.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo in the main occasion of a Leading Ranking on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last loss resided in May 2019 and also he has won 14 successive fights because, featuring exceptional victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently denied a rewarding battle against fellow lightweight champ Gervonta "Tank" Davis and while he have not introduced his retirement, are going to we observe "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his 2nd ring look this year, but certainly not versus the fighter supporters have actually demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely experience Edgar Berlanga, that is actually never ever dealt with at this degree in his quick occupation. While Berlanga possesses fabulous energy-- he began his career along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he find a means to win, or at the very least go the range versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will definitely defend a headline for the first time in two years. Joshua will experience IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually preferred to end up being a three-time world champion (-550 every ESPN BET). And also two-division champion Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for merely the 2nd attend almost four years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who won belts at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is moving up in body weight for the possibility to become a three-division champion, however can easily he upset a much older however still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Chip Parkinson address these questions and even more, making an effort to distinguish what's true as well as what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to retire without one more fightNot true ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually considering retirement life, sources told ESPN, portion of the cause he dropped a profitable match with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually additionally a probability that Lomachenko are going to come back in the first half of 2025 to shield his IBF light-weight 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 actually separated at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was actually viewed informing Stevenson, "Allow's go best now.If that is actually any type of indication, Lomachenko is going to battle again. Perhaps even against Davis or Stevenson, both greatest battles on the table for him. However if he certainly never shoelaces up the handwear covers once more, Lomachenko's legacy is actually safeguarded. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a backbone of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He likewise doesn't need to have to fight for the cash. He's earned numerous bucks in his career and still dwells in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's very most popular athletes. Whether he fights again, he surely won't accomplish this much longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara as well as comes to be a champ in a third divisionNot genuine. Garcia has actually outplayed the probabilities before, consisting of a shocking KO sway Amir Khan and also a dominant selection success over Lucas Matthysse. The very first win elevated him to the upper tier of the sporting activity and also the second sealed that status.But the Matthysse battle was actually 11 years ago, though, and those two trademark Garcia triumphes went to 140 pounds (he additionally gained a headline at 147 pounds and went up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still searching for a gain that matches that, and also an upset triumph over Lara would suit the bill.Garcia failed to appear like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and he hasn't completed due to the fact that. Currently, he'll go up one more weight class (though the Lara match is taking place at a catchweight between 155 and also 160 pounds) and also need to emulate band lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight title match against Lara will certainly be actually Garcia's second since December 2020, when he was actually transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The decide on here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, presents significant energy, albeit versus competitors beneath Garcia's degree. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's battle versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, safeguards his undisputed extremely middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's best superstar, hasn't scored a KO victory because he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 battle to gain the undisputed tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a knockdown in his final three fights. Against a fighter in Berlanga, who will certainly be actually fighting on the leading amount for the first time, Alvarez should add the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually hurt in the ring previously, particularly in a step-up match versus Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Cycle 9. And also his self defense isn't exactly sound. Berlanga possesses power (he started his profession with 16 consecutive KO gains in the first round), and also if he chooses to exchange with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez assured as much at a set of news conferences recently to ensure the fight.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Nothing else featherweight champion can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a real risk to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority decision to succeed the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in 3 of the 4 rounds, while his breakout succeed with Ramirez was one of the most effective matches in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world lightweight champ in past history-- will be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to get up from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, prior to he was quickly subdued. As a specialist, Chirinho had never been actually brought down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the last three rounds. Although he is actually certainly not as experienced as Lopez, the quantity of blows he has actually included his final 2 matches, in addition to his height and also reach advantages, could show overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked implausible in recent fights, while our team still require to observe much more from Chip Sphere before our company declare him the department's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight title along with a split selection sway Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment adhered to a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. However Espinoza will overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfactory versus Ball and has actually certainly not gained in nearly two years, so it is actually tough to show a debate for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in eight spheres in a 3rd defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually beat large difficulties in label fights, like punching in a champion's neighborhood as well as getting slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he gains on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he might possibly experience his largest challenge yet in a headline marriage match versus Espinoza to dental crown the best fighter in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' resurgence has actually been actually just a year after being stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, recent kind recommends his initial IBF heavyweight label defense will end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in top form, more therefore than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually must reconstruct his job, after enduring back-to-back choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua combated meticulously, with an unanimous choice sway Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last 3 battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim heavyweight champ after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF waistband, which implied Dubois was actually upgraded to complete champion, and so shows Joshua along with the option to become a three-time world champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua are going to attempt to exploit what Hrgovic had redoed effectiveness along with against Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early arounds, and also Joshua has actually shown in recent fights how detrimental his right hands want he damaged Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC big-time champion's jaw to take him out chilly. Joshua will take the option if Dubois produces himself likewise on call, as he performed against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a greater puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois presented resilience to soak up punches in June, he has been quit twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk last year) as well as was actually defeated 3 attend the preliminary through Kevin Lerena before recuperating to win in Round 3. But it is no stroll in the playground for Joshua, that likewise needs to have to appreciate Dubois' electrical power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's face and may potentially pull off a surprise blockage versus Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, that concluded as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is more likely to win this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.