.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo in the main event of a Leading 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 resided in May 2019 and he has actually won 14 consecutive matches considering that, featuring impressive victories over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the most effective featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently turned down a profitable fight against fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis as well as while he hasn't revealed his retired life, will we find "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly create his second band look this year, but not versus the fighter fans have actually clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo is going to deal with Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never fought at this degree in his quick job. While Berlanga possesses astonishing energy-- he began his profession along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can he locate a means to gain, or a minimum of go the distance versus Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will defend a title for the very first time in 2 years. Joshua is going to deal with IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually preferred to end up being a three-time planet champ (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And two-division champion Danny Garcia goes back to the ring for merely the 2nd time in virtually 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded belts at 140 and also 147 pounds, is actually going up in body weight for the chance to end up being a three-division champion, but can easily he disturb a more mature yet still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and Scar Parkinson address these concerns and even more, trying to differentiate what's genuine and what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will retire without an additional fightNot real ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually reflecting upon retirement life, sources said to ESPN, component of the explanation he dropped a financially rewarding fight along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually additionally an option that Lomachenko will certainly return in the very first one-half of 2025 to defend his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a fighting state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson had to be actually separated at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was found telling Stevenson, "Permit's go ideal now.If that is actually any indication, Lomachenko will definitely deal with once more. Maybe even against Davis or Stevenson, the two most significant fights on the desk for him. Yet if he never ever shoelaces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's tradition is protected. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and also a pillar of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He additionally doesn't need to have to fight for the cash. He's made numerous bucks in his job and also still resides in Ukraine, where he is among the country's most well-liked professional athletes. Regardless if he battles again, he surely will not do this a lot longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and also becomes a champion in a 3rd divisionNot genuine. Garcia has upset the possibilities prior to, featuring an astonishing KO win over Amir Khan as well as a dominant decision success over Lucas Matthysse. The first gain lifted him to the higher echelon of the sport as well as the second glued that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years ago, however, as well as those pair of signature Garcia wins were at 140 pounds (he likewise gained a title at 147 pounds and also went up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still hunting for a win that matches that, as well as a dismayed success over Lara would certainly fit the bill.Garcia didn't resemble the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and also he hasn't contended since. Currently, he'll go up an additional body weight training class (though the Lara battle is actually taking place at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 extra pounds) as well as must emulate band inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline battle against Lara will certainly be Garcia's 2nd since December 2020, when he was directed by Errol Spence Jr.The choose below is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, reveals incredible power, albeit against competitors under Garcia's amount. Lara is using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's battle against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, protects his undisputed tremendously middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading celebrity, hasn't scored a KO victory because he flattened Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 fight to win the uncontested tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a knockdown in his last three matches. Versus a competitor in Berlanga, who will be fighting on the leading amount for the very first time, Alvarez ought to add the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been harmed in the ring in the past, such as in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Round 9. And also his defense isn't exactly seem. Berlanga possesses energy (he began his profession with 16 consecutive KO wins in the preliminary), and also if he opts for to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez promised as much at a set of news conferences today to advertise the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: No other light champion can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks an actual threat to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and also defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number selection to succeed the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in 3 of the four shots, while his breakout gain with Ramirez was just one of the very best fights in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest planet featherweight champion in record-- will be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to get out of bed from an uppercut from Espinoza in Round 1, prior to he was actually soon overwhelmed. As an expert, Chirinho had certainly never been brought down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a shock in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the final three rounds. Although he is actually not as experienced as Lopez, the volume of blows he has actually thrown in his last two fights, together with his elevation and arrive at benefits, might confirm insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared unconvincing in current matches, while our company still need to have to view much more from Chip Ball prior to we proclaim him the branch's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight title along with a split choice gain Raymond Ford in June. That conquest complied with a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. But Espinoza will overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfactory versus Sphere and also has actually not succeeded in virtually two years, so it is challenging to present an argument for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a third self defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has beat major challenges in headline battles, like punching in a champion's neighborhood as well as obtaining slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he succeeds on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might perhaps experience his most significant difficulty however in a title unification match against Espinoza to crown the most effective fighter in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will certainly KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' revival has been actually simply a year after being dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, recent type suggests his first IBF heavyweight title defense will definitely end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in best form, extra thus than some other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually needed to rebuild his career, after enduring back-to-back decision reductions to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua fought cautiously, with a consensual selection sway Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final 3 matches, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting heavyweight champion after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF belt, which implied Dubois was actually updated to complete champ, therefore offers Joshua along with the possibility to become a three-time planet champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will attempt to exploit what Hrgovic had actually repeated results along with against Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early spheres, and also Joshua has shown in latest matches how detrimental his right hands seek he damaged Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the former UFC heavyweight champ's jaw to take him out cold. Joshua will definitely take possession of the possibility if Dubois makes themself in a similar way accessible, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois showed durability to take in type June, he has actually been stopped twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk last year) and was actually floored 3 times in the preliminary by Kevin Lerena just before recouping to succeed in Round 3. Yet it is actually no stroll in the park for Joshua, who also needs to have to value Dubois' power. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's skin as well as can potentially pull off a shock deduction versus Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, who ruled as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that coming from 2019 to 2021, is more likely to succeed this battle by KO.-- Parkinson.