.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo in the main celebration of a Top Position on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final reduction was in May 2019 and also he has actually won 14 successive battles since, including outstanding triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently rejected a profitable fight versus fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Tank" Davis as well as while he have not revealed his retired life, will our experts find "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly make his 2nd band appeal this year, yet certainly not versus the fighter fans have clamored for. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will deal with Edgar Berlanga, that's never combated at this degree in his quick profession. While Berlanga has fabulous electrical power-- he started his profession along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he find a means to succeed, or even a minimum of go the range versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will certainly fight for a title for the very first time in 2 years. Joshua will certainly face IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually preferred to come to be a three-time planet champion (-550 per ESPN BET). And also two-division champion Danny Garcia comes back to the band for simply the second time in nearly four years to tackle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded belts at 140 and also 147 extra pounds, is moving up in body weight for the odds to end up being a three-division champ, yet can he distress a more mature yet still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Scar Parkinson address these questions as well as more, attempting to differentiate what's actual and what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely retire without yet another fightNot actual ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is actually contemplating retired life, resources informed ESPN, component of the explanation he declined a lucrative battle along with Gervonta Davis in November. There's also a probability that Lomachenko will certainly return in the 1st fifty percent of 2025 to safeguard his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a fighting mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson must be actually split at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was actually found informing Stevenson, "Allow's go right now.If that is actually any kind of sign, Lomachenko is going to fight once more. Maybe even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the 2 biggest battles on the table for him. But if he certainly never laces up the handwear covers once more, Lomachenko's tradition is actually safeguarded. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well as a pillar of the pound-for-pound checklist over the final 10 years.He also does not require to eliminate for the money. He's earned countless bucks in his profession and still stays in Ukraine, where he is just one of the nation's most well-liked professional athletes. Regardless if he combats once again, he surely won't do this a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara as well as comes to be a champion in a third divisionNot genuine. Garcia has actually upset the odds prior to, including a stunning KO get Amir Khan and also a prevalent selection triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The very first gain raised him to the top echelon of the sport as well as the last sealed that status.But the Matthysse match was 11 years ago, however, and those 2 trademark Garcia triumphes went to 140 pounds (he likewise gained a label at 147 pounds and also moved up to 154 for a July 2022 get Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still looking for a gain that matches that, as well as an upset victory over Lara will fit the bill.Garcia failed to be similar to the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and also he have not completed considering that. Currently, he'll move up another body weight class (though the Lara match is occurring at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 pounds) and have to contend with ring lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight title match against Lara are going to be Garcia's 2nd because December 2020, when he was actually routed by Errol Spence Jr.The choose below is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, presents incredible electrical power, albeit versus boxers below Garcia's level. Lara is using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's battle against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, guards his undeniable incredibly middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best superstar, have not scored a KO success due to the fact that he flattened Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 fight to win the undisputed very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a knockdown in his final 3 fights. Against a boxer in Berlanga, who are going to be actually dealing with on the top level for the very first time, Alvarez must incorporate the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been hurt in the band in the past, particularly in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, who dropped him in Cycle 9. And also his defense isn't specifically seem. Berlanga has power (he began his career with 16 successive KO wins in the preliminary), and also if he picks to swap with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez promised as much at a pair of press conference recently to market the fight.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other featherweight champ can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a genuine danger to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number selection to gain the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the 4 rounds, while his breakout succeed along with Ramirez was one of the most effective matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet lightweight champion in background-- would certainly be actually a problem for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to rise from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was soon overpowered. As a professional, Chirinho had actually certainly never been knocked down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last three arounds. Although he is actually certainly not as skilled as Lopez, the quantity of strikes he has thrown in his final two battles, alongside his elevation and also arrive at advantages, can prove unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked unconvincing in current matches, while our team still need to observe extra coming from Nick Ball before we declare him the department's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight label along with a split decision sway Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment observed a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. Yet Espinoza would certainly tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfying versus Round as well as has actually not gained in nearly pair of years, so it is actually difficult to show 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 self defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually gotten over major difficulties in title battles, like boxing in a champ's home town and acquiring cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he succeeds on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he may maybe face his most significant problem yet in a label unification battle against Espinoza to dental crown the most ideal boxer in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' rebirth has been just a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, current form suggests his 1st IBF heavyweight title self defense will finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in best form, extra so than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually needed to fix his profession, after enduring back-to-back selection losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua dealt with very carefully, with a consensual selection sway Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his last 3 battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim heavyweight champion after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk then gave up the IBF belt, which indicated Dubois was actually improved to full champ, consequently presents Joshua along with the possibility to come to be a three-time world champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will definitely make an effort to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually repeated excellence with versus Dubois. Hrgovic frequently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early rounds, and also Joshua has actually received recent matches exactly how damaging his right-hand men desire he destroyed Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC big-time champion's chin to take him out chilly. Joshua will take the chance if Dubois creates himself in a similar way offered, as he did versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a greater puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois showed sturdiness to absorb type June, he has been actually ceased two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2015) and was actually floored three attend the preliminary through Kevin Lerena just before recouping to succeed in Cycle 3. However it is actually no walk in the park for Joshua, who additionally requires to value Dubois' power. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's skin and also may likely pull off a surprise blockage against Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. But Joshua, that concluded as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and after that coming from 2019 to 2021, is more likely to gain this match through KO.-- Parkinson.