.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo in the main celebration of a Leading 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 resided in May 2019 as well as he has actually gained 14 consecutive battles because, including exceptional victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the most effective featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately declined a rewarding fight versus fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and also while he hasn't declared his retirement, will definitely we view "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his 2nd band appeal this year, yet certainly not against the competitor fans have demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly encounter Edgar Berlanga, who's certainly never fought at this level in his quick job. While Berlanga has astonishing energy-- he started his job with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can he locate a way to succeed, or at the very least go the range versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua are going to fight for a label for the first time in two years. Joshua will definitely face IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is preferred to come to be a three-time globe champ (-550 every ESPN BET). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for merely the 2nd attend almost four years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that succeeded belts at 140 and also 147 pounds, is actually moving up in weight for the odds to end up being a three-division champion, but may he upset a much older but still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Chip Parkinson address these questions as well as even more, attempting to differentiate what's actual as well as what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly resign without an additional fightNot true ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is contemplating retired life, resources told ESPN, portion of the cause he decreased a beneficial battle with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually likewise a probability that Lomachenko will come back in the 1st half of 2025 to shield his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a dealing with mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson must be actually split at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was seen saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go best now.If that's any kind of sign, Lomachenko is going to deal with once again. Perhaps even versus Davis or Stevenson, the two most significant matches on the table for him. However if he never ever shoelaces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's legacy is actually gotten. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and also a backbone of the pound-for-pound list over the last 10 years.He likewise doesn't need to have to overcome for the money. He's made numerous bucks in his job and also still stays in Ukraine, where he is just one of the nation's very most well-known professional athletes. Regardless if he deals with again, he undoubtedly will not accomplish this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and ends up being a champ in a 3rd divisionNot actual. Garcia has upset the possibilities prior to, featuring a stunning KO get Amir Khan and a prevalent decision success over Lucas Matthysse. The first gain lifted him to the top tier of the sporting activity as well as the second bound that status.But the Matthysse match was actually 11 years ago, though, as well as those 2 signature Garcia success went to 140 pounds (he additionally succeeded a title at 147 extra pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 get Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still hunting for a gain that matches that, as well as a distressed triumph over Lara would fit the bill.Garcia didn't resemble the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and he hasn't completed given that. Currently, he'll move up yet another body weight class (though the Lara match is actually happening at a catchweight between 155 and 160 extra pounds) and need to emulate band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight label battle versus Lara will definitely 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 electrical power, albeit against fighters below Garcia's level. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, safeguards his undeniable very middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading star, hasn't scored a KO triumph due to the fact that he smoothed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 battle to gain the recognized super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a knockdown in his last three battles. Versus a boxer in Berlanga, that will definitely be actually combating on the best level for the first time, Alvarez must include the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been harmed in the ring previously, such as in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, who lost him in Cycle 9. And also his defense isn't precisely sound. Berlanga possesses electrical power (he began his job with 16 successive KO gains in the first round), and if he picks to exchange with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a pair of press conference recently to market the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Nothing else light champ can beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a true danger to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June and beating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority selection to gain the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in 3 of the 4 shots, while his breakout win along with Ramirez was among the greatest fights in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest planet lightweight champ in record-- would be actually a problem for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to rise coming from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Sphere 1, before he was quickly overwhelmed. As a qualified, Chirinho had actually never been actually torn down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last three rounds. Although he is not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the volume of strikes he has actually included his last two battles, together with his elevation as well as get to advantages, can confirm overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared implausible in recent fights, while our company still require to view a lot more coming from Scar Sphere before our team proclaim him the division's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight title along with a split choice sway Raymond Ford in June. That triumph complied with a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. Yet Espinoza would certainly overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was frustrating versus Sphere as well as has not gained in nearly two years, so it is actually difficult to provide a disagreement for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a third defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually gotten rid of significant difficulties in title fights, like boxing in a champion's neighborhood and also receiving slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he succeeds on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he might perhaps experience his greatest problem but in a title marriage fight versus Espinoza to dental crown the best competitor in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' resurgence has actually been actually simply a year after being actually stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, latest type advises his first IBF heavyweight headline self defense will end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in leading kind, more therefore than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has needed to rebuild his career, after going through back-to-back selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua battled cautiously, with a consensual selection draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final 3 matches, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim heavyweight champion after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF waistband, which meant Dubois was improved to full champ, therefore provides Joshua with the opportunity to come to be a three-time world champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will definitely make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had duplicated success with against Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right hands on Dubois in the early rounds, and Joshua has received recent matches exactly how damaging his right hands are after he destroyed Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC heavyweight champ's jaw to knock him out cold. Joshua will definitely confiscate the possibility if Dubois makes himself similarly available, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a larger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois presented resilience to soak up type June, he has actually been stopped two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2014) and also was actually floored three times in the first round through Kevin Lerena before recovering to succeed in Round 3. However it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, that likewise needs to have to recognize Dubois' energy. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's face and can possibly manage a surprise deduction against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, who concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards from 2019 to 2021, is more likely to succeed this match by KO.-- Parkinson.