.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo in the main celebration 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 final reduction resided in May 2019 as well as he has actually succeeded 14 consecutive matches due to the fact that, consisting of excellent triumphes over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently turned down a lucrative fight against fellow light in weight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis as well as while he hasn't introduced his retirement life, will certainly our team observe "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely make his 2nd band appeal this year, however certainly not versus the competitor followers have actually clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly face Edgar Berlanga, who is actually never dealt with at this level in his quick occupation. While Berlanga possesses incredible electrical power-- he began his job along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he locate a way to win, or a minimum of go the range versus Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will certainly defend a title for the first time in 2 years. Joshua will certainly experience IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually favored to come to be a three-time planet champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the band for merely the second time in practically four years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded waistbands at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is actually going up in weight for the possibility to end up being a three-division champ, but can he disturb a much older yet still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Scar Parkinson respond to these inquiries as well as even more, attempting to differentiate what's true and also what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to resign without an additional fightNot real ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is actually contemplating retirement, resources informed ESPN, portion of the reason he decreased a rewarding match along with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually likewise a probability that Lomachenko will certainly return in the very first fifty percent of 2025 to safeguard his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a dealing with state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson must be divided at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was found informing Stevenson, "Let's go best now.If that's any sort of sign, Lomachenko will definitely combat again. Perhaps even against Davis or even Stevenson, the 2 greatest matches on the desk for him. Yet if he never shoelaces up the handwear covers again, Lomachenko's heritage is gotten. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and also an essential of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He also doesn't need to have to combat for the money. He is actually gained millions of bucks in his job and also still resides in Ukraine, where he is just one of the nation's very most well-liked professional athletes. Whether he combats once again, he absolutely won't do so much longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and comes to be a champion in a third divisionNot genuine. Garcia has outplayed the odds before, consisting of an astonishing KO gain Amir Khan as well as a prevalent selection victory over Lucas Matthysse. The initial win raised him to the top tier of the sport as well as the last bound that status.But the Matthysse fight was actually 11 years earlier, though, and also those two trademark Garcia victories were at 140 pounds (he additionally won a title at 147 pounds as well as went up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still seeking a win that matches that, and also a dismayed victory over Lara will fit the bill.Garcia didn't resemble the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, as well as he have not competed given that. Now, he'll move up one more body weight course (though the Lara fight is happening at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 pounds) as well as must contend with band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight label battle versus Lara will certainly be actually Garcia's 2nd since December 2020, when he was directed by Errol Spence Jr.The select listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, reveals remarkable power, albeit versus boxers under Garcia's degree. Lara is using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's match versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, shields his indisputable very middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading star, have not racked up a KO victory since he flattened Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 match to gain the indisputable tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a knockdown in his last three fights. Versus a competitor in Berlanga, that will definitely be actually battling on the leading amount for the very first time, Alvarez ought to incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually harmed in the ring before, such as in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Round 9. And also his self defense isn't specifically appear. Berlanga has energy (he began his occupation along with 16 successive KO wins in the preliminary), and also if he selects to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as a lot at a set of news conferences today to advertise the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: No other lightweight champion can easily beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a genuine hazard to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and also beating Robeisy Ramirez by a bulk decision to win the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the 4 shots, while his breakout succeed along with Ramirez was just one of the best matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest planet light champion in history-- would be a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get out of bed coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, prior to he was actually quickly overpowered. As a specialist, Chirinho had never ever been torn down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the final 3 spheres. Although he is certainly not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the quantity of blows he has thrown in his last 2 fights, along with his elevation and also arrive at perks, can verify impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked unconvincing in recent matches, while our company still need to view more coming from Chip Ball just before we declare him the division's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight headline along with a split selection sway Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment complied with a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. But Espinoza would certainly tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfactory versus Ball as well as has actually certainly not won in virtually pair of years, so it is actually difficult to present a debate for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 spheres in a 3rd protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually eliminated significant obstacles in label fights, like punching in a champ's home town and obtaining slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he gains on Saturday versus Angelo Leo, he might perhaps face his biggest problem however in a headline marriage battle against Espinoza to dental crown the most ideal boxer in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' rebirth has actually been actually just a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, recent type advises his initial IBF abundant label self defense are going to finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in leading form, even more therefore than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually had to reconstruct his occupation, after suffering next selection losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua dealt with meticulously, with an unanimous choice get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final three battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting big-time champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk after that relinquished the IBF waistband, which meant Dubois was actually upgraded to full champion, and so provides Joshua with the possibility to come to be a three-time planet champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will definitely try to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually repeated results along with against Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right hands on Dubois in the very early arounds, and also Joshua has shown in latest battles just how damaging his right hands want he damaged Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC big-time champ's chin to take him out chilly. Joshua will confiscate the chance if Dubois creates himself likewise on call, as he performed against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a larger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois presented toughness to take in type June, he has been actually ceased twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2015) as well as was knocked down 3 times in the preliminary by Kevin Lerena before recuperating to win in Round 3. Yet it is no walk in the park for Joshua, that likewise needs to have to value Dubois' energy. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's face and may likely carry out a surprise interruption versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. Yet Joshua, who concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is more probable to gain this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.