.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo in the main celebration of a Top Rank 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 succeeded 14 successive fights due to the fact that, featuring exceptional success over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently turned down a rewarding fight versus fellow light-weight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis and also while he hasn't introduced his retirement life, will certainly our team observe "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly make his second ring appeal this year, however not versus the boxer followers have demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely encounter Edgar Berlanga, who's never ever dealt with at this level in his brief occupation. While Berlanga possesses extraordinary energy-- he started his job with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he find a means to win, or at least go the range versus Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will certainly defend a title for the first time in two years. Joshua will deal with IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is favored to become a three-time globe champion (-550 per ESPN BET). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the ring for simply the 2nd attend practically 4 years to tackle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who won belts at 140 and 147 pounds, is moving up in weight for the chance to come to be a three-division champion, however may he upset a more mature yet still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Nick Parkinson answer these questions as well as even more, attempting to differentiate what's true as well as what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to resign without another fightNot real ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually reflecting upon retired life, resources informed ESPN, aspect of the reason he dropped a beneficial fight along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's additionally a probability that Lomachenko will definitely return in the first half of 2025 to protect his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a combating mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson needed to be actually separated at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually seen saying to Stevenson, "Let's go ideal now.If that's any sort of indicator, Lomachenko will definitely deal with again. Perhaps even against Davis or Stevenson, both biggest battles on the table for him. However if he never laces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's tradition is actually protected. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer as well as a backbone of the pound-for-pound list over the last 10 years.He additionally does not need to fight for the money. He is actually made millions of bucks in his profession and still lives in Ukraine, where he is among the country's very most well-known athletes. Regardless if he fights once again, he certainly won't accomplish this much longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and ends up being a champion in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has actually outplayed the odds before, featuring a surprising KO get Amir Khan and a dominant selection success over Lucas Matthysse. The first win elevated him to the top echelon of the sporting activity and the last sealed that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years earlier, though, and also those 2 trademark Garcia success went to 140 extra pounds (he also won a headline at 147 pounds as well as moved up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still hunting for a win that matches that, and also a dismayed victory over Lara would accommodate the bill.Garcia really did not be similar to the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, as well as he hasn't competed considering that. Now, he'll go up yet another body weight training class (though the Lara battle is occurring at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 extra pounds) as well as must contend with band stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight title battle against Lara will be actually Garcia's second considering that December 2020, when he was directed through Errol Spence Jr.The decide on below is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, reveals incredible energy, albeit against boxers beneath Garcia's degree. Lara is riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's battle against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, safeguards his unquestioned extremely middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's top celebrity, hasn't scored a KO victory considering that he flattened Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 fight to win the unquestioned extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a presentation in his last three fights. Versus a boxer in Berlanga, who will certainly be actually dealing with on the leading level for the very first time, Alvarez must include the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually harmed in the band previously, specifically in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, who fell him in Cycle 9. As well as his defense isn't specifically appear. Berlanga has electrical power (he began his occupation with 16 successive KO wins in the preliminary), and also if he decides on to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez promised as much at a pair of news conferences this week to advertise the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other featherweight champion may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a genuine risk to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and beating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number selection to succeed the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the 4 rounds, while his outbreak succeed along with Ramirez was one of the very best battles in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest world featherweight champion in past-- will be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to stand up coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was actually very soon overpowered. As a qualified, Chirinho had never been knocked down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last 3 rounds. Although he is certainly not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the volume of blows he has actually thrown in his final 2 battles, along with his height and hit perks, can confirm insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared unconvincing in recent matches, while we still require to find a lot more coming from Nick Ball prior to we declare him the branch's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight label along with a split selection draw Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment complied with a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. However Espinoza will stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was frustrating versus Round as well as has actually not succeeded in virtually two years, so it is actually challenging to provide a disagreement for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in 8 arounds in a third defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has gotten over significant problems in headline matches, like boxing in a champ's hometown and acquiring slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he wins on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he might possibly encounter his most significant problem but in a headline unification match against Espinoza to crown the most ideal fighter in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will certainly KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' resurgence has actually been only a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, recent kind recommends his very first IBF heavyweight title defense will definitely finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in best type, a lot more so than any other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has needed to reconstruct his career, after going through next choice losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua fought very carefully, along with a consensual decision win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his final three battles, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim big-time champ after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk after that relinquished the IBF waistband, which suggested Dubois was actually upgraded to complete champ, consequently shows Joshua with the possibility to come to be a three-time globe champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua are going to attempt to exploit what Hrgovic had actually duplicated results with versus Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early rounds, and also Joshua has actually displayed in latest battles how detrimental his right hands seek he destroyed Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC big-time champion's jaw to knock him out chilly. Joshua is going to confiscate the option if Dubois creates himself likewise readily available, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is a bigger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois showed longevity to take in type June, he has been actually ceased two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2013) and also was actually knocked down 3 times in the preliminary through Kevin Lerena prior to recovering to win in Cycle 3. However it is no walk in the park for Joshua, who additionally needs to have to value Dubois' energy. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's face and also may possibly carry out a surprise interruption against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. Yet Joshua, who concluded as champ from 2016 to 2019 and then coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually more probable to gain this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.