.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo in the main celebration of a Leading 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 as well as he has actually won 14 consecutive battles due to the fact that, consisting of impressive triumphes over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently denied a profitable battle against fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Container" Davis and also while he have not declared his retirement life, will our experts find "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez are going to make his second ring appearance this year, yet certainly not versus the competitor followers have actually clamored for. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly experience Edgar Berlanga, who is actually certainly never battled at this amount in his short job. While Berlanga has extraordinary energy-- he started his occupation along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can he locate a means to succeed, or at the very least go the distance versus Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will certainly fight for a title for the very first time in pair of years. Joshua is going to face IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is favored to come to be a three-time world champ (-550 every ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for only the 2nd time in just about four years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who won belts at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is actually moving up in body weight for the possibility to end up being a three-division champ, however can he upset a more mature but still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson respond to these concerns and also even more, attempting to distinguish what's actual and what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will retire without one more fightNot genuine ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually contemplating retired life, resources informed ESPN, portion of the main reason he decreased a lucrative match along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's likewise a possibility that Lomachenko will certainly come back in the initial half of 2025 to protect his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a fighting state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson had to be divided at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was found saying to Stevenson, "Allow's go right now.If that is actually any indicator, Lomachenko will definitely battle once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or Stevenson, the two biggest fights on the table for him. However if he certainly never laces up the handwear covers once more, Lomachenko's tradition is safeguarded. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer as well as a backbone of the pound-for-pound checklist over the final 10 years.He likewise doesn't require to fight for the money. He is actually gained countless dollars in his profession and still resides in Ukraine, where he's one of the nation's very most preferred athletes. Regardless if he fights once more, he undoubtedly will not accomplish this a lot longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also ends up being a champion in a 3rd divisionNot genuine. Garcia has actually outplayed the probabilities just before, including an astonishing KO get Amir Khan and a leading decision triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The very first win raised him to the higher tier of the sporting activity as well as the latter sealed that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years back, however, and those 2 trademark Garcia success were at 140 extra pounds (he additionally gained a title at 147 extra pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 gain Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still searching for a gain that matches that, as well as a distressed victory over Lara would suit the bill.Garcia didn't look like the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and he have not contended due to the fact that. Now, he'll go up an additional body weight lesson (though the Lara fight is actually happening at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and have to contend with ring stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight label fight against Lara will certainly be Garcia's 2nd given that December 2020, when he was routed by Errol Spence Jr.The decide on listed here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, shows tremendous power, albeit versus boxers below Garcia's degree. Lara is riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, shields his unquestioned tremendously middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading star, have not scored a KO victory because he flattened Caleb Plant in a November 2021 battle to succeed the undisputed tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a knockdown in his final three battles. Versus a boxer in Berlanga, that are going to be actually dealing with on the top amount for the very first time, Alvarez must incorporate the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually injured in the band before, such as in a step-up match versus Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Round 9. As well as his self defense isn't precisely appear. Berlanga has electrical power (he began his career with 16 consecutive KO wins in the first round), as well as if he selects to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez vowed as much at a set of press conference this week to promote the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other light champ can easily beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a real danger to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and beating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority selection to succeed the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the 4 shots, while his breakout succeed along with Ramirez was just one of the most ideal matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest globe light champion in past history-- would certainly be actually an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to rise coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, before he was very soon overwhelmed. As an expert, Chirinho had actually never ever been actually brought down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last 3 spheres. Although he is certainly not as experienced as Lopez, the volume of blows he has thrown in his last pair of fights, together with his elevation and get to advantages, could possibly verify insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared implausible in current battles, while we still require to observe much more coming from Scar Sphere before our company announce him the branch's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight label along with a split decision draw Raymond Ford in June. That victory followed a controversial 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 actually certainly not gained in almost 2 years, so it is actually tough to offer a disagreement for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 rounds in a 3rd self defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has eliminated large obstacles in headline fights, like boxing in a champ's hometown and obtaining slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he succeeds on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he may probably experience his most significant problem however in a title unification match versus Espinoza to crown the greatest competitor in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will certainly KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' revival has been only a year after being actually visited Oleksandr Usyk, recent form recommends his very first IBF abundant headline protection will certainly end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in best kind, even more therefore than any other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually needed to fix his occupation, after enduring back-to-back choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua battled very carefully, along with an unanimous decision win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last 3 fights, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting heavyweight champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF waistband, which meant Dubois was actually improved to total champion, and so provides Joshua along with the possibility to come to be a three-time planet champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will definitely attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually repeated excellence with against Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right hands on Dubois in the very early arounds, and Joshua has received latest fights just how detrimental his right-hand men are after he ruined Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC big-time champ's chin to knock him out cold. Joshua will certainly take possession of the possibility if Dubois makes himself in a similar way readily available, as he carried out versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a greater puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois revealed longevity to take in type June, he has been actually stopped twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2013) as well as was defeated three times in the first round by Kevin Lerena before bouncing back to succeed in Round 3. However it is actually no stroll in the park for Joshua, that likewise needs to recognize Dubois' energy. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's face and may likely pull off a shock interruption against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. However Joshua, that concluded as champ from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is most likely to gain this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.