.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo generally occasion of a Top Rank on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last loss remained in May 2019 as well as he has actually succeeded 14 successive matches since, featuring remarkable triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently refused a profitable fight against fellow light in weight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and while he have not revealed his retirement life, will definitely we observe "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly create his second band appearance this year, yet not versus the fighter enthusiasts have clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo is going to encounter Edgar Berlanga, who is actually certainly never combated at this level in his brief occupation. While Berlanga has amazing energy-- he began his job with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he find a method to win, or at least go the proximity versus Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua are going to fight for a headline for the very first time in two years. Joshua will definitely face IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is favored to come to be a three-time globe champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the band for just the 2nd attend almost four years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who won waistbands at 140 and also 147 pounds, is actually going up in weight for the possibility to become a three-division champ, however can easily he upset a more mature yet still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Scar Parkinson answer these inquiries and also more, attempting to differentiate what's true and also what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely resign without another fightNot genuine ... for now. Lomachenko is contemplating retirement life, sources said to ESPN, portion of the main reason he dropped a rewarding fight with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually also an opportunity that Lomachenko will certainly return in the 1st fifty percent of 2025 to shield his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a dealing with state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson needed to be actually split at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was found saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go right now.If that is actually any kind of evidence, Lomachenko will certainly combat once more. Maybe even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the two greatest battles on the desk for him. But if he never shoelaces up the handwear covers again, Lomachenko's heritage is actually secured. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and a pillar of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He also doesn't need to eliminate for the money. He's made countless bucks in his occupation as well as still dwells in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's most well-known sportsmens. Whether he deals with once again, he surely will not do so much longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and also ends up being a champion in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has upset the odds prior to, featuring a surprising KO get Amir Khan as well as a leading choice triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The initial win raised him to the higher echelon of the sport and also the last sealed that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years ago, though, as well as those 2 signature Garcia wins were at 140 pounds (he additionally won a headline at 147 pounds as well as moved up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still hunting for a gain that matches that, as well as a dismayed success over Lara would certainly match the bill.Garcia really did not appear like the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and he hasn't competed because. Now, he'll go up another body weight training class (though the Lara battle is taking place at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 extra pounds) as well as have to emulate band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight label battle versus Lara are going to be Garcia's 2nd because December 2020, when he was actually directed by Errol Spence Jr.The decide on below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, shows tremendous electrical power, albeit against competitors below Garcia's level. 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 extremely middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading star, hasn't racked up a KO victory because he squashed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 battle to win the indisputable super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a knockdown in his last 3 fights. Versus a competitor in Berlanga, that are going to be fighting on the leading amount for the first time, Alvarez ought to add the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually injured in the ring in the past, particularly in a step-up match versus Marcelo Coceres, that fell him in Cycle 9. And his self defense isn't exactly appear. Berlanga possesses energy (he began his profession along with 16 successive KO wins in the first round), and if he picks to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez promised as much at a set of press conference today to advertise the match.-- Coppinger Real or not: Not one other light champion can beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a real danger to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and also defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number decision to gain the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the 4 rounds, while his breakout win along with Ramirez was just one of the best fights in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest globe lightweight champion in history-- would be a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get up from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, before he was soon overthrown. As a professional, Chirinho had certainly never been actually knocked down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last three spheres. Although he is actually certainly not as experienced as Lopez, the quantity of blows he has actually thrown in his last pair of battles, in addition to his height as well as get to conveniences, could confirm unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared implausible in current matches, while we still require to observe a lot more from Scar Ball before our experts announce him the branch's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight label along with a split choice sway Raymond Ford in June. That victory followed a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. But Espinoza will tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Round as well as has actually not won in virtually two years, so it is actually tough to offer a debate for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a third defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has overcome significant challenges in title fights, like boxing in a champion's home town as well as obtaining slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he gains on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he might maybe experience his most significant difficulty however in a label unification match against Espinoza to crown the very best competitor in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' resurgence has been actually just a year after being actually come by Oleksandr Usyk, current kind advises his 1st IBF heavyweight headline protection will definitely finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in leading type, much more thus than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has must fix his profession, after experiencing next decision reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua dealt with very carefully, along with a consentaneous choice get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his last three fights, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim heavyweight champion after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF belt, which meant Dubois was actually updated to complete champion, consequently presents Joshua with the chance to become a three-time world champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had repeated excellence along with against Dubois. Hrgovic constantly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early rounds, as well as Joshua has shown in recent matches exactly how destructive his right hands want he ruined Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the past UFC big-time champ's chin to take him out cool. Joshua will take possession of the chance if Dubois produces themself in a similar way offered, as he did versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a bigger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois presented longevity to take in type June, he has actually been actually quit two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk last year) as well as was actually floored 3 attend the preliminary by Kevin Lerena before recuperating to gain in Round 3. However it is actually no stroll in the park for Joshua, who additionally requires to value Dubois' power. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's face as well as can potentially manage a surprise stop versus Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. However Joshua, who ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is very likely to gain this battle by KO.-- Parkinson.