.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo generally occasion of a Best Rank on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final reduction remained in May 2019 as well as he has gained 14 consecutive battles due to the fact that, consisting of impressive victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately rejected a lucrative battle versus fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Container" Davis and while he hasn't introduced his retirement, will certainly our company observe "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely make his second ring appearance this year, however certainly not against the boxer enthusiasts have demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely encounter Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never ever dealt with at this level in his brief profession. While Berlanga possesses unbelievable electrical power-- he started his career along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can he discover a way to win, or a minimum of go the proximity against Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua are going to fight for a headline for the very first time in 2 years. Joshua will definitely experience IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is favored to come to be a three-time globe champ (-550 per ESPN BET). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the band for only the second attend just about four years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded waistbands at 140 and also 147 pounds, is actually moving up in body weight for the opportunity to come to be a three-division champion, but can easily he distress a much older however still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson address these questions and also additional, trying to differentiate what's genuine as well as what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly retire without yet another fightNot real ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is pondering retirement, sources informed ESPN, portion of the factor he dropped a profitable fight with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually additionally an option that Lomachenko will return in the 1st half of 2025 to protect his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a battling state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson must be actually split at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was found saying to Stevenson, "Let's go correct now.If that's any type of evidence, Lomachenko is going to fight once more. Maybe even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the 2 most significant battles on the table for him. But if he certainly never laces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's legacy is actually safeguarded. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well as a pillar of the pound-for-pound checklist over the final 10 years.He likewise does not need to overcome for the cash. He is actually gained countless bucks in his career and also still dwells in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's very most well-liked athletes. Whether or not he fights once again, he surely will not do this much longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and also comes to be a champion in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has actually upset the possibilities just before, including a stunning KO gain Amir Khan and a dominant selection success over Lucas Matthysse. The first win lifted him to the higher tier of the sport and the latter cemented that status.But the Matthysse match was 11 years back, however, and those pair of signature Garcia victories were at 140 pounds (he likewise won a label at 147 extra pounds and also moved up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still looking for a gain that matches that, as well as a distressed victory over Lara will accommodate the bill.Garcia didn't look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and he hasn't contended due to the fact that. Currently, he'll move up an additional weight training class (though the Lara battle is happening at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 pounds) and have to emulate ring stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight label battle versus Lara will certainly be Garcia's second since December 2020, when he was actually directed through Errol Spence Jr.The select right here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, presents significant electrical power, albeit against competitors 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, safeguards his unquestioned tremendously middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading superstar, have not racked up a KO success due to the fact that he squashed Caleb Plant in a November 2021 battle to win the undisputed very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a knockdown in his final 3 matches. Against a boxer in Berlanga, who are going to be dealing with on the best amount for the very first time, Alvarez should add the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been harmed in the ring before, namely in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Round 9. And his protection isn't exactly sound. Berlanga has power (he started his career along with 16 successive KO wins in the preliminary), and also if he decides on to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a set of press conference recently to promote the fight.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Nothing else lightweight champ can beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a true hazard to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June and beating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number choice to win the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the four rounds, while his outbreak win with Ramirez was one of the very best fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest world featherweight champion in past-- would be actually an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get out of bed from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, prior to he was quickly subdued. As a qualified, Chirinho had actually never ever been knocked down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the final 3 spheres. Although he is certainly not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the volume of punches he has actually included his final 2 fights, together with his elevation and also arrive at benefits, could possibly prove overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked implausible in recent battles, while we still need to find even more from Chip Ball before our company proclaim him the division's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) caught the WBA featherweight title along with a split decision get Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment complied with a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza would tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfactory versus Round and also has not gained in virtually two years, so it is actually challenging to offer a debate for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 rounds in a 3rd protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually gotten over large problems in label fights, like punching in a champ's neighborhood and also acquiring slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he succeeds on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may maybe face his largest difficulty however in a headline unification fight versus Espinoza to crown the greatest fighter in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will certainly KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' resurgence has actually been just a year after being dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, current form proposes his 1st IBF abundant label protection will finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in best form, more so than any other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually needed to reconstruct his profession, after enduring next decision losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua fought carefully, along with an unanimous decision gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his last three battles, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim big-time champ after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk at that point gave up the IBF belt, which meant Dubois was upgraded to complete champion, consequently presents Joshua along with the chance to end up being a three-time globe champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will certainly make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had actually repeated success with versus Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right hands on Dubois in the early rounds, and Joshua has displayed in current battles just how damaging his right-hand men are after he destroyed Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC big-time champion's chin to take him out chilly. Joshua will confiscate the opportunity if Dubois creates himself likewise offered, as he carried out versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois revealed resilience to soak up type June, he has been actually stopped two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2013) and was actually floored three times in the preliminary by Kevin Lerena just before recovering to win in Cycle 3. But it is no stroll in the park for Joshua, who additionally needs to have to appreciate Dubois' energy. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's skin and also can possibly manage a surprise blockage against Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. But Joshua, who ruled as champ from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is actually very likely to gain this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.