.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo in the main event of a Leading Rank on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final loss resided in May 2019 and also he has won 14 successive battles considering that, including remarkable triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the most effective featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently denied a rewarding fight versus fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Container" Davis and while he have not announced his retirement, will certainly our company view "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely create his 2nd ring look this year, but not versus the competitor supporters have actually clamored for. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly experience Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never ever battled at this level in his quick job. While Berlanga possesses fabulous energy-- he started his occupation along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- may he find a method to gain, or even at the very least go the proximity against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will definitely fight for a title for the first time in pair of years. Joshua will deal with IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually favored to become a three-time globe champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia goes back to the band for just the second time in just about four years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who won belts at 140 and also 147 pounds, is going up in body weight for the opportunity to end up being a three-division champion, but can easily he disturb a more mature yet still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Scar Parkinson answer these inquiries and additional, trying to identify what's genuine and what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to retire without an additional fightNot real ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually reflecting upon retirement life, sources informed ESPN, component of the main reason he declined a lucrative fight along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually likewise an opportunity that Lomachenko will certainly come back in the first fifty percent of 2025 to shield his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a combating state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson must be actually separated at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was found informing Stevenson, "Permit's go best now.If that is actually any type of sign, Lomachenko is going to combat once again. Perhaps even against Davis or even Stevenson, the 2 most significant battles on the desk for him. But if he certainly never shoelaces up the handwear covers once more, Lomachenko's tradition is actually protected. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and a pillar of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He also doesn't need to have to overcome for the money. He is actually gained millions of dollars in his career as well as still lives in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's very most well-known sportsmens. Whether or not he deals with once more, he definitely will not do so a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as comes to be a champ in a third divisionNot genuine. Garcia has upset the possibilities prior to, featuring a shocking KO draw Amir Khan as well as a leading decision victory over Lucas Matthysse. The very first win elevated him to the higher echelon of the sporting activity and the last glued that status.But the Matthysse fight was actually 11 years back, however, as well as those pair of trademark Garcia wins went to 140 extra pounds (he also gained a headline at 147 extra pounds as well as moved up to 154 for a July 2022 gain Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still seeking a win that matches that, as well as an upset victory over Lara will match the bill.Garcia really did not resemble the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and he hasn't competed due to the fact that. Currently, he'll move up an additional weight training class (though the Lara battle is actually taking place at a catchweight between 155 as well as 160 pounds) and also need to emulate ring stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight title battle against Lara will be actually Garcia's 2nd due to the fact that December 2020, when he was directed by Errol Spence Jr.The select right here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, shows significant power, albeit versus fighters under Garcia's degree. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, guards his recognized incredibly middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's top star, have not racked up a KO triumph considering that he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 battle to gain the uncontested extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a presentation in his final three matches. Versus a boxer in Berlanga, who are going to be battling on the top level for the very first time, Alvarez must add the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been injured in the band before, namely in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Cycle 9. And his defense isn't specifically seem. Berlanga has energy (he began his profession along with 16 consecutive KO wins in the preliminary), as well as if he picks to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as much at a set of news conferences today to market the fight.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other featherweight champion can easily hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a true threat to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June and defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number choice to succeed the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the 4 shots, while his escapement win along with Ramirez was one of the very best matches in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest globe featherweight champion in background-- would be actually a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho did well to get out of bed from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, before he was quickly overthrown. As a professional, Chirinho had never been actually torn down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the final 3 rounds. Although he is actually not as seasoned as Lopez, the quantity of punches he has thrown in his final 2 fights, alongside his height as well as arrive at perks, could possibly verify insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked implausible in latest fights, while our team still require to see more coming from Nick Round just before our company proclaim him the department's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight label with a split selection get Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment adhered to a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. But Espinoza would stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was disappointing versus Round and has actually not won in nearly 2 years, so it is actually challenging to show a debate for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in 8 spheres in a 3rd self defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has eliminated big challenges in label fights, like punching in a champion's hometown and also receiving cut very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he wins on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he may maybe experience his largest problem but in a title marriage match against Espinoza to dental crown the most ideal fighter in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' resurgence has actually been actually just a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, latest form recommends his initial IBF heavyweight headline self defense will certainly finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in top kind, a lot more so than any other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has needed to restore his occupation, after suffering next choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua fought meticulously, with an unanimous choice gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final 3 fights, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting big-time champion after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk at that point gave up the IBF belt, which implied Dubois was improved to complete champ, consequently offers Joshua with the option to end up being a three-time world champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will try to exploit what Hrgovic had actually duplicated effectiveness with versus Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right hands on Dubois in the very early arounds, as well as Joshua has actually displayed in recent fights just how harmful his right-hand men are after he ruined Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC big-time champion's face to take him out cool. Joshua will definitely confiscate the option if Dubois makes himself similarly offered, as he did versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois showed durability to soak up type June, he has actually been actually stopped twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk last year) and also was actually knocked down 3 times in the preliminary through Kevin Lerena prior to recouping to gain in Cycle 3. But it is no stroll in the park for Joshua, who additionally requires to appreciate Dubois' electrical power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's face and can potentially manage a shock deduction against Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, who ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is actually more likely to succeed this fight by KO.-- Parkinson.