.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo in the main event of a Leading Ranking on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final loss remained in May 2019 as well as he has actually won 14 consecutive matches since, including exceptional success over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently refused a highly profitable fight versus fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and also while he have not introduced his retirement life, will definitely our company find "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly make his 2nd ring look this year, but certainly not versus the boxer fans have clamored for. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely encounter Edgar Berlanga, who is actually never battled at this amount in his brief job. While Berlanga possesses fabulous electrical power-- he started his profession along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can he discover a technique to win, or even at least go the proximity versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will fight for a title for the first time in 2 years. Joshua will definitely deal with IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually favored to come to be a three-time planet champ (-550 every ESPN BET). And two-division champ Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for only the 2nd attend nearly 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded belts at 140 and also 147 pounds, is actually going up in weight for the possibility to become a three-division champion, yet may he upset a much older but still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Chip Parkinson answer these concerns and more, making an effort to identify what's genuine and also what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to retire without one more fightNot actual ... for now. Lomachenko is contemplating retired life, resources informed ESPN, aspect of the main reason he decreased a lucrative fight with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually additionally a probability that Lomachenko are going to return in the initial fifty percent of 2025 to defend his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a combating mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson must be actually divided at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was actually seen informing Stevenson, "Allow's go ideal now.If that is actually any evidence, Lomachenko is going to fight once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or Stevenson, the two greatest battles on the table for him. But if he never ever laces up the gloves again, Lomachenko's heritage is safeguarded. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer as well as an essential of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He also doesn't need to overcome for the money. He is actually earned numerous bucks in his profession and also still resides in Ukraine, where he is among the nation's very most prominent sportsmens. Whether or not he combats again, he definitely will not do so a lot longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and comes to be a champ in a third divisionNot real. Garcia has actually outplayed the chances prior to, featuring a surprising KO win over Amir Khan and a leading choice success over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st gain lifted him to the top echelon of the sporting activity as well as the last cemented that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years earlier, though, and also those two signature Garcia wins were at 140 extra pounds (he likewise gained a title at 147 pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 gain Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still looking for a gain that matches that, and also a dismayed success over Lara would certainly fit the bill.Garcia didn't appear like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and also he hasn't competed since. Right now, he'll go up an additional body weight class (though the Lara battle is taking place at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and also must contend with ring stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight label battle versus Lara are going to be Garcia's second due to the fact that December 2020, when he was routed through Errol Spence Jr.The choose right here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, shows enormous electrical power, albeit against competitors below Garcia's degree. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's match versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, shields his recognized super middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading celebrity, hasn't racked up a KO victory since he smoothed Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 battle to gain the indisputable extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a knockdown in his last three fights. Versus a boxer in Berlanga, who will be actually dealing with on the leading degree for the very first time, Alvarez needs to add the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been hurt in the ring previously, such as in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Cycle 9. As well as his self defense isn't exactly seem. Berlanga possesses power (he started his profession along with 16 consecutive KO gains in the first round), and if he opts for to exchange with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez assured as much at a set of news conferences this week to advertise the match.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: No other featherweight champion can beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a real risk to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and also defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number decision to win the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the 4 shots, while his escapement succeed with Ramirez was one of the very best fights in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest planet featherweight champion in past history-- would certainly be actually an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to get out of bed coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Round 1, prior to he was very soon overwhelmed. As a qualified, Chirinho had never ever been actually torn down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the last three arounds. Although he is actually not as seasoned as Lopez, the quantity of punches he has actually thrown in his final 2 battles, in addition to his height and also reach benefits, could prove insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared implausible in recent matches, while we still require to see even more from Nick Sphere prior to our experts proclaim him the department's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight title with a split decision sway Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment followed a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza will overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Ball and also has not succeeded in virtually two years, so it is hard to show a disagreement for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 arounds in a 3rd defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has gotten over large problems in label matches, like boxing in a champ's home town and getting slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he succeeds on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he might probably encounter his most significant difficulty however in a title unification battle versus Espinoza to dental crown the best fighter in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' revival has been just a year after being dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, recent form recommends his initial IBF heavyweight label defense will end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in leading type, much more so than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has had to fix his profession, after experiencing next decision losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua fought carefully, with a consensual selection draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his last 3 matches, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting big-time champ after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk after that relinquished the IBF belt, which indicated Dubois was actually updated to total champ, therefore offers Joshua with the opportunity to become a three-time world champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will certainly attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had duplicated excellence along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right hands on Dubois in the early arounds, and also Joshua has displayed in current fights how detrimental his right-hand men desire he damaged Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the former UFC big-time champ's face to knock him out chilly. Joshua will definitely take possession of the possibility if Dubois produces themself in a similar way readily available, as he did versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a larger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois revealed durability to absorb punches in June, he has actually been ceased two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk last year) and was actually floored three attend the preliminary through Kevin Lerena before recovering to gain in Cycle 3. But it is no stroll in the playground for Joshua, who likewise needs to have to appreciate Dubois' electrical power. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's skin as well as can likely manage a surprise halt versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. But Joshua, that concluded as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is most likely to win this battle by KO.-- Parkinson.