.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo in the main occasion of a Best Rank on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final reduction resided in May 2019 and he has won 14 consecutive fights since, consisting of outstanding success over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently denied a highly profitable battle versus fellow light in weight champion Gervonta "Container" Davis and also while he hasn't declared his retired life, are going to we find "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly create his 2nd band appeal this year, yet certainly not against the fighter enthusiasts have actually demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo is going to deal with Edgar Berlanga, that's never fought at this degree in his brief profession. While Berlanga has fabulous energy-- he began his job along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can easily he locate a technique to succeed, or even at the very least go the range against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will definitely defend a headline for the first time in pair of years. Joshua is going to face IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually chosen to become a three-time globe champ (-550 per ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia goes back to the band for just the 2nd attend just about four years to handle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that won waistbands at 140 and also 147 pounds, is going up in weight for the possibility to come to be a three-division champion, however may he upset a much older but still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Nick Parkinson answer these inquiries and even more, making an effort to identify what's genuine and what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely resign without one more fightNot real ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually reflecting upon retirement, resources told ESPN, component of the factor he declined a beneficial match with Gervonta Davis in November. There's likewise an option that Lomachenko will come back in the 1st one-half of 2025 to defend his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a combating state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson must be separated at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was seen saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go appropriate now.If that is actually any kind of indicator, Lomachenko will definitely deal with once more. Maybe even versus Davis or Stevenson, the two largest fights on the table for him. However if he never ever laces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's legacy is protected. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a backbone of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He likewise does not need to combat for the cash. He's earned numerous dollars in his job and still stays in Ukraine, where he is just one of the nation's most popular sportsmens. Whether or not he battles once again, he undoubtedly won't accomplish this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and comes to be a champ in a third divisionNot actual. Garcia has actually outplayed the possibilities prior to, featuring a shocking KO gain Amir Khan and a prevalent decision triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st win lifted him to the higher tier of the sporting activity and the latter glued that status.But the Matthysse match was actually 11 years ago, though, as well as those pair of trademark Garcia wins went to 140 extra pounds (he additionally succeeded a headline at 147 pounds as well as went up to 154 for a July 2022 gain Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still searching for a win that matches that, as well as an upset success over Lara would accommodate the bill.Garcia failed to look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and he hasn't competed given that. Now, he'll move up another weight course (though the Lara match is actually taking place at a catchweight between 155 and 160 extra pounds) and also must contend with ring sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline match versus Lara are going to be Garcia's 2nd considering that December 2020, when he was actually transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The choose here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, shows incredible power, albeit versus fighters below Garcia's amount. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, defends his undeniable tremendously middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's best star, have not racked up a KO success because he flattened Caleb Plant in a November 2021 fight to gain the recognized very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a presentation in his last three matches. Versus a competitor in Berlanga, who will be combating on the leading degree for the very first time, Alvarez needs to include the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been hurt in the band previously, specifically in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, who dropped him in Cycle 9. As well as his self defense isn't exactly seem. Berlanga possesses energy (he started his career with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the first round), as well as if he selects to swap with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a set of news conferences today to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other featherweight champion may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears an actual danger to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June and beating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number selection to gain the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the 4 shots, while his outbreak win with Ramirez was just one of the most effective battles in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest world lightweight champ in background-- would be a problem for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to get out of bed from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, before he was quickly subdued. As a professional, Chirinho had never ever been knocked down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last 3 arounds. Although he is actually not as skilled as Lopez, the volume of punches he has included his final 2 fights, together with his elevation as well as reach benefits, could show overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared unconvincing in current matches, while our company still require to observe much more coming from Scar Ball before our company announce him the department's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) caught the WBA featherweight title along with a split selection get Raymond Ford in June. That triumph followed a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. Yet Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfying versus Round and has certainly not succeeded in nearly two years, so it is hard to provide a disagreement for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 rounds in a third protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually gotten rid of huge challenges in headline fights, like punching in a champ's neighborhood and also receiving slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he gains on Saturday versus Angelo Leo, he might probably encounter his biggest problem however in a title unification match versus Espinoza to dental crown the best competitor in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' rebirth has been merely a year after being visited Oleksandr Usyk, latest form suggests his first IBF heavyweight title protection will finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in top form, even more thus than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually needed to fix his job, after experiencing back-to-back decision reductions to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua combated carefully, along with an unanimous selection gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last 3 battles, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting heavyweight champion after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk after that relinquished the IBF waistband, which indicated Dubois was updated to full champion, therefore offers Joshua along with the option to become a three-time planet champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will certainly try to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually repeated results with against Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early spheres, and also Joshua has received latest battles exactly how damaging his right hands desire he ruined Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the past UFC big-time champion's face to take him out chilly. Joshua will certainly seize the possibility if Dubois makes themself similarly available, as he did versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois presented toughness to absorb type June, he has been quit two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2014) and was actually knocked down 3 attend the preliminary by Kevin Lerena before recouping to win in Round 3. But it is no stroll in the playground for Joshua, that likewise requires to recognize Dubois' electrical power. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's face as well as may potentially manage a surprise deduction against Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. But Joshua, who ruled as champion from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is actually more likely to win this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.