.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo in the main event of a Leading Rank 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 he has actually won 14 successive fights considering that, featuring remarkable triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the most effective featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently declined a rewarding match versus fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and while he hasn't introduced his retirement, will definitely our experts find "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his second ring look this year, however not against the boxer fans have demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will face Edgar Berlanga, that's never combated at this degree in his quick career. While Berlanga has unbelievable energy-- he began his occupation with 16 successive first-round KOs-- may he discover a method to win, or a minimum of go the proximity against Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will definitely defend a headline for the very first time in 2 years. Joshua will definitely encounter IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is chosen to end up being a three-time globe champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the ring for merely the 2nd attend practically 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded belts at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is going up in weight for the possibility to become a three-division champion, but may he distress a more mature however still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson address these questions and also more, attempting to differentiate what's actual and what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to retire without one more fightNot true ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is pondering retirement, resources informed ESPN, component of the factor he declined a rewarding battle with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's likewise an option that Lomachenko are going to return in the first fifty percent of 2025 to defend his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a fighting mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson needed to be actually separated at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was found saying to Stevenson, "Let's go ideal now.If that's any indication, Lomachenko will certainly combat once again. Maybe even against Davis or Stevenson, the 2 biggest battles on the desk for him. Yet if he never ever shoelaces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's heritage is secured. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well as a mainstay of the pound-for-pound checklist over the final 10 years.He likewise does not need to fight for the money. He's made numerous bucks in his job as well as still stays in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's most preferred professional athletes. Regardless if he fights again, he definitely will not do this much longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara as well as comes to be a champion in a 3rd divisionNot real. Garcia has outplayed the probabilities before, including a surprising KO win over Amir Khan and a dominant decision success over Lucas Matthysse. The very first gain raised him to the top echelon of the sport and the last glued that status.But the Matthysse match was 11 years ago, though, and also those 2 trademark Garcia wins went to 140 pounds (he likewise won a title at 147 extra pounds and went up to 154 for a July 2022 gain Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still searching for a gain that matches that, and a dismayed triumph over Lara would fit the bill.Garcia failed to look like the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and he hasn't contended given that. Right now, he'll move up yet another weight class (though the Lara fight is happening at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and have to contend with ring lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight label battle against Lara are going to be Garcia's second given that December 2020, when he was directed through Errol Spence Jr.The select here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, shows significant power, albeit versus competitors under Garcia's amount. Lara is using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, shields his recognized extremely middleweight championship against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's top celebrity, hasn't scored a KO success due to the fact that he squashed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 fight to gain the undisputed very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a presentation in his last 3 fights. Against a fighter in Berlanga, who will definitely be fighting on the best amount for the very first time, Alvarez should include the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been injured in the band before, namely in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Round 9. As well as his self defense isn't specifically seem. Berlanga possesses electrical power (he began his job along with 16 consecutive KO wins in the first round), and if he selects to swap along with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as a lot at a set of press conference this week to promote the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: No other lightweight champion can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a true hazard to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez by a bulk choice to succeed the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the four shots, while his outbreak win with Ramirez was just one of the greatest battles in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest globe light champion in past-- would certainly be actually a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to stand up coming from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, before he was quickly overwhelmed. As a specialist, Chirinho had certainly never been torn down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the last three arounds. Although he is certainly not as seasoned as Lopez, the amount of strikes he has actually included his final pair of battles, in addition to his height and also get to benefits, could possibly confirm impossible for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared unconvincing in latest fights, while our team still require to observe even more from Nick Sphere just before we declare him the branch's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight title with a split choice sway Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment observed a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. Yet Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Round and has actually not gained in almost pair of years, so it is challenging to show a disagreement for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in eight rounds in a third protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has gotten over large problems in label matches, like punching in a champ's hometown and acquiring slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he wins on Saturday versus Angelo Leo, he may perhaps face his largest challenge however in a label marriage battle against Espinoza to crown the most ideal boxer in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' revival has actually been merely a year after being visited Oleksandr Usyk, recent type proposes his first IBF heavyweight headline protection are going to end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in leading kind, more so than some other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually had to reconstruct his occupation, after suffering back-to-back choice losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua battled very carefully, along with a consensual decision get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his final 3 fights, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting heavyweight champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF belt, which meant Dubois was actually updated to complete champ, therefore provides Joshua with the chance to end up being a three-time world champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had actually duplicated excellence with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continuously landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early rounds, as well as Joshua has received current fights just how damaging his right hands desire he destroyed Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC heavyweight champion's jaw to knock him out chilly. Joshua is going to confiscate the possibility if Dubois produces himself likewise accessible, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois showed resilience to soak up type June, he has actually been actually stopped two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk last year) and also was defeated three times in the first round by Kevin Lerena just before bouncing back to win in Cycle 3. However it is actually no walk in the park for Joshua, who also requires to appreciate Dubois' electrical power. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's face and can likely carry out a shock discontinuance against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. However Joshua, who ruled as champ from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is more likely to gain this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.