.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo in the main activity 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 reduction remained in May 2019 and he has actually succeeded 14 successive battles due to the fact that, featuring excellent success over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately declined a rewarding match versus fellow light in weight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis as well as while he have not introduced his retirement life, are going to we see "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez are going to make his 2nd ring appearance this year, however not against the boxer enthusiasts have actually clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly face Edgar Berlanga, that's certainly never fought at this amount in his quick occupation. While Berlanga possesses fabulous energy-- he started his profession with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he discover a way to gain, or even at least go the span versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will defend a label for the very first time in pair of years. Joshua is going to encounter IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is chosen to end up being a three-time planet champ (-550 every ESPN WAGER). And two-division champion Danny Garcia goes back to the band for simply the 2nd attend just about 4 years to tackle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who gained waistbands at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is moving up in body weight for the odds to come to be a three-division champ, but may he distress a much older but still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Nick Parkinson address these inquiries and more, making an effort to differentiate what's actual and what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly resign without yet another fightNot actual ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually reflecting upon retirement life, sources said to ESPN, aspect of the factor he dropped a beneficial battle with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's also an opportunity that Lomachenko will return in the initial half of 2025 to shield his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a dealing with state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson must be actually divided at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was actually seen saying to Stevenson, "Let's go correct now.If that's any indication, Lomachenko will certainly fight once more. Maybe even against Davis or Stevenson, both largest matches on the table for him. However if he certainly never laces up the gloves once again, Lomachenko's legacy is actually safeguarded. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer as well as a mainstay of the pound-for-pound list over the last 10 years.He likewise doesn't require to combat for the cash. He's gotten numerous dollars in his occupation as well as still resides in Ukraine, where he's one of the nation's most well-known professional athletes. Regardless if he combats once again, he surely won't accomplish this much longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and ends up being a champion in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has outplayed the chances just before, consisting of a shocking KO get Amir Khan and also a leading selection success over Lucas Matthysse. The initial gain elevated him to the higher tier of the sport as well as the second glued that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years earlier, though, and those two signature Garcia wins went to 140 extra pounds (he additionally succeeded a label at 147 extra pounds as well as went up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still hunting for a win that matches that, as well as an upset triumph over Lara will suit the bill.Garcia didn't resemble the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and also he have not completed since. Right now, he'll go up an additional body weight class (though the Lara fight is happening at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and also need to contend with band stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline match versus Lara will certainly be Garcia's 2nd since December 2020, when he was transmitted by Errol Spence Jr.The decide on listed here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, presents tremendous energy, albeit versus competitors beneath Garcia's amount. Lara is using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, shields his indisputable tremendously middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best superstar, have not scored a KO triumph given that he flattened Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 battle to succeed the recognized incredibly middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a knockdown in his last three battles. Versus a fighter in Berlanga, that are going to be actually fighting on the best level for the first time, Alvarez ought to include the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually injured in the band in the past, particularly in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, who lost him in Cycle 9. And his self defense isn't exactly sound. Berlanga has electrical power (he began his profession with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the preliminary), as well as if he decides on to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez assured as much at a set of press conference recently to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: Nothing else light champ can easily hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a true threat to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk decision to win the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the 4 rounds, while his escapement gain along with Ramirez was among the best matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest globe light champ in background-- would certainly be a problem for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to rise from an uppercut from Espinoza in Around 1, before he was soon overwhelmed. As a professional, Chirinho had actually certainly never been actually knocked down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last three spheres. Although he is actually not as skilled as Lopez, the amount of strikes he has thrown in his last pair of fights, alongside his elevation and hit advantages, could possibly verify impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked implausible in recent fights, while our company still need to have to find extra coming from Chip Ball before our company declare him the division's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight label along with a split choice gain Raymond Ford in June. That victory followed a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. However Espinoza would certainly stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was frustrating versus Round and also has not gained in almost two years, so it is actually hard to offer a disagreement for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in 8 arounds in a third self defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually gotten over large obstacles in label battles, like boxing in a champ's neighborhood and receiving slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he gains on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may maybe face his biggest obstacle but in a label marriage match against Espinoza to 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 been just a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, recent type advises his initial IBF abundant headline defense are going to end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in top form, much more therefore than some other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually needed to rebuild his occupation, after enduring back-to-back choice losses to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua combated carefully, with a consentaneous decision draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final three battles, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting heavyweight champ after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk then gave up the IBF belt, which meant Dubois was updated to complete champion, and so offers Joshua with the option to come to be a three-time planet champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had actually repeated success with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continually landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early rounds, and also Joshua has displayed in latest fights exactly how destructive his right-hand men seek he destroyed Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC heavyweight champion's chin to take him out cold. Joshua will certainly take possession of the opportunity if Dubois makes themself likewise available, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is a greater puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois presented longevity to take in punches in June, he has been actually quit two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2013) as well as was knocked down 3 attend the preliminary through Kevin Lerena prior to recouping to succeed in Cycle 3. But it is no stroll in the park for Joshua, who additionally requires to respect Dubois' electrical power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's skin and also can likely pull off a shock blockage against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. But Joshua, that concluded as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually more probable to win this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.