.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo generally event of a Top Ranking on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last loss remained in May 2019 and also he has actually succeeded 14 consecutive battles given that, consisting of outstanding success over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently turned down a lucrative match against fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Tank" Davis and while he have not announced his retired life, will we view "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will make his 2nd band look this year, however not against the competitor followers have demanded. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely encounter Edgar Berlanga, who's never ever fought at this degree in his quick profession. While Berlanga has astonishing power-- he began his job along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he locate a way to win, or even at the very least go the span versus Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will definitely fight for a label for the first time in 2 years. Joshua will experience IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually favored to become a three-time globe champ (-550 every ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for simply the second time in nearly four years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded waistbands at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is going up in weight for the odds to come to be a three-division champ, yet can he disturb an older but still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Scar Parkinson address these inquiries and additional, making an effort to distinguish what's genuine and what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to resign without one more fightNot true ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is contemplating retired life, sources informed ESPN, aspect of the factor he declined a financially rewarding battle with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's also a possibility that Lomachenko are going to return in the very first fifty percent of 2025 to defend his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a dealing with mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson needed to be separated at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was observed telling Stevenson, "Allow's go correct now.If that is actually any indication, Lomachenko will definitely combat once again. Maybe even versus Davis or Stevenson, the two greatest matches on the table for him. However if he never ever laces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's heritage is gotten. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and also an essential of the pound-for-pound checklist over the final 10 years.He additionally doesn't need to have to fight for the cash. He is actually earned numerous bucks in his occupation as well as still resides in Ukraine, where he's one of the country's very most well-known athletes. Whether he deals with again, he surely will not do so a lot longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and comes to be a champ in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has outplayed the possibilities just before, including a shocking KO get Amir Khan and also a dominant decision victory over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st gain lifted him to the top tier of the sporting activity and also the last bound that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years ago, however, as well as those pair of trademark Garcia victories went to 140 extra pounds (he additionally succeeded a label 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 looking for a gain that matches that, as well as a distressed triumph over Lara will match the bill.Garcia didn't appear like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, as well as he hasn't completed because. Currently, he'll go up yet another weight class (though the Lara fight is taking place at a catchweight between 155 and also 160 pounds) and have to emulate band lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight title fight against Lara will be Garcia's second considering that December 2020, when he was routed through Errol Spence Jr.The pick listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, shows incredible power, albeit versus competitors beneath Garcia's amount. Lara is riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, defends his undisputed very middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's best star, have not scored a KO triumph due to the fact that he smoothed Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 fight to gain the unquestioned very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a knockdown in his final 3 matches. Versus a boxer in Berlanga, that are going to be actually battling on the leading degree for the very first time, Alvarez ought to incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been injured in the ring before, specifically in a step-up match versus Marcelo Coceres, that fell him in Cycle 9. And his protection isn't specifically appear. Berlanga has power (he started his job along with 16 successive KO wins in the first round), as well as if he decides on to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez vowed as much at a set of news conferences recently to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: No other featherweight champion can easily beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a genuine danger to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and also beating Robeisy Ramirez by a bulk selection to gain the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the four shots, while his breakout 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 champ in past-- would be a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to get up from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, prior to he was soon overpowered. As a specialist, Chirinho had actually certainly never been knocked down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the final three rounds. Although he is certainly not as seasoned as Lopez, the amount of blows he has actually included his final 2 matches, alongside his height and also hit advantages, might confirm unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared unconvincing in recent battles, while our experts still need to have to observe extra coming from Nick Round prior to we proclaim him the division's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) caught the WBA featherweight label with a split selection gain Raymond Ford in June. That triumph observed a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. Yet Espinoza would certainly tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfactory versus Sphere and also has not gained in almost 2 years, so it is tough to offer a disagreement 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 8 spheres in a 3rd protection of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has gotten rid of huge problems in label battles, like boxing in a champion's neighborhood as well as getting cut very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he wins on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might maybe face his biggest problem however in a title marriage fight versus Espinoza to dental crown the greatest fighter in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will certainly KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' rebirth has actually been just a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, latest kind suggests his 1st IBF heavyweight title self defense will definitely end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in top kind, even more therefore than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually had to reconstruct his career, after suffering back-to-back choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua combated carefully, with a consentaneous selection gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final 3 battles, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting heavyweight champion after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF belt, which implied Dubois was improved to complete champion, therefore provides Joshua along with the opportunity to end up being a three-time world champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will definitely attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually duplicated success along with against Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right hands on Dubois in the very early rounds, and also Joshua has shown in latest battles just how damaging his right hands desire he destroyed Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC big-time champion's jaw to knock him out chilly. Joshua will certainly seize the option if Dubois produces themself in a similar way on call, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a bigger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois showed toughness to absorb punches in June, he has actually been actually stopped twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk last year) and also was actually floored 3 attend the preliminary by Kevin Lerena prior to recouping to succeed in Round 3. Yet it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, that also requires to recognize Dubois' electrical power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's skin and also may possibly manage a shock halt against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. But Joshua, that concluded as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and after that coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually most likely to succeed this fight by KO.-- Parkinson.