.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo in the main 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 final loss resided in May 2019 and also he has gained 14 successive battles because, consisting of excellent triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately rejected a lucrative battle versus fellow light-weight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis and also while he have not declared his retired life, are going to our experts find "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his 2nd band look this year, but not versus the fighter followers have actually clamored for. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly deal with Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never fought at this degree in his short profession. While Berlanga has amazing electrical power-- he began his job along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he discover a method to win, or a minimum of go the proximity against Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will definitely fight for a label for the very first time in pair of years. Joshua will definitely experience IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is chosen to end up being a three-time globe champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the ring for merely the 2nd attend virtually four years to handle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded waistbands at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is moving up in weight for the opportunity to become a three-division champ, yet can easily he disturb a much older but still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Nick Parkinson respond to these questions as well as even more, making an effort to differentiate what's true and what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely resign without an additional fightNot true ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is actually considering retired life, sources told ESPN, aspect of the cause he decreased a rewarding fight along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually also a probability that Lomachenko will certainly come back in the first one-half of 2025 to guard his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a fighting mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson must be actually divided at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was observed informing Stevenson, "Permit's go right now.If that's any sort of evidence, Lomachenko will combat once again. Perhaps even against Davis or even Stevenson, both largest matches on the desk for him. Yet if he never ever laces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's heritage is secured. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well as a backbone of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He additionally does not need to have to eliminate for the money. He's gained numerous dollars in his occupation and still dwells in Ukraine, where he's one of the country's most well-liked athletes. Regardless if he deals with once again, he certainly won't do this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and ends up being a champion in a third divisionNot genuine. Garcia has upset the odds just before, consisting of a shocking KO gain Amir Khan and a prevalent decision victory over Lucas Matthysse. The initial gain elevated him to the higher echelon of the sport and the latter sealed that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years earlier, though, and also those two trademark Garcia wins were at 140 pounds (he also succeeded a label at 147 extra pounds and went up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still searching for a gain that matches that, and a distressed triumph over Lara would certainly accommodate the bill.Garcia really did not appear like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, as well as he have not competed given that. Currently, he'll move up one more weight training class (though the Lara match is taking place at a catchweight between 155 and also 160 pounds) and also have to contend with band lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight label battle against Lara will definitely be Garcia's second given that December 2020, when he was actually transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The pick right here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, reveals significant electrical power, albeit against boxers below Garcia's amount. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, guards his uncontested incredibly middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's top star, hasn't scored a KO victory given that he flattened Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 match to win the recognized tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a presentation in his final three matches. Versus a boxer in Berlanga, that will be actually combating on the top level for the first time, Alvarez must incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually harmed in the ring previously, specifically in a step-up battle against Marcelo Coceres, who lost him in Cycle 9. And his self defense isn't exactly sound. Berlanga possesses energy (he started his occupation along with 16 consecutive KO gains in the first round), and if he selects to swap with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez vowed as much at a set of press conference recently to advertise the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: No other featherweight champion may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a genuine hazard to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and beating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk choice to succeed the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in 3 of the four rounds, while his breakout succeed with Ramirez was one of the very best fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet light champion in history-- would certainly be actually a problem for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to stand up coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Round 1, just before he was very soon overthrown. As a professional, Chirinho had actually never been actually brought down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a shock in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the final three arounds. Although he is actually not as skilled as Lopez, the volume of punches he has actually included his final two matches, along with his height and also hit conveniences, might confirm insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared implausible in current fights, while our experts still need to have to observe a lot more coming from Scar Round prior to our company declare him the branch's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight headline along with a split choice win over Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment adhered to a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. Yet Espinoza would stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually disappointing versus Sphere and also has certainly not won in virtually pair of years, so it is actually difficult to present an argument for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in eight rounds in a 3rd protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually gotten over big difficulties in headline matches, like punching in a champion's hometown as well as acquiring cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he succeeds on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might probably encounter his most significant obstacle however in a title marriage match against Espinoza to dental crown the most ideal fighter in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' revival has actually been merely a year after being dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, recent form suggests his very first IBF heavyweight headline defense will definitely finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in top type, extra therefore than some other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has needed to restore his occupation, after experiencing next selection losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua dealt with meticulously, along with an unanimous decision win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his last 3 fights, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting big-time champion after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF belt, which suggested Dubois was actually upgraded to complete champion, and so provides Joshua with the opportunity to come to be a three-time world champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will certainly attempt to exploit what Hrgovic had redoed excellence with against Dubois. Hrgovic constantly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early arounds, and also Joshua has actually displayed in current fights just how destructive his right hands are after he ruined Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC heavyweight champion's jaw to knock him out cool. Joshua will definitely take possession of the possibility if Dubois produces themself in a similar way available, as he carried out versus 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 stopped two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2013) and also was actually knocked down 3 attend the preliminary by Kevin Lerena just before recovering to win in Round 3. But it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, who likewise needs to respect Dubois' electrical power. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's skin and may possibly pull off a surprise deduction against Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. Yet Joshua, who concluded as champ from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards coming from 2019 to 2021, is more probable to gain this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.