.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo in the main event of a Best Rank 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 as well as he has actually gained 14 consecutive fights because, consisting of exceptional victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the most effective featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently refused a profitable fight against fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Container" Davis and while he have not declared his retired life, will definitely our company find "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely create his second ring look this year, yet certainly not versus the boxer supporters have actually clamored for. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo is going to deal with Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never battled at this amount in his short job. While Berlanga possesses fabulous energy-- he started his job along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he discover a technique to win, or even at least go the range against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will fight for a title for the very first time in 2 years. Joshua will definitely deal with IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is favored to come to be a three-time world champion (-550 every ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia returns to the ring for only the 2nd attend practically four years to tackle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded waistbands at 140 and also 147 pounds, is actually moving up in weight for the opportunity to become a three-division champ, however may he disturb a much older yet still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Scar Parkinson answer these concerns and additional, trying to differentiate what's true and also what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will retire without an additional fightNot genuine ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is contemplating retirement, resources said to ESPN, component of the main reason he decreased a highly profitable battle along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually likewise an option 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 dealing with state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson must be actually split at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually observed saying to Stevenson, "Let's go best now.If that's any sign, Lomachenko will definitely fight once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the 2 greatest fights on the table for him. However if he never ever shoelaces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's heritage is actually secured. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and a backbone of the pound-for-pound list over the last 10 years.He additionally does not need to have to eliminate for the cash. He's gotten numerous dollars in his career and also still stays in Ukraine, where he's one of the country's most popular athletes. Whether he fights again, he definitely won't do so a lot longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and becomes a champ in a third divisionNot real. Garcia has upset the probabilities just before, featuring a surprising KO get Amir Khan as well as a dominant choice victory over Lucas Matthysse. The initial gain elevated him to the upper echelon of the sporting activity and the last sealed that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years earlier, though, and those pair of signature Garcia victories were at 140 extra pounds (he also won a label at 147 pounds and also went up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still searching for a win that matches that, as well as an upset triumph over Lara will match the bill.Garcia didn't look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and also he hasn't completed since. Currently, he'll move up another weight class (though the Lara battle is actually taking place at a catchweight between 155 and 160 pounds) and also must emulate ring sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight label fight against Lara are going to be Garcia's 2nd due to the fact that December 2020, when he was actually transmitted by Errol Spence Jr.The select here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, presents remarkable electrical power, albeit versus boxers beneath Garcia's amount. Lara is using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, guards his undeniable super middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best celebrity, hasn't scored a KO victory considering that he squashed Caleb Plant in a November 2021 battle to gain the undeniable very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a presentation in his final 3 battles. Against a competitor in Berlanga, that will certainly be actually battling on the leading degree for the very first time, Alvarez must add the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually harmed in the band in the past, particularly in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, that fell him in Cycle 9. And his defense isn't exactly seem. Berlanga possesses electrical power (he began his job along with 16 successive KO succeeds in the first round), as well as if he picks to exchange with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez promised as a lot at a pair of news conferences this week to ensure the match.-- Coppinger Real or not: Nothing else featherweight champion can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a genuine threat to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and also defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority decision to win the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the 4 shots, while his outbreak win along with Ramirez was one of the most ideal matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest planet lightweight champion in history-- will be actually a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho did well to rise coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Around 1, before he was actually quickly overwhelmed. As a specialist, Chirinho had certainly never been brought down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the final 3 rounds. Although he is actually certainly not as experienced as Lopez, the amount of blows he has actually included his last pair of matches, together with his elevation and also arrive at conveniences, might show impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked implausible in current battles, while our company still need to have to see even more from Nick Round prior to our experts proclaim him the department's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight label with a split decision draw Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment followed a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. But Espinoza would certainly stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Ball as well as has certainly not gained in almost pair of years, so it is actually challenging to offer 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 eight spheres in a third defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has conquered major difficulties in label battles, like boxing in a champ's hometown and receiving slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he gains on Saturday versus Angelo Leo, he might maybe experience his greatest problem but in a title unification match against Espinoza to dental crown the best boxer in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' revival has actually been merely a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, recent kind proposes his very first IBF heavyweight title defense will certainly end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in leading form, more therefore than any other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually needed to restore his job, after enduring back-to-back choice losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua battled cautiously, along with a consentaneous selection draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his last 3 matches, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim heavyweight champ after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF waistband, which suggested Dubois was improved to complete champ, and so shows Joshua with the possibility to come to be a three-time planet champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua are going to attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually duplicated excellence along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continually landed right hands on Dubois in the very early spheres, and also Joshua has actually shown in recent battles exactly how harmful his right-hand men are after he destroyed Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the past UFC big-time champion's jaw to knock him out chilly. Joshua is going to take the possibility if Dubois produces themself likewise offered, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a larger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois showed durability to take in type June, he has been actually quit two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2015) and was actually knocked down 3 attend the preliminary by Kevin Lerena just before recuperating to win in Round 3. But it is no stroll in the playground for Joshua, that likewise requires to value Dubois' power. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's skin and also may likely pull off a surprise interruption against Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. Yet Joshua, that concluded as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards coming from 2019 to 2021, is more probable to win this match through KO.-- Parkinson.