.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo generally activity of a Leading 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 won 14 consecutive fights considering that, including remarkable victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently refused a beneficial fight versus fellow light in weight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and also while he have not announced his retired life, will definitely our company see "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly make his 2nd band appeal this year, yet certainly not against the boxer enthusiasts have clamored for. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will encounter Edgar Berlanga, who's certainly never fought at this degree in his brief job. While Berlanga has unbelievable power-- he began his profession with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can he discover a way to win, or at least go the span versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will fight for a headline for the first time in pair of years. Joshua will certainly face IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is favored to come to be a three-time globe champ (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And two-division champ Danny Garcia comes back to the band for only the second attend virtually four years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that won waistbands at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is moving up in body weight for the chance to come to be a three-division champion, yet may he disturb an older yet still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Nick Parkinson respond to these questions and also even more, attempting to differentiate what's genuine and also what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will retire without yet another fightNot real ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is pondering retirement, sources informed ESPN, aspect of the cause he decreased a beneficial battle with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually additionally an opportunity that Lomachenko will return in the 1st one-half of 2025 to safeguard his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a battling state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson must be split at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was viewed telling Stevenson, "Allow's go right now.If that's any kind of sign, Lomachenko will combat once again. Perhaps even against Davis or even Stevenson, both biggest matches on the table for him. But if he never ever laces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's heritage is safeguarded. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well as an essential of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He also does not need to eliminate for the cash. He is actually gotten countless dollars in his profession and also still stays in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's very most well-liked professional athletes. Regardless if he combats once again, he certainly will not do so a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also becomes a champion in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has actually outplayed the possibilities just before, featuring a shocking KO draw Amir Khan and a prevalent selection triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The first win lifted him to the upper tier of the sport and the last cemented that status.But the Matthysse match was 11 years ago, though, as well as those two trademark Garcia success were at 140 extra pounds (he also succeeded a headline at 147 pounds as well as went up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still hunting for a win that matches that, and also a dismayed success over Lara would suit the bill.Garcia failed to resemble the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, as well as he hasn't contended because. Now, he'll move up another weight class (though the Lara match is occurring at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 extra pounds) as well as must contend with band inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight title battle against Lara will certainly be Garcia's second given that December 2020, when he was actually directed through Errol Spence Jr.The choose listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, shows remarkable power, albeit against competitors below Garcia's amount. Lara is using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, protects his indisputable tremendously middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best superstar, hasn't racked up a KO success since he flattened Caleb Plant in a November 2021 battle to gain the undeniable extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a knockdown in his final three matches. Against a competitor in Berlanga, that are going to be fighting on the best level for the very first time, Alvarez must include the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been harmed in the band previously, such as in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Round 9. And also his defense isn't precisely appear. Berlanga has energy (he began his profession along with 16 successive KO gains in the first round), and if he chooses to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a pair of news conferences today to advertise the fight.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: No other lightweight champ can beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a true hazard to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number choice to succeed the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the four rounds, while his breakout gain with Ramirez was among the very best fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest globe light champ in history-- will be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to get out of bed from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, before he was actually soon overpowered. As a professional, Chirinho had never ever been actually brought down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the final 3 rounds. Although he is certainly not as skilled as Lopez, the amount of hits he has actually thrown in his last two fights, together with his elevation and hit perks, could possibly confirm unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked implausible in recent matches, while our experts still need to have to observe much more coming from Nick Ball prior to we announce him the branch's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight title with a split decision draw Raymond Ford in June. That victory adhered to a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. Yet Espinoza will tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was disappointing versus Ball as well as has actually certainly not gained in nearly pair of years, so it is actually difficult to show a debate for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in eight rounds in a 3rd defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has gotten rid of huge obstacles in label fights, like boxing in a champion's neighborhood as well as obtaining slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he succeeds on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might perhaps encounter his most significant challenge but in a title marriage fight versus Espinoza to crown the greatest fighter in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' resurgence has been actually just a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, current form proposes his initial IBF heavyweight label defense will end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in best type, a lot more so than some other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has needed to restore his job, after suffering back-to-back selection losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua fought very carefully, with a consentaneous decision win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final three fights, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting big-time champion after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF waistband, which implied Dubois was actually updated to full champion, therefore offers Joshua with the chance to end up being a three-time globe champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will definitely make an effort to manipulate what Hrgovic had duplicated success with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continuously landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early rounds, and Joshua has received recent matches exactly how destructive his right hands seek he ruined Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC big-time champ's jaw to knock him out cool. Joshua is going to take possession of the opportunity if Dubois produces himself likewise accessible, as he performed against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a larger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois presented sturdiness to absorb punches in June, he has been quit twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2014) and also was actually defeated three attend the preliminary through Kevin Lerena before recuperating to gain in Round 3. However it is actually no stroll in the park for Joshua, that additionally needs to respect Dubois' electrical power. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's skin as well as can possibly pull off a shock stoppage versus Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. Yet Joshua, who concluded as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is most likely to gain this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.