in past history-- would certainly be actually an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to get out of bed from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, just before he was actually soon overthrown. As a qualified, Chirinho had actually never been torn down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the final 3 spheres. Although he is certainly not as professional as Lopez, the quantity of blows he has actually included his last 2 battles, in addition to his height and arrive at conveniences, could verify impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked implausible in latest battles, while our experts still require to find much more coming from Nick Round prior to our company announce him the department's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight label with a split selection gain Raymond Ford in June. That triumph followed a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. But Espinoza will stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was frustrating versus Ball as well as has actually not succeeded in virtually 2 years, so it is challenging to offer a disagreement for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in 8 spheres in a third protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually overcome big obstacles in headline matches, like boxing in a champion's neighborhood and obtaining slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he succeeds on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might maybe encounter his most significant difficulty but in a headline marriage fight against Espinoza to dental crown the best fighter in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' revival has actually been just a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, recent kind suggests his initial IBF abundant headline defense will end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in leading type, even more therefore than any other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has had to reconstruct his career, after suffering back-to-back decision losses to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua battled carefully, along with a consentaneous decision get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final three matches, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting big-time champion after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk at that point gave up the IBF waistband, which implied Dubois was actually updated to full champion, consequently provides Joshua with the opportunity to end up being a three-time planet champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will try to manipulate what Hrgovic had duplicated excellence along with against Dubois. Hrgovic frequently landed right hands on Dubois in the very early arounds, and Joshua has actually shown in recent matches how harmful his right hands want he ruined Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC big-time champion's jaw to knock him out cold. Joshua will certainly seize the opportunity if Dubois produces themself similarly accessible, as he performed against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois revealed longevity to absorb punches in June, he has actually been actually quit two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk last year) and was actually floored three attend the preliminary through Kevin Lerena prior to recouping to gain in Round 3. However it is no walk in the park for Joshua, who additionally needs to respect Dubois' electrical power. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's face and also may likely pull off a surprise stop against Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. Yet Joshua, that concluded as champ from 2016 to 2019 and then coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually more probable to win this match through KO.-- Parkinson.