.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo in the main activity of a Leading Position on ESPN memory 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 he has actually won 14 consecutive fights since, consisting of exceptional success over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the most effective featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately declined a financially rewarding match against fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis as well as while he have not introduced his retired life, will certainly we see "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will make his 2nd ring appearance this year, yet not against the boxer enthusiasts have clamored for. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo is going to encounter Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never ever dealt with at this level in his quick profession. While Berlanga possesses fabulous power-- he began his career with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can he locate a means to gain, or even a minimum of go the range against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will definitely defend a title for the very first time in pair of years. Joshua is going to deal with IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually preferred to end up being a three-time globe champ (-550 every ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the band for just the 2nd attend almost four years to tackle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who gained belts at 140 and 147 pounds, is moving up in body weight for the chance to end up being a three-division champion, but may he upset a more mature however still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Scar Parkinson address these concerns as well as even more, making an effort to differentiate what's genuine and what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely resign without another fightNot actual ... for now. Lomachenko is actually considering retirement life, resources told ESPN, aspect of the reason he dropped a rewarding match along with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually also a possibility that Lomachenko will definitely come back in the 1st fifty percent of 2025 to guard his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a combating state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson must be split at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was seen telling Stevenson, "Let's go correct now.If that is actually any sign, Lomachenko will definitely battle once again. Perhaps even against Davis or even Stevenson, the two most significant matches on the table for him. Yet if he never ever laces up the gloves once again, Lomachenko's tradition is actually safeguarded. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well as an essential of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He also doesn't require to overcome for the cash. He's gotten millions of dollars in his occupation and also still stays in Ukraine, where he is among the country's very most well-liked sportsmens. Regardless if he deals with once more, he certainly won't do this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as comes to be a champion in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has actually upset the odds before, including a shocking KO get Amir Khan and also a prevalent decision triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The initial win raised him to the upper tier of the sporting activity and also the second glued that status.But the Matthysse fight was actually 11 years back, however, as well as those two signature Garcia victories were at 140 extra pounds (he also gained a headline at 147 pounds as well as went up to 154 for a July 2022 gain Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still looking for a win that matches that, and also a dismayed success over Lara will accommodate the bill.Garcia really did not appear like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and he have not completed because. Now, he'll move up yet another body weight training class (though the Lara battle is actually happening at a catchweight between 155 as well as 160 extra pounds) and also have to emulate ring stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight label match against Lara are going to be Garcia's 2nd since December 2020, when he was actually routed through Errol Spence Jr.The decide on here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, presents significant electrical power, albeit against boxers below Garcia's amount. Lara is using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, safeguards his indisputable incredibly middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best star, have not racked up a KO victory due to the fact that he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 battle to gain the indisputable extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a knockdown in his last 3 fights. Against a fighter in Berlanga, who will be battling on the top amount for the first time, Alvarez ought to include the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been injured in the band previously, particularly in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, who fell him in Round 9. And also his protection isn't specifically sound. Berlanga has power (he began his career along with 16 successive KO gains in the preliminary), and if he selects to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a pair of press conference today to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: Not one other light champ can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears an actual threat to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and beating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number choice to win the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the 4 shots, while his breakout win with Ramirez was among the most ideal battles in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world featherweight champ in past history-- will be a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to rise coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, prior to he was very soon subdued. As a professional, Chirinho had actually never ever been actually brought down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last three arounds. Although he is certainly not as expert as Lopez, the volume of punches he has included his last 2 fights, in addition to his elevation and hit advantages, could verify insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked implausible in latest matches, while our company still need to have to observe more from Chip Round just before our experts announce him the branch's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight title with a split decision get Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment observed a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza will overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was frustrating versus Ball and also has not gained in virtually two years, so it is actually challenging to show a disagreement for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a 3rd defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has gotten over huge obstacles in headline battles, like punching in a champion's home town and also receiving slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he succeeds on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may probably encounter his greatest obstacle yet in a label unification fight versus Espinoza to dental crown the most ideal competitor in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' rebirth has been simply a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, latest kind advises his initial IBF abundant title self defense are going to end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in leading type, more thus than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually had to reconstruct his occupation, after suffering next selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua battled very carefully, with an unanimous decision sway Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his last 3 battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim big-time champion after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF belt, which indicated Dubois was upgraded to full champion, and so provides Joshua along with the chance to come to be a three-time world champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will attempt to exploit what Hrgovic had actually redoed effectiveness with against Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early spheres, and Joshua has received latest fights just how destructive his right-hand men desire he damaged Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the past UFC big-time champion's chin to take him out chilly. Joshua will definitely confiscate the possibility if Dubois creates himself likewise readily available, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a bigger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois showed toughness to soak up punches in June, he has actually been actually ceased twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk last year) and was actually defeated 3 times in the preliminary through Kevin Lerena before bouncing back to succeed in Cycle 3. Yet it is no stroll in the park for Joshua, who also needs to appreciate Dubois' electrical power. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's face as well as can potentially carry out a shock stop against Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. Yet Joshua, that ruled as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is more probable to gain this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.