.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo generally occasion 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 last loss resided in May 2019 and also he has succeeded 14 consecutive fights 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 most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently refused a rewarding match versus fellow light in weight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis as well as while he hasn't announced his retirement life, are going to our experts observe "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will create his 2nd band appearance this year, however certainly not against the competitor followers have actually clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly encounter Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never battled at this level in his quick job. While Berlanga possesses incredible electrical power-- he began his career with 16 successive first-round KOs-- may he find a way to succeed, or even at least go the distance versus Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will definitely defend a title for the first time in two years. Joshua will definitely experience IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is favored to become a three-time world champ (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the band for just the second time in just about four years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded belts at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is going up in body weight for the chance to end up being a three-division champion, however can he disturb a much older but still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Scar Parkinson address these concerns as well as even more, making an effort to differentiate what's real and also what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly resign without an additional fightNot true ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is considering retired life, resources informed ESPN, aspect of the reason he decreased a highly profitable fight along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually additionally a possibility that Lomachenko are going to return in the first one-half of 2025 to defend his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a fighting mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson had to be actually separated at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually viewed saying to Stevenson, "Let's go right now.If that's any type of evidence, Lomachenko will definitely combat once again. Maybe even versus Davis or even Stevenson, both largest matches on the table for him. Yet if he certainly never laces up the handwear covers once more, Lomachenko's heritage is actually secured. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and a mainstay of the pound-for-pound checklist over the last 10 years.He additionally does not need to eliminate for the cash. He is actually made numerous dollars in his job as well as still dwells in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's very most well-liked athletes. Whether or not he deals with again, he surely won't accomplish this much longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and becomes a champ in a third divisionNot true. Garcia has outplayed the possibilities just before, including an astonishing KO get Amir Khan as well as a dominant selection victory over Lucas Matthysse. The very first win raised him to the top tier of the sporting activity and also the latter glued that status.But the Matthysse match was actually 11 years earlier, though, and also those 2 trademark Garcia victories were at 140 pounds (he likewise won a headline at 147 pounds and went up to 154 for a July 2022 get Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still hunting for a gain that matches that, and a dismayed success over Lara would fit the bill.Garcia didn't resemble the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and also he have not completed because. Now, he'll go up an additional body weight lesson (though the Lara match is taking place at a catchweight between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and must emulate ring inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight label battle versus Lara will be Garcia's second given that December 2020, when he was actually directed through Errol Spence Jr.The choose right here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, presents remarkable energy, albeit versus competitors beneath Garcia's amount. Lara is using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's battle versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, defends his undeniable very middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's best superstar, have not racked up a KO triumph given that he flattened Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 match to win the uncontested incredibly middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a presentation in his last 3 battles. Against a boxer in Berlanga, who will definitely be actually fighting on the leading degree for the very first time, Alvarez must add the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually harmed in the ring in the past, specifically in a step-up battle versus Marcelo Coceres, who dropped him in Round 9. As well as his defense isn't exactly sound. Berlanga has electrical power (he began his profession with 16 successive KO wins in the first round), as well as if he selects to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez vowed as a lot at a pair of press conference this week to market the match.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Nothing else featherweight champion can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a real danger to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk decision to succeed the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in 3 of the 4 rounds, while his escapement succeed along with Ramirez was among the very best battles in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet featherweight champion in history-- would be actually a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho did well to get out of bed from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, prior to he was actually quickly overthrown. As an expert, Chirinho had never been knocked down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the final three rounds. Although he is certainly not as experienced as Lopez, the amount of hits he has thrown in his last pair of fights, together with his elevation as well as hit advantages, could possibly show overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared implausible in latest matches, while we still need to see more coming from Scar Round just before we announce him the branch's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight headline along with a split decision gain Raymond Ford in June. That triumph observed a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. However Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfactory versus Sphere and has actually certainly not succeeded in virtually two years, so it is actually challenging to provide a disagreement for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a third defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually overcome large problems in label battles, like punching in a champion's hometown and obtaining cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he gains on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may probably experience his largest problem yet in a title marriage battle versus Espinoza to dental crown the most effective fighter in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' resurgence has been merely a year after being actually stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, current type recommends his very first IBF abundant label defense will end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in leading form, more thus than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually had to reconstruct his job, after enduring next choice losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua dealt with meticulously, with a consensual selection sway Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final three fights, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim big-time champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF waistband, which meant Dubois was actually updated to full champ, therefore offers Joshua with the chance to end up being a three-time world champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua are going to make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had redoed results along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continually landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early rounds, and also Joshua has actually shown in latest matches just how harmful his right hands desire he destroyed Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the former UFC big-time champion's chin to knock him out chilly. Joshua is going to seize the opportunity if Dubois creates himself likewise on call, as he performed against Hrgovic. Joshua is a larger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois showed durability to soak up punches in June, he has actually been ceased twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2014) as well as was actually knocked down 3 times in the preliminary through Kevin Lerena before recuperating to win in Round 3. However it is actually no stroll in the park for Joshua, who likewise needs to have to respect Dubois' energy. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's skin as well as may potentially manage a surprise halt versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. Yet Joshua, who ruled as champion from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is most likely to win this match through KO.-- Parkinson.