.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo generally celebration 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 final loss was in May 2019 and he has won 14 consecutive battles considering that, featuring remarkable success over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently turned down a beneficial fight against fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and while he hasn't announced his retired life, are going to we find "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly create his second band appeal this year, however certainly not against the competitor supporters have demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will encounter Edgar Berlanga, who's never fought at this level in his quick occupation. While Berlanga has unbelievable energy-- he started his job along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can easily he find a technique to win, or even at least go the proximity against Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will certainly defend a title for the very first time in 2 years. Joshua will definitely face IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is chosen to come to be a three-time globe champ (-550 every ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for simply the second attend nearly 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who won waistbands at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is moving up in weight for the possibility to end up being a three-division champ, but may he upset a much older however still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Nick Parkinson respond to these inquiries as well as even more, trying to identify what's actual as well as what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely retire without one more fightNot true ... for now. Lomachenko is reflecting upon retirement life, sources said to ESPN, component of the main reason he declined a highly profitable fight with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually additionally an opportunity that Lomachenko will definitely return in the initial fifty percent of 2025 to protect his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a combating mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson needed to be divided at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was found informing Stevenson, "Allow's go appropriate now.If that's any kind of indicator, Lomachenko will definitely battle again. Maybe even against Davis or even Stevenson, the two greatest battles on the table for him. Yet if he never ever shoelaces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's tradition is protected. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and also a pillar of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He also does not need to overcome for the money. He's gotten millions of bucks in his occupation as well as still stays in Ukraine, where he's one of the country's most popular sportsmens. Regardless if he battles once again, he undoubtedly will not do so much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also becomes a champion in a 3rd divisionNot true. Garcia has actually outplayed the probabilities prior to, featuring a stunning KO win over Amir Khan and also a prevalent selection success over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st gain raised him to the top echelon of the sport and the second glued that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years back, however, as well as those 2 trademark Garcia triumphes went to 140 extra pounds (he additionally gained a label at 147 pounds and also moved up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still seeking a win that matches that, as well as a distressed success over Lara would certainly suit the bill.Garcia failed to look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and also he hasn't completed since. Currently, he'll move up an additional body weight course (though the Lara battle is taking place at a catchweight between 155 as well as 160 extra pounds) and also must emulate band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight title match against Lara are going to be actually Garcia's second given that December 2020, when he was actually transmitted by Errol Spence Jr.The select listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, shows significant power, albeit versus boxers under Garcia's level. 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, protects his uncontested very middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's top star, hasn't scored a KO victory given that he squashed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 match to win the undisputed tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a presentation in his last 3 matches. Against a fighter in Berlanga, that will definitely be actually fighting on the top amount for the very first time, Alvarez ought to incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been injured in the band before, particularly in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, who fell him in Round 9. As well as his self defense isn't exactly seem. Berlanga possesses energy (he began his career with 16 consecutive KO gains in the first round), and if he selects to exchange with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a set of press conference recently to market the fight.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other lightweight champion may hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a genuine threat to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number selection to gain the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in 3 of the 4 rounds, while his outbreak win along with Ramirez was one of the greatest fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world featherweight champion in past history-- would certainly be a problem for Lopez. Chirinho did well to get up from an uppercut from Espinoza in Round 1, before he was actually very soon subdued. As a qualified, Chirinho had never ever been brought down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the final 3 rounds. Although he is certainly not as skilled as Lopez, the quantity of punches he has thrown in his last two battles, together with his elevation and get to advantages, could possibly show insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared implausible in recent fights, while we still need to have to observe a lot more coming from Nick Ball before our company announce him the branch's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight label with a split selection win over Raymond Ford in June. That triumph observed a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. Yet Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually disappointing versus Sphere as well as has actually not succeeded in virtually two years, so it is challenging to provide an argument for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in eight rounds in a 3rd defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually gotten over major challenges in label battles, like punching in a champion's hometown and getting slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he wins on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he may maybe encounter his biggest difficulty however in a label unification fight against Espinoza to dental crown the most effective fighter in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' revival has actually been simply a year after being dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, latest type proposes his very first IBF heavyweight title self defense are going to end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in best kind, much more so than some other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually needed to fix his occupation, after enduring next choice losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua combated cautiously, with a consensual selection get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his last three battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim heavyweight champ after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF waistband, which meant Dubois was updated to full champ, and so offers Joshua along with the chance to end up being a three-time planet champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will definitely make an effort to manipulate what Hrgovic had duplicated results along with against Dubois. Hrgovic continually landed right hands on Dubois in the early arounds, and Joshua has shown in latest fights how harmful his right hands desire he damaged Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC heavyweight champion's chin to take him out chilly. Joshua will certainly take the possibility if Dubois produces himself in a similar way offered, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois revealed toughness to soak up punches in June, he has actually been quit twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2013) and was actually knocked down 3 times in the preliminary through Kevin Lerena prior to recovering to gain in Round 3. But it is no stroll in the park for Joshua, that additionally needs to recognize Dubois' energy. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's face and also can likely pull off a surprise interruption versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. But Joshua, who ruled as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually more probable to gain this battle by KO.-- Parkinson.