.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 last loss remained in May 2019 and also he has actually gained 14 consecutive matches because, featuring impressive triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently declined a lucrative match versus fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Container" Davis and while he hasn't announced his retired life, are going to we view "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly make his 2nd band appeal this year, yet not against the boxer enthusiasts have clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly experience Edgar Berlanga, that's never dealt with at this level in his short occupation. While Berlanga has fabulous power-- he started his career with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he find a means to succeed, or a minimum of go the distance versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will defend a headline for the very first time in 2 years. Joshua will definitely encounter IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually favored to come to be a three-time world champ (-550 every ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia goes back to the ring for just the 2nd attend almost 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded waistbands at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is moving up in body weight for the chance to end up being a three-division champ, yet can he upset an older but still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Scar Parkinson address these questions as well as more, making an effort to differentiate what's real and also what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely resign without yet another fightNot real ... for now. Lomachenko is reflecting upon retirement life, sources informed ESPN, component of the explanation he declined a rewarding fight along with Gervonta Davis in November. There's likewise an option that Lomachenko will return in the first half of 2025 to protect his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a battling state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson had to be split at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was viewed saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go right now.If that's any sort of evidence, Lomachenko is going to deal with once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the 2 greatest fights on the desk for him. Yet if he never laces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's legacy is actually secured. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and also a mainstay of the pound-for-pound checklist over the final 10 years.He additionally does not require to fight for the cash. He's gained numerous dollars in his job and still stays in Ukraine, where he's one of the country's most well-liked athletes. Regardless if he fights once more, he absolutely won't do this a lot longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and comes to be a champ in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has actually outplayed the probabilities just before, featuring a shocking KO sway Amir Khan and a prevalent selection victory over Lucas Matthysse. The very first win lifted him to the upper echelon of the sport and also the last glued that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years earlier, however, and also those pair of signature Garcia victories were at 140 pounds (he additionally won a label at 147 pounds as well as moved up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still hunting for a gain that matches that, as well as a distressed triumph over Lara would certainly fit the bill.Garcia didn't resemble the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, as well as he have not contended given that. Now, he'll go up yet another body weight course (though the Lara battle is actually occurring at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 pounds) and also need to contend with band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight label fight against Lara are going to be actually Garcia's 2nd given that December 2020, when he was actually transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The select right here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, shows tremendous power, albeit against fighters beneath Garcia's level. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's battle versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, protects his indisputable super middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best superstar, have not racked up a KO success considering that he smoothed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 match to gain the uncontested very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a knockdown in his final three matches. Versus a boxer in Berlanga, who are going to be actually dealing with on the best amount for the very first time, Alvarez should add the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually hurt in the ring before, specifically in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, who lost him in Round 9. And also his protection isn't exactly seem. Berlanga possesses power (he began his occupation along with 16 consecutive KO wins in the first round), and if he picks to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as much at a set of press conference today to ensure the match.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other light champion can easily beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a real hazard to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a bulk choice to win the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the 4 rounds, while his outbreak gain with Ramirez was one of the best battles in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet featherweight champion in past-- would certainly be actually a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to get up from an uppercut from Espinoza in Around 1, before he was soon overpowered. As an expert, Chirinho had never ever been knocked down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the final three spheres. Although he is actually certainly not as professional as Lopez, the volume of hits he has included his final two battles, together with his height as well as arrive at benefits, could confirm unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared implausible in latest matches, while our company still need to have to view even more coming from Chip Round before our experts announce him the department's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight title with a split selection draw Raymond Ford in June. That triumph complied with a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza would overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfactory versus Round as well as has actually certainly not succeeded in nearly pair of years, so it is actually tough to present a disagreement for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in eight spheres in a third protection of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has gotten over huge problems in label battles, like boxing in a champ's hometown and also acquiring slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he succeeds on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might maybe face his largest obstacle yet in a label unification fight against Espinoza to dental crown the most effective boxer in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will certainly KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' revival has actually been actually only a year after being actually stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, latest form recommends his initial IBF heavyweight headline self defense will definitely end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in best form, much more therefore than any other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has needed to fix his job, after enduring back-to-back choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua dealt with very carefully, along with a consentaneous selection draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final three fights, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim heavyweight champ after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF waistband, which indicated Dubois was actually upgraded to total champ, consequently presents Joshua with the possibility to become a three-time globe champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will try to exploit what Hrgovic had actually redoed effectiveness with versus Dubois. Hrgovic frequently landed right hands on Dubois in the early arounds, and Joshua has shown in recent fights exactly how harmful his right-hand men seek 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 cool. Joshua will certainly seize the possibility if Dubois makes themself in a similar way on call, as he carried out versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a larger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois revealed toughness to soak up type June, he has been quit two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2015) as well as was actually floored three times in the preliminary through Kevin Lerena prior to recovering to win in Cycle 3. Yet it is no stroll in the playground for Joshua, who additionally needs to recognize Dubois' power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's skin and may likely carry out a shock stoppage against Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. Yet Joshua, who ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is actually very likely to succeed this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.