.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo generally occasion of a Top Ranking on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final loss remained in May 2019 and he has won 14 consecutive battles because, including impressive victories over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately declined a rewarding match versus fellow light-weight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis and also while he have not announced his retirement life, will certainly our company observe "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will make his 2nd band appeal this year, but certainly not versus the fighter fans have actually demanded. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo is going to deal with Edgar Berlanga, who's never ever dealt with at this amount in his brief profession. While Berlanga has awesome electrical power-- he started his profession with 16 successive first-round KOs-- may he discover a method to win, or even at the very least go the proximity versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will certainly defend a title for the first time in 2 years. Joshua will certainly encounter IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is preferred to become a three-time planet champ (-550 every ESPN BET). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for simply the 2nd attend nearly 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded waistbands at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is actually moving up in weight for the opportunity to come to be a three-division champ, but can he upset a much older however still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Scar Parkinson respond to these concerns as well as more, trying to distinguish what's true as well as what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will retire without yet another fightNot actual ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is contemplating retired life, resources told ESPN, portion of the factor he declined a beneficial fight with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's additionally an opportunity that Lomachenko are going to come back in the first half of 2025 to shield his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a combating mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson must be actually divided at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually viewed telling Stevenson, "Permit's go best now.If that is actually any type of evidence, Lomachenko will certainly battle once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, both most significant battles on the desk for him. However if he certainly never laces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's heritage is actually protected. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and also an essential of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He additionally doesn't need to have to overcome for the cash. He is actually gotten millions of bucks in his profession and also still lives in Ukraine, where he is among the country's very most popular athletes. Whether or not he battles once more, he surely will not accomplish this a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and also ends up being a champ in a third divisionNot true. Garcia has upset the probabilities before, including a shocking KO sway Amir Khan as well as a dominant decision triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st win raised him to the upper echelon of the sporting activity and the last cemented that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years earlier, however, and those two trademark Garcia triumphes went to 140 extra pounds (he additionally won a label at 147 extra pounds and also moved up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still seeking a gain that matches that, as well as a dismayed victory over Lara would certainly match the bill.Garcia really did not resemble the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and he have not completed due to the fact that. Right now, he'll go up one more body weight training class (though the Lara match is actually taking place at a catchweight between 155 as well as 160 pounds) as well as need to emulate band inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight label battle versus Lara will certainly be Garcia's second because December 2020, when he was routed through Errol Spence Jr.The choose below is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, shows significant power, albeit versus boxers below Garcia's amount. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, shields his recognized super middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's top star, hasn't racked up a KO success due to the fact that he flattened Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 battle to succeed the uncontested incredibly middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a presentation in his final 3 battles. Against a fighter in Berlanga, that will be actually dealing with on the top degree for the first time, Alvarez ought to incorporate the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually hurt in the band before, namely in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Round 9. And his protection isn't exactly appear. Berlanga has energy (he started his occupation along with 16 consecutive KO gains in the first round), and also if he chooses to swap with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez promised as much at a pair of news conferences recently to advertise the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: No other featherweight champ can easily beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a true threat to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number choice to succeed the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the four rounds, while his breakout win along with Ramirez was just one of the greatest matches in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet light champ in record-- would be actually a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to get out of bed from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was actually soon subdued. As a specialist, Chirinho had actually certainly never been knocked down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the final 3 spheres. Although he is actually not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the quantity of hits he has thrown in his last 2 fights, along with his height as well as reach advantages, might verify insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared unconvincing in latest matches, while our team still require to observe extra coming from Chip Ball just before our team announce him the department's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight label along with a split selection win over Raymond Ford in June. That conquest adhered to a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. However Espinoza will overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfactory versus Ball and has actually certainly not succeeded in virtually 2 years, so it is tough to offer an argument for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in eight rounds in a 3rd protection of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually conquered large challenges in headline battles, like boxing in a champ's hometown as well as obtaining slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he wins on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might probably encounter his most significant obstacle however in a label unification battle against Espinoza to crown the most effective boxer in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' resurgence has actually been just a year after being actually stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, recent type proposes his initial IBF abundant title protection are going to finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in leading kind, extra thus than some other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually must fix his job, after going through next choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua fought cautiously, with a consensual selection gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his last 3 matches, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting heavyweight champion after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF waistband, which indicated Dubois was actually upgraded to total champ, consequently provides Joshua with the opportunity to come to be a three-time world champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will certainly attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually duplicated success with against Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early spheres, and also Joshua has received current battles just how detrimental his right hands want he ruined Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the former UFC big-time champion's jaw to take him out cold. Joshua will definitely confiscate the chance if Dubois creates themself similarly on call, as he did against Hrgovic. Joshua is a larger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois revealed toughness to absorb punches in June, he has actually been stopped two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2013) as well as was knocked down 3 attend the first round through Kevin Lerena prior to recovering to succeed in Round 3. Yet it is no stroll in the park for Joshua, who also needs to appreciate Dubois' power. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's skin and may possibly manage a surprise deduction versus Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. However Joshua, who ruled as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards from 2019 to 2021, is actually more probable to gain this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.