.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo generally celebration of a Best Position on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction resided in May 2019 and also he has actually succeeded 14 successive fights due to the fact that, consisting of excellent victories over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently denied a profitable battle against fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Tank" Davis and also while he hasn't announced his retirement, will our team view "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly create his second band look this year, but not against the competitor supporters have actually clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will encounter Edgar Berlanga, that's never ever fought at this amount in his brief job. While Berlanga possesses amazing electrical power-- he started his job with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he find a means to gain, or at the very least go the distance versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua are going to fight for a label for the very first time in 2 years. Joshua will definitely deal with IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is favored to come to be a three-time globe champ (-550 per ESPN BET). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the ring for just the second attend practically 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded belts at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is actually going up in body weight for the opportunity to become a three-division champ, yet can he upset an older but still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Scar Parkinson respond to these questions and additional, trying to identify what's true and also what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to retire without an additional fightNot real ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is pondering retirement, resources told ESPN, portion of the factor he dropped a profitable match with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's additionally a probability that Lomachenko will definitely return in the 1st one-half of 2025 to protect his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a battling state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson needed to be actually split at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was actually viewed informing Stevenson, "Allow's go best now.If that is actually any type of indicator, Lomachenko will certainly deal with again. Maybe even versus Davis or even Stevenson, both most significant battles on the table for him. Yet if he never ever laces up the gloves once again, Lomachenko's tradition is actually gotten. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and a pillar of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He additionally doesn't require to combat for the money. He's made countless dollars in his profession and still resides in Ukraine, where he is among the nation's very most prominent professional athletes. Whether he combats once more, he undoubtedly won't do so a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also ends up being a champ in a third divisionNot real. Garcia has outplayed the possibilities before, featuring an astonishing KO sway Amir Khan and also a dominant selection success over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st win lifted him to the upper echelon of the sporting activity and also the second cemented that status.But the Matthysse match was actually 11 years earlier, though, as well as those 2 signature Garcia victories went to 140 pounds (he likewise gained a label at 147 extra pounds as well as went up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still searching for a gain that matches that, and a distressed victory over Lara will suit the bill.Garcia didn't look like the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and also he have not contended considering that. Currently, he'll move up one more body weight course (though the Lara battle is taking place at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and also must emulate ring sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight title match against Lara will certainly be actually Garcia's 2nd because December 2020, when he was actually transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The decide on listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, shows enormous electrical power, albeit against fighters under Garcia's amount. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, protects his indisputable tremendously middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's top celebrity, have not scored a KO success considering that he squashed Caleb Plant in a November 2021 fight to win the indisputable incredibly middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a presentation in his final three matches. Against a competitor in Berlanga, that will certainly be actually battling on the best amount for the first time, Alvarez must add the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been injured in the ring previously, specifically in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, that fell him in Round 9. As well as his self defense isn't specifically seem. Berlanga has power (he started his career along with 16 consecutive KO gains in the first round), and also if he selects to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez assured as much at a set of news conferences today to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Nothing else lightweight champion may 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 as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number decision to succeed the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the 4 rounds, while his outbreak gain along with Ramirez was among the most effective fights in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet light champ in history-- would certainly be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to get out of bed from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was actually soon overpowered. As a specialist, Chirinho had never ever been actually torn down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made 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 seasoned as Lopez, the quantity of hits he has included his last 2 matches, together with his height and reach conveniences, could possibly verify unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked unconvincing in current matches, while we still need to have to find extra coming from Scar Ball just before our team announce him the branch's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight headline along with a split selection sway Raymond Ford in June. That triumph complied with a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza would certainly tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Round and also has not won in virtually two years, so it is hard to provide a disagreement for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in 8 spheres in a third self defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually conquered major problems in title matches, like punching in a champ's hometown and also getting cut very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he gains on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he might maybe experience his largest challenge yet in a label marriage match versus Espinoza to dental crown the most effective fighter in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' rebirth has been actually just a year after being stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, latest type advises his 1st IBF heavyweight label self defense will certainly end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in best form, a lot more so than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually must reconstruct his profession, after going through next choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua battled cautiously, with an unanimous selection sway Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final three matches, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim heavyweight champ after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF belt, which suggested Dubois was actually upgraded to total champion, and so presents Joshua with the option to come to be a three-time planet champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had actually repeated effectiveness with versus Dubois. Hrgovic constantly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early arounds, and also Joshua has actually received recent battles how damaging his right hands seek he ruined Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC heavyweight champ's face to take him out chilly. Joshua is going to take the possibility if Dubois creates themself in a similar way on call, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a greater puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois revealed durability to take in punches in June, he has actually been ceased two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2014) as well as was floored 3 attend the first round through Kevin Lerena prior to recouping to gain in Cycle 3. However it is no stroll in the park for Joshua, that additionally needs to appreciate Dubois' energy. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's face as well as may likely manage a surprise stoppage against Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. Yet Joshua, who concluded as champ from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is actually more likely to gain this match through KO.-- Parkinson.