.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo generally event 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 final reduction remained in May 2019 and also he has actually gained 14 consecutive matches due to the fact that, consisting of remarkable triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently declined a financially rewarding fight versus fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and also while he hasn't announced his retirement life, will our team find "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will make his 2nd ring appearance this year, however certainly not versus the competitor followers have actually clamored for. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely experience Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never ever combated at this degree in his quick profession. While Berlanga possesses extraordinary energy-- he began his profession with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he locate a way to gain, or a minimum of go the distance against Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will fight for a headline for the first time in pair of years. Joshua will definitely deal with IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually favored to come to be a three-time world champ (-550 per ESPN BET). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the band for just the 2nd time in practically 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that gained waistbands at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is actually moving up in body weight for the chance to come to be a three-division champ, but can easily he disturb an older but still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Scar Parkinson answer these questions and additional, attempting to distinguish what's true and also what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely retire without one more fightNot genuine ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is considering retired life, sources told ESPN, aspect of the cause he decreased a highly profitable fight with Gervonta Davis in November. There's likewise a probability that Lomachenko will certainly come back in the first half of 2025 to guard his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a combating mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson must be actually split at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was observed telling Stevenson, "Let's go ideal now.If that's any type of indicator, Lomachenko will certainly fight again. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the 2 biggest fights on the desk for him. However if he certainly never shoelaces up the gloves once again, Lomachenko's tradition is gotten. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer as well as a backbone of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He likewise doesn't need to overcome for the cash. He is actually gained millions of dollars in his profession as well as still lives in Ukraine, where he is just one of the nation's very most well-liked athletes. Whether he battles again, he surely won't accomplish this a lot longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also comes to be a champ in a 3rd divisionNot true. Garcia has actually upset the possibilities prior to, including an astonishing KO win over Amir Khan and also a leading choice victory over Lucas Matthysse. The very first gain elevated him to the top echelon of the sport and the latter glued that status.But the Matthysse match was 11 years ago, however, and those two signature Garcia success were at 140 pounds (he additionally gained a headline at 147 pounds and also went up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still looking for a gain that matches that, and a distressed success over Lara would certainly fit the bill.Garcia didn't be similar to the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and also he hasn't contended since. Right now, he'll go up another body weight training class (though the Lara fight is actually occurring at a catchweight between 155 and 160 extra pounds) as well as have to emulate ring stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight label match versus Lara will certainly be Garcia's second since December 2020, when he was actually directed by Errol Spence Jr.The select listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, presents enormous energy, albeit against fighters beneath Garcia's amount. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, guards his undisputed incredibly middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best star, hasn't scored a KO triumph because he flattened Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 battle to succeed the recognized super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a presentation in his last 3 battles. Against a competitor in Berlanga, that will certainly be actually dealing with on the leading degree for the first time, Alvarez should add the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been injured in the ring in the past, specifically in a step-up match versus Marcelo Coceres, who dropped him in Cycle 9. As well as his self defense isn't exactly seem. Berlanga possesses electrical power (he began his profession along with 16 successive KO wins in the preliminary), and also if he opts for to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez vowed as a lot at a pair of news conferences recently to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: No other light champion may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a true danger to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June and defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number decision to gain the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the 4 rounds, while his outbreak win along with Ramirez was among the very best matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest world featherweight champion in background-- would certainly be a problem for Lopez. Chirinho did well to get up from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, just before he was actually very soon subdued. As a professional, Chirinho had certainly never been brought down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the last three rounds. Although he is not as professional as Lopez, the volume of hits he has thrown in his final pair of fights, in addition to his height and reach benefits, can show unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked unconvincing in recent fights, while our experts still need to view extra coming from Chip Ball prior to our team proclaim him the department's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight headline along with a split selection sway Raymond Ford in June. That triumph complied with a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. Yet Espinoza will tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Round and also has certainly not succeeded in virtually 2 years, so it is challenging to offer an argument for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a third defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has eliminated large problems in headline matches, like boxing in a champ's hometown as well as getting slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he gains on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he may perhaps encounter his largest difficulty but in a label unification match against Espinoza to dental crown the most ideal boxer in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' revival has been only a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, recent type proposes his first IBF heavyweight title protection will definitely finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in top form, a lot more thus than some other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has needed to rebuild his occupation, after suffering back-to-back choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua combated cautiously, with a consensual selection gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final three battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting big-time champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk then gave up the IBF belt, which suggested Dubois was upgraded to total champion, therefore presents Joshua with the chance to end up being a three-time planet champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will certainly try to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually duplicated results with against Dubois. Hrgovic frequently landed right hands on Dubois in the early rounds, as well as Joshua has received recent fights exactly how destructive his right hands seek he damaged Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC heavyweight champion's chin to knock him out cold. Joshua will certainly confiscate the option if Dubois produces themself similarly readily available, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a greater puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois presented resilience to soak up type June, he has been actually stopped twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2015) and was floored 3 times in the first round through Kevin Lerena before recouping to succeed in Round 3. However it is no walk in the park for Joshua, who likewise requires to value Dubois' energy. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's skin and can possibly pull off a shock stop against Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, that concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is actually very likely to gain this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.