.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo generally event of a Leading Ranking on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final reduction resided in May 2019 and also he has won 14 successive matches given that, including exceptional triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently denied a lucrative match versus fellow light-weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and while he hasn't declared his retirement, will certainly our company see "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely make his second ring appearance this year, yet certainly not versus the competitor fans have demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will deal with Edgar Berlanga, who's certainly never dealt with at this level in his short career. While Berlanga has amazing energy-- he started his profession with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he locate a technique to gain, or even at least go the distance against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will fight for a title for the first time in two years. Joshua is going to experience IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually preferred to come to be a three-time world champ (-550 every ESPN BET). And two-division champion Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for only the second time in almost four years to tackle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who gained waistbands at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is moving up in weight for the opportunity to come to be a three-division champ, however can he distress an older but still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Scar Parkinson respond to these inquiries as well as more, making an effort to identify what's true and also what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to resign without an additional fightNot true ... for now. Lomachenko is reflecting upon retirement, sources informed ESPN, part of the main reason he dropped a beneficial battle with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually likewise an opportunity that Lomachenko are going to return in the very first fifty percent of 2025 to defend his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a dealing with state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson needed to be divided at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was actually viewed informing Stevenson, "Permit's go correct now.If that is actually any sign, Lomachenko will combat once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or Stevenson, the 2 biggest fights on the desk for him. However if he never laces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's heritage is actually gotten. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer as well as a mainstay 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 gotten millions of dollars in his career as well as still resides in Ukraine, where he's one of the nation's most well-known athletes. Regardless if he combats once more, he absolutely won't accomplish this a lot longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and comes to be a champion in a 3rd divisionNot real. Garcia has upset the probabilities just before, featuring an astonishing KO gain Amir Khan as well as a dominant selection success over Lucas Matthysse. The first gain raised him to the higher tier of the sporting activity and also the last cemented that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years earlier, though, and also those pair of signature Garcia victories were at 140 pounds (he additionally gained a headline at 147 pounds as well as went up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still hunting for a win that matches that, and a distressed victory over Lara will fit the bill.Garcia really did not be similar to the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and also he have not completed due to the fact that. Now, he'll move up yet another weight class (though the Lara match is actually taking place at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 extra pounds) as well as need to contend with ring sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight title fight versus Lara are going to be Garcia's 2nd given that December 2020, when he was actually directed through Errol Spence Jr.The pick below is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, shows significant energy, albeit against fighters beneath Garcia's degree. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, protects his uncontested very middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading superstar, have not racked up a KO victory due to the fact that he squashed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 fight to win the undeniable incredibly middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a presentation in his final 3 fights. Versus a fighter in Berlanga, who will definitely be combating on the top level for the very first time, Alvarez should include the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually injured in the band in the past, particularly in a step-up battle versus Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Round 9. As well as his protection isn't specifically appear. Berlanga possesses power (he started his profession along with 16 consecutive KO wins in the first round), and also if he chooses to exchange with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez vowed as much at a pair of press conference recently to promote the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: No other light champ may hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a real threat to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and also defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number selection to win the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the 4 shots, while his escapement gain with Ramirez was one of the best matches in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world lightweight champion in past-- would certainly be actually a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho did well to get up coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, prior to he was actually quickly overpowered. As a specialist, Chirinho had actually certainly never been brought down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the last three rounds. Although he is certainly not as professional as Lopez, the amount of punches he has actually included his last two battles, alongside his elevation and also reach perks, might prove unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared implausible in current fights, while our experts still require to find even more coming from Chip Ball before our company announce him the branch's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight headline with a split decision get Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment complied with a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. However Espinoza would certainly stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was frustrating versus Ball and has actually not won in nearly pair of years, so it is tough to present a debate for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 arounds in a 3rd self defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has eliminated huge difficulties in headline matches, like boxing in a champ's neighborhood and also receiving slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he gains on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he may possibly encounter his biggest difficulty but in a title marriage fight versus Espinoza to dental crown the best fighter in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' rebirth has been actually simply a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, current kind suggests his very first IBF abundant label defense are going to finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in top kind, more so than some other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has had to restore his profession, after experiencing back-to-back decision losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua fought very carefully, with a consensual choice sway Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final three fights, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting big-time champion after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk after that relinquished the IBF waistband, which suggested Dubois was upgraded to full champ, consequently presents Joshua with the option to end up being a three-time planet champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will certainly try to exploit what Hrgovic had actually redoed excellence with versus Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early arounds, as well as Joshua has actually shown in recent matches how destructive his right hands desire he ruined Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the past UFC big-time champion's face to take him out chilly. Joshua will definitely seize the option if Dubois creates himself likewise readily available, as he did versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois presented toughness to soak up punches in June, he has actually been actually quit twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2014) and was actually knocked down three attend the preliminary through Kevin Lerena just before recovering to gain in Cycle 3. Yet it is actually no stroll in the playground for Joshua, who also requires to value Dubois' electrical power. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's face as well as can likely pull off a surprise discontinuance against Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. Yet Joshua, that ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is actually more likely to win this match by KO.-- Parkinson.