.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo in the main activity 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 also he has actually succeeded 14 successive fights due to the fact that, featuring excellent triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently declined a financially rewarding fight versus fellow light-weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis as well as while he have not declared his retired life, will our experts find "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly create his second ring look this year, yet certainly not against the competitor supporters have actually clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly experience Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never fought at this level in his quick occupation. While Berlanga has incredible electrical power-- he began his profession along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- may he find a method to succeed, or even at the very least go the distance against Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will definitely defend a headline for the very first time in pair of years. Joshua will certainly face IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is preferred to end up being a three-time globe champion (-550 every ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia comes back to the band for only the 2nd time in almost four years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that gained belts at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is actually going up in weight for the possibility to end up being a three-division champ, however can easily he distress a much older however still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Nick Parkinson respond to these inquiries and also additional, trying to distinguish what's genuine and also what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to retire without another fightNot genuine ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is pondering retirement, resources told ESPN, component of the main reason he decreased a highly profitable match with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's also an option that Lomachenko will certainly return in the first one-half of 2025 to safeguard his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a combating state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson must be divided at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually found telling Stevenson, "Permit's go appropriate now.If that is actually any indicator, Lomachenko will certainly combat again. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the two biggest fights on the table for him. Yet if he never shoelaces up the gloves once again, Lomachenko's tradition is actually gotten. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well as a mainstay of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He likewise doesn't require to eliminate for the cash. He is actually earned numerous dollars in his career and also still stays in Ukraine, where he is among the nation's very most well-known professional athletes. Whether or not he deals with once again, he undoubtedly won't do so much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as ends up being a champion in a 3rd divisionNot real. Garcia has outplayed the possibilities just before, including a stunning KO win over Amir Khan and a leading decision triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The initial win raised him to the top echelon of the sporting activity as well as the last bound that status.But the Matthysse match was actually 11 years back, though, and those two trademark Garcia success went to 140 pounds (he also won a title at 147 pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still looking for a gain that matches that, and also a distressed triumph over Lara would accommodate the bill.Garcia didn't appear like the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and he hasn't completed because. Currently, he'll go up another weight course (though the Lara battle is actually taking place at a catchweight between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and also need to contend with band inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight title battle versus Lara are going to be Garcia's 2nd due to the fact that December 2020, when he was actually routed through Errol Spence Jr.The select right here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, presents tremendous energy, albeit versus competitors under Garcia's amount. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's battle versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, defends his unquestioned extremely middleweight championship against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading star, have not scored a KO triumph since he smoothed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 battle to succeed the recognized incredibly middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a knockdown in his final 3 battles. Versus a fighter in Berlanga, that will be combating on the best degree for the first time, Alvarez ought to incorporate the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been hurt in the band before, specifically in a step-up battle versus Marcelo Coceres, who fell him in Cycle 9. As well as his protection isn't exactly sound. Berlanga possesses power (he started his profession along with 16 consecutive KO wins in the first round), and if he picks to swap with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez assured as much at a pair of news conferences today to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: No other light champ can beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a real risk to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez by a majority decision to succeed the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the 4 shots, while his outbreak succeed with Ramirez was just one of the most ideal matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world lightweight champ in record-- will be actually a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to rise coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Around 1, just before he was actually soon overpowered. As an expert, Chirinho had never been actually knocked down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last 3 spheres. Although he is not as seasoned as Lopez, the volume of strikes he has actually thrown in his last pair of matches, together with his elevation and hit conveniences, can verify unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked implausible in current fights, while our experts still require to see a lot more from Nick Sphere just before we proclaim him the department's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight title with a split selection draw Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment complied with a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. However Espinoza would certainly stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfying versus Ball and also has actually certainly not succeeded in virtually 2 years, so it is actually tough to provide an argument for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a third protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually overcome big obstacles in headline battles, like punching in a champ's home town and also acquiring cut very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he gains on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he may perhaps encounter his largest problem yet in a headline marriage fight versus Espinoza to crown the best competitor in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' rebirth has actually been merely a year after being actually stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, current form suggests his 1st IBF heavyweight headline self defense are going to end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in top kind, a lot more so than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually had to restore his profession, after experiencing next selection losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua dealt with cautiously, along with a consensual decision sway Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final three battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting big-time champion after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF belt, which suggested Dubois was updated to complete champion, consequently offers Joshua with the possibility to come to be a three-time globe champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will definitely try to manipulate what Hrgovic had redoed effectiveness along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic frequently landed right hands on Dubois in the very early spheres, as well as Joshua has actually displayed in current battles just how damaging his right hands are after he ruined Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC big-time champion's jaw to knock him out cold. Joshua will certainly take possession of the opportunity if Dubois makes themself similarly readily available, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a larger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois showed toughness to absorb type June, he has actually been stopped two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2014) and also was defeated 3 times in the preliminary through Kevin Lerena just before recouping to win in Cycle 3. However it is actually no walk in the park for Joshua, that also requires to value Dubois' energy. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's skin as well as can possibly pull off a shock discontinuance against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, that concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards from 2019 to 2021, is actually more probable to succeed this match through KO.-- Parkinson.