.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo in the main celebration of a Leading Position on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction resided in May 2019 as well as he has gained 14 successive matches because, including impressive victories 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 rewarding battle versus fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Tank" Davis and also while he hasn't declared his retired life, will certainly our experts observe "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will create his 2nd ring appeal this year, but certainly not versus the competitor followers have clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely encounter Edgar Berlanga, that is actually certainly never dealt with at this level in his quick career. While Berlanga has unbelievable power-- he began his occupation along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- may he find a technique to gain, or a minimum of go the distance versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will definitely defend a title for the very first time in two years. Joshua will definitely deal with IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually chosen to come to be a three-time world champ (-550 per ESPN BET). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia comes back to the band for just the second attend virtually four years to tackle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded waistbands at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is actually going up in body weight for the possibility to end up being a three-division champ, however may he distress an older but still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson address these inquiries and additional, attempting to distinguish what's actual and what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to retire without another fightNot true ... for now. Lomachenko is actually reflecting upon retirement life, sources told ESPN, component of the reason he dropped a financially rewarding match along with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually also a probability that Lomachenko are going to come back in the initial half of 2025 to shield his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a dealing with state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson needed to be divided at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was viewed telling Stevenson, "Allow's go correct now.If that's any type of indicator, Lomachenko will battle once more. Maybe even versus Davis or even Stevenson, both greatest matches on the desk for him. Yet if he never laces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's legacy 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 checklist over the last 10 years.He likewise does not require to combat for the cash. He is actually made millions of bucks in his job and still dwells in Ukraine, where he is among the country's very most popular sportsmens. Whether he combats once again, he absolutely won't do this much longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as comes to be a champion in a third divisionNot actual. Garcia has actually outplayed the possibilities just before, featuring an astonishing KO get Amir Khan and also a dominant selection victory over Lucas Matthysse. The very first win lifted him to the higher tier of the sport and also the second bound that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years earlier, though, and also those pair of trademark Garcia success were at 140 extra pounds (he additionally gained a headline at 147 pounds and also moved up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still searching for a gain that matches that, and an upset triumph over Lara will accommodate the bill.Garcia failed to be similar to the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and also he have not completed due to the fact that. Now, he'll move up another body weight lesson (though the Lara battle is actually taking place at a catchweight between 155 and 160 pounds) and also have to emulate band inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight label battle against Lara will certainly be actually Garcia's second given that December 2020, when he was transmitted by Errol Spence Jr.The select listed here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, reveals significant power, albeit against boxers beneath Garcia's degree. Lara is riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, defends his unquestioned super middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's best star, hasn't racked up a KO success because he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 fight to gain the undeniable extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a knockdown in his last 3 fights. Versus a boxer in Berlanga, who will certainly be combating on the best degree for the first time, Alvarez ought to incorporate the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually hurt in the ring previously, specifically in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Round 9. As well as his defense isn't exactly appear. Berlanga has power (he started his profession with 16 consecutive KO gains in the preliminary), and if he picks to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as much at a set of press conference recently to advertise the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: Nothing else featherweight champ can easily hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a genuine hazard to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and also defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a bulk decision to succeed the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the 4 rounds, while his escapement gain along with Ramirez was among the most ideal fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest world lightweight champ in history-- would certainly be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to rise from an uppercut from Espinoza in Around 1, prior to he was very soon overthrown. As an expert, Chirinho had actually never ever been brought down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last 3 spheres. Although he is actually certainly not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the quantity of strikes he has actually included his final 2 fights, along with his height and hit benefits, might verify overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked implausible in recent battles, while we still require to see extra coming from Nick Sphere prior to our experts announce him the department's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) caught the WBA featherweight headline with a split selection sway Raymond Ford in June. That conquest complied with a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. But Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Sphere as well as has certainly not won in almost 2 years, so it is challenging to offer a debate for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in eight spheres in a third defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually gotten over big difficulties in headline fights, like boxing in a champion's home town and also acquiring cut very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he wins on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he may possibly experience his largest challenge yet in a headline unification fight versus Espinoza to crown the very best boxer in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' rebirth has actually been merely a year after being dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, recent kind suggests his 1st IBF abundant title defense will end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in best type, more thus than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually had to fix his profession, after going through back-to-back decision losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua battled very carefully, along with an unanimous decision draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last 3 battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting big-time champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF belt, which indicated Dubois was actually improved to total champ, therefore offers Joshua with the possibility to come to be a three-time planet champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will certainly try to manipulate what Hrgovic had redoed success along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continuously landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early spheres, and also Joshua has shown in current battles how detrimental his right hands are after he destroyed Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC big-time champion's face to take him out cool. Joshua will certainly confiscate the option if Dubois creates themself likewise accessible, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois revealed longevity to absorb punches in June, he has actually been stopped two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2013) as well as was actually defeated 3 times in the preliminary through Kevin Lerena prior to bouncing back to succeed in Round 3. Yet it is actually no walk in the park for Joshua, that likewise requires to respect Dubois' energy. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's skin as well as can potentially carry out a surprise stop versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. But Joshua, who ruled as champ from 2016 to 2019 and after that coming from 2019 to 2021, is very likely to win this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.