.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo in the main activity of a Best Position on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction was in May 2019 and also he has actually won 14 consecutive matches given that, consisting of outstanding victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently turned down a beneficial battle against fellow lightweight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and also while he have not revealed his retired life, will definitely our team observe "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez are going to make his 2nd band appearance this year, but not against the boxer fans have actually demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will face Edgar Berlanga, who's never dealt with at this amount in his quick job. While Berlanga possesses unbelievable energy-- he began his job along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can he discover a way to succeed, or even at least go the span versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will definitely defend a title for the first time in pair of years. Joshua will certainly experience IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is favored to become a three-time world champion (-550 every ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the band for only the second time in just about four years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who gained waistbands at 140 and also 147 extra pounds, is actually moving up in body weight for the opportunity to end up being a three-division champion, but may he distress a more mature but still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Nick Parkinson address these concerns and also additional, trying to identify what's genuine and what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly retire without yet another fightNot real ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is considering retired life, sources said to ESPN, portion of the cause he declined a beneficial match with Gervonta Davis in November. There's also a possibility that Lomachenko are going to come back in the 1st one-half of 2025 to protect his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a combating mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson had to be separated at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was observed saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go correct now.If that's any sort of indicator, Lomachenko will definitely battle once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, both biggest matches on the table for him. But if he never shoelaces up the handwear covers once more, Lomachenko's heritage is actually gotten. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well as an essential of the pound-for-pound checklist over the final 10 years.He likewise does not require to overcome for the cash. He is actually made numerous dollars in his job and still lives in Ukraine, where he is just one of the nation's most prominent sportsmens. Whether or not he battles once again, he certainly will not do so a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and also ends up being a champ in a 3rd divisionNot true. Garcia has actually upset the possibilities just before, featuring an astonishing KO draw Amir Khan and a prevalent decision success over Lucas Matthysse. The very first win lifted him to the higher tier of the sporting activity as well as the latter cemented that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years ago, though, and those 2 trademark Garcia success went to 140 pounds (he additionally won a label at 147 pounds and went up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still searching for a gain that matches that, and an upset success over Lara will fit the bill.Garcia really did not resemble the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, as well as he hasn't completed because. Currently, he'll move up one more body weight class (though the Lara fight is happening at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 pounds) and must contend with band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline fight against Lara are going to be Garcia's 2nd due to the fact that December 2020, when he was routed through Errol Spence Jr.The select listed below is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, presents enormous electrical power, albeit versus boxers beneath Garcia's degree. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's match versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, defends his uncontested super middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best celebrity, have not scored a KO success due to the fact that he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 match to win the undisputed super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a presentation in his final 3 fights. Against a boxer in Berlanga, who will definitely be actually dealing with on the leading degree for the very first time, Alvarez must include 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, that fell him in Cycle 9. And also his self defense isn't precisely appear. Berlanga has power (he started his career with 16 successive KO gains in the first round), as well as if he chooses to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez assured as much at a set of press conference today to advertise the fight.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other lightweight champ may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a real threat to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority decision to win the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the 4 shots, while his breakout gain along with Ramirez was among the best matches in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet light champion in history-- will be actually a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho did well to get out of bed coming from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, just before he was actually quickly overthrown. As a specialist, Chirinho had actually never been actually knocked down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last 3 arounds. Although he is actually certainly not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the quantity of hits he has actually thrown in his final 2 battles, along with his elevation as well as reach conveniences, could prove unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared implausible in latest matches, while our experts still need to view much more from Nick Sphere just before we proclaim him the branch's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight title along with a split choice draw Raymond Ford in June. That triumph complied with a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. However Espinoza will overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually frustrating versus Sphere and has actually certainly not succeeded in virtually pair of years, so it is actually difficult to show an argument for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the present 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 eliminated huge problems in title fights, like boxing in a champ's home town and also getting slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he gains on Saturday versus Angelo Leo, he may perhaps experience his greatest obstacle but in a title unification battle against Espinoza to crown the most ideal fighter in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' revival has been actually simply a year after being stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, current kind advises his very first IBF abundant title self defense will definitely finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in leading type, much more therefore than any other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually must restore his profession, after going through back-to-back decision losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua combated very carefully, along with an unanimous decision draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his final three battles, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim big-time champ after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk then gave up the IBF waistband, which meant Dubois was actually updated to full champion, consequently shows Joshua along with the opportunity to become a three-time world champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua are going to make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had actually duplicated effectiveness with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continuously landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early spheres, and Joshua has actually received current matches just how harmful his right hands want he destroyed Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC heavyweight champion's jaw to knock him out chilly. Joshua will definitely seize the opportunity if Dubois makes himself similarly readily available, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a greater puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois showed longevity to take in type June, he has actually been ceased twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2015) as well as was knocked down three attend the preliminary by Kevin Lerena before recovering to gain in Cycle 3. But it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, who likewise needs to have to recognize Dubois' energy. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's face as well as may potentially manage a shock discontinuance versus Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. However Joshua, who ruled as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is actually more probable to succeed this fight by KO.-- Parkinson.