.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo in the main activity of a Top Ranking on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last loss was in May 2019 and also he has succeeded 14 consecutive matches considering that, including excellent success over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently turned down a highly profitable fight versus fellow light-weight champion Gervonta "Container" Davis and while he hasn't revealed his retirement life, will we find "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will create his 2nd band appearance this year, however certainly not against the fighter enthusiasts have clamored for. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely face Edgar Berlanga, that's certainly never dealt with at this amount in his short career. While Berlanga has awesome power-- he started his job with 16 successive first-round KOs-- may he locate a method to win, or even at least go the span against Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will fight for a headline for the very first time in pair of years. Joshua will certainly encounter IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is favored to become a three-time planet champ (-550 every ESPN BET). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the ring for simply the second time in practically four years to tackle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that gained belts at 140 and 147 pounds, is moving up in weight for the chance to become a three-division champ, however can he upset a much older but still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and Nick Parkinson address these questions and more, making an effort to identify what's actual and what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to resign without one more fightNot actual ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually pondering retirement life, resources said to ESPN, portion of the explanation he declined a financially rewarding battle along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually additionally an opportunity that Lomachenko are going to return in the 1st one-half of 2025 to shield his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a dealing with state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson must be actually split at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was observed informing Stevenson, "Let's go correct now.If that's any kind of evidence, Lomachenko is going to deal with once more. Maybe even against Davis or Stevenson, both greatest fights on the table for him. But if he never shoelaces up the gloves once again, Lomachenko's heritage is protected. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and also a mainstay of the pound-for-pound list over the last 10 years.He also doesn't need to fight for the money. He's made millions of bucks in his occupation as well as still stays in Ukraine, where he is just one of the nation's very most well-liked athletes. Whether or not he battles again, he certainly won't do this a lot longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and comes to be a champion in a 3rd divisionNot genuine. Garcia has upset the odds prior to, consisting of a shocking KO get Amir Khan and also a leading selection success over Lucas Matthysse. The very first gain elevated him to the top tier of the sporting activity as well as the latter sealed that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years earlier, however, as well as those pair of signature Garcia triumphes went to 140 extra pounds (he also gained a headline 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, and a distressed success over Lara would certainly fit the bill.Garcia failed to be similar to the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and also he hasn't competed given that. Right now, he'll go up an additional weight course (though the Lara match is occurring at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 pounds) and must emulate band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline fight versus Lara will definitely be Garcia's second given that December 2020, when he was actually routed by Errol Spence Jr.The choose listed here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, reveals significant power, albeit against boxers under Garcia's degree. Lara is using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, defends his unquestioned super middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading celebrity, have not scored a KO victory due to the fact that he squashed Caleb Plant in a November 2021 fight to win the recognized very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a knockdown in his last 3 battles. Against a competitor in Berlanga, that will definitely be battling on the best amount for the first time, Alvarez ought to include the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually hurt in the band in the past, such as in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, that fell him in Cycle 9. As well as his protection isn't specifically appear. Berlanga possesses energy (he began his profession along with 16 successive KO succeeds in the preliminary), as well as if he picks to trade with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez vowed as a lot at a set of news conferences today to promote the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: Not one other lightweight champ can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a genuine hazard to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and also defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a majority decision to succeed the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in 3 of the four shots, while his outbreak succeed along with Ramirez was among the most effective fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet lightweight champion in past-- would be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get up from an uppercut from Espinoza in Round 1, just before he was soon overthrown. As a qualified, Chirinho had actually never been brought down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a shock in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last three arounds. Although he is actually not as professional as Lopez, the volume of hits he has actually thrown in his last pair of matches, alongside his height and also get to conveniences, could possibly confirm unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked unconvincing in recent battles, while our experts still need to observe more from Scar Sphere just before our company announce him the branch's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight headline along with a split choice sway Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment observed a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. But Espinoza will overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Ball and also has certainly not gained in nearly two years, so it is challenging to offer an argument for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 spheres in a third self defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has overcome significant challenges in title battles, like punching in a champion's neighborhood and getting slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he wins on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he might perhaps face his largest obstacle but in a label unification match versus Espinoza to crown the most ideal competitor in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' revival has actually been actually only a year after being dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, recent kind suggests his very first IBF heavyweight title defense are going to end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in leading kind, much more thus than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually needed to reconstruct his occupation, after suffering back-to-back selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua dealt with cautiously, with an unanimous decision sway Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final 3 fights, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting heavyweight champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk then gave up the IBF belt, which suggested Dubois was improved to complete champion, and so provides Joshua along with the chance to end up being a three-time world champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will certainly make an effort to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually redoed excellence with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continually landed right hands on Dubois in the very early spheres, and also Joshua has received latest matches how detrimental his right hands desire he ruined Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the former UFC big-time champ's face to knock him out cold. Joshua will take possession of the chance if Dubois produces himself likewise on call, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois presented resilience to soak up punches in June, he has been actually stopped twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk last year) as well as was actually knocked down 3 attend the first round by Kevin Lerena prior to recuperating to gain in Cycle 3. Yet it is actually no walk in the playground for Joshua, that additionally requires to recognize Dubois' electrical power. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's face and also can potentially carry out a surprise halt against Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. However Joshua, who ruled as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and then coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually most likely to succeed this fight by KO.-- Parkinson.