.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo generally activity of a Top Position on ESPN 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 also he has won 14 consecutive battles since, including excellent victories over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the very best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently declined a lucrative battle against fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Tank" Davis and also while he have not declared his retired life, will certainly we view "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly make his 2nd ring look this year, yet not versus the boxer followers have actually demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo is going to experience Edgar Berlanga, who is actually never ever battled at this level in his quick career. While Berlanga has unbelievable power-- he began his job along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he locate a technique to gain, or even at the very least go the span against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua are going to defend a label for the first time in pair of years. Joshua will definitely experience IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually favored to end up being a three-time globe champion (-550 every ESPN BET). And also two-division champion Danny Garcia returns to the band for merely the 2nd time in practically four years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded waistbands at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is going up in weight for the chance to end up being a three-division champ, however can easily he upset an older yet still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson answer these concerns as well as additional, making an effort to identify what's actual as well as what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to retire without yet another fightNot real ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually considering retirement life, resources told ESPN, portion of the explanation he decreased a rewarding battle along with Gervonta Davis in November. There's likewise a possibility that Lomachenko will definitely come back in the first half of 2025 to shield his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a battling state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson needed to be actually divided at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually seen informing Stevenson, "Permit's go ideal now.If that is actually any type of indicator, Lomachenko will definitely combat once more. Perhaps even against Davis or even Stevenson, the two biggest matches on the table for him. Yet if he certainly never shoelaces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's tradition is protected. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a pillar of the pound-for-pound checklist over the last 10 years.He also doesn't need to have to combat for the money. He's made numerous dollars in his career as well as still dwells in Ukraine, where he's one of the nation's very most popular professional athletes. Whether he combats again, he absolutely will not accomplish this a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and also becomes a champ in a third divisionNot true. Garcia has actually upset the possibilities before, including a stunning KO gain Amir Khan as well as a dominant selection victory over Lucas Matthysse. The first win raised him to the upper echelon of the sporting activity and also the last sealed that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years earlier, however, and those 2 signature Garcia triumphes were at 140 pounds (he likewise won a headline at 147 pounds and went up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still hunting for a gain that matches that, as well as a distressed triumph over Lara will suit the bill.Garcia really did not resemble the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, as well as he have not competed because. Currently, he'll go up yet another weight lesson (though the Lara match is happening at a catchweight between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and also must contend with band inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight title match against Lara are going to be Garcia's 2nd given that December 2020, when he was transmitted by Errol Spence Jr.The choose here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, shows remarkable energy, albeit against fighters under Garcia's level. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, protects his uncontested very middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading superstar, have not scored a KO victory due to the fact that he flattened Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 battle to succeed the undisputed very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a knockdown in his final 3 battles. Against a boxer in Berlanga, that will be actually combating on the best amount for the first time, Alvarez must add the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been hurt in the band previously, namely in a step-up battle versus Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Cycle 9. And his defense isn't precisely seem. Berlanga possesses power (he began his occupation along with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the preliminary), and also if he decides on to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez promised as much at a pair of news conferences recently to promote the fight.-- Coppinger Real or not: Not one other light champion may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a real hazard to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and also beating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk decision to gain the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the four rounds, while his breakout succeed along with Ramirez was one of the very best fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world light champ in history-- will be a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to stand up from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, prior to he was soon subdued. As an expert, Chirinho had actually never ever been actually torn down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last 3 rounds. Although he is actually certainly not as experienced as Lopez, the volume of punches he has included his final 2 battles, along with his elevation and also reach conveniences, might verify overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked implausible in recent fights, while our experts still need to have to find extra from Chip Round prior to our experts declare him the branch's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight title along with a split decision draw Raymond Ford in June. That triumph adhered to a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. But Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually disappointing versus Ball and has not won in virtually two years, so it is difficult to provide an argument for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in 8 rounds in a 3rd protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has beat significant challenges in label matches, like boxing in a champ's neighborhood and receiving cut very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he wins on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might perhaps experience his biggest obstacle but in a title marriage match versus Espinoza to dental crown the most ideal fighter in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' resurgence has actually been only a year after being dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, current form suggests his 1st IBF heavyweight label protection will end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in best type, a lot more thus than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually needed to fix his profession, after experiencing back-to-back decision losses to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua fought cautiously, with an unanimous decision sway Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his last 3 fights, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim big-time champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF waistband, which implied Dubois was actually updated to complete champ, consequently offers Joshua with the chance to come to be a three-time world champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will definitely make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had actually duplicated effectiveness with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continually landed right hands on Dubois in the early arounds, and Joshua has received recent battles exactly how harmful his right hands want he destroyed Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC heavyweight champ's jaw to take him out chilly. Joshua will definitely take the possibility if Dubois creates themself similarly readily available, as he carried out versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a larger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois revealed toughness to soak up type June, he has been actually ceased two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk last year) as well as was actually floored three times in the preliminary through Kevin Lerena just before bouncing back to succeed in Round 3. However it is actually no stroll in the park for Joshua, who likewise requires to appreciate Dubois' power. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's skin and may potentially pull off a surprise halt versus Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. However Joshua, that ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and then coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually more probable to succeed this match by KO.-- Parkinson.