.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo in the main activity of a Best Position on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final loss resided in May 2019 and also he has succeeded 14 consecutive fights because, consisting of impressive victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently denied a profitable battle versus fellow lightweight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and while he have not declared his retirement life, will our company find "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will definitely make his second band appearance this year, but certainly not versus the competitor enthusiasts have clamored for. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo is going to experience Edgar Berlanga, who is actually never dealt with at this degree in his brief career. While Berlanga possesses fabulous energy-- he began his occupation along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he find a technique to win, or even at least go the range against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua are going to defend a headline for the very first time in 2 years. Joshua will definitely deal with IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually preferred to come to be a three-time planet champ (-550 every ESPN WAGER). And two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the band for simply the second attend almost four years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that won belts at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is going up in body weight for the opportunity to come to be a three-division champion, however may he disturb an older however still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson address these questions and also even more, attempting to differentiate what's actual and what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely retire without another fightNot actual ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is reflecting upon retirement, sources told ESPN, component of the reason he dropped a lucrative match along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually likewise a possibility that Lomachenko will certainly return in the first half of 2025 to protect his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a combating state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson needed to be actually separated at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually observed telling Stevenson, "Let's go correct now.If that is actually any kind of indication, Lomachenko will battle again. Perhaps even against Davis or Stevenson, the two most significant battles on the table for him. However if he never shoelaces up the handwear covers again, Lomachenko's tradition is actually secured. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and also a backbone of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He also does not need to combat for the money. He is actually made millions of bucks in his job as well as still lives in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's most popular professional athletes. Regardless if he combats again, he definitely won't accomplish this much longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara as well as ends up being a champion in a third divisionNot genuine. Garcia has upset the possibilities before, featuring a surprising KO win over Amir Khan and a dominant choice triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The very first win elevated him to the higher echelon of the sporting activity as well as the latter glued that status.But the Matthysse fight was actually 11 years ago, however, as well as those 2 trademark Garcia victories were at 140 extra pounds (he also won a headline at 147 extra pounds and also moved up to 154 for a July 2022 get Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still searching for a gain that matches that, as well as an upset triumph over Lara will fit the bill.Garcia didn't appear like the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and he hasn't completed given that. Currently, he'll go up another body weight training class (though the Lara fight is actually occurring at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 pounds) and also need to emulate ring sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight label match against Lara are going to be Garcia's 2nd due to the fact that December 2020, when he was actually routed by Errol Spence Jr.The pick listed here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, presents tremendous power, albeit versus competitors below Garcia's degree. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, protects his indisputable super middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's top celebrity, have not scored a KO triumph considering that he smoothed Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 fight to succeed the undisputed incredibly middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a knockdown in his last 3 matches. Versus a competitor in Berlanga, who will definitely be fighting on the leading degree for the first time, Alvarez ought to add the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually hurt in the band before, particularly in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, that fell him in Cycle 9. And his protection isn't exactly sound. Berlanga has power (he started his occupation with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the preliminary), and also if he chooses to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as a lot at a pair of news conferences recently to market the fight.-- Coppinger Real or not: No other featherweight champion can easily hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks an actual danger to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June and also defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk decision to gain the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the four rounds, while his escapement gain with Ramirez was among the most ideal matches in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest globe featherweight champ in past history-- will be a problem for Lopez. Chirinho did well to get out of bed coming from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, before he was soon subdued. As a specialist, Chirinho had actually never ever been torn down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and he outlanded him in the final three spheres. Although he is actually certainly not as knowledgeable as Lopez, the quantity of punches he has actually thrown in his final two matches, alongside his elevation as well as reach perks, might prove insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared implausible in current battles, while our company still require to observe a lot more from Scar Round before we proclaim him the division's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight title with a split choice sway Raymond Ford in June. That conquest followed a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. However Espinoza would stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfying versus Ball and has actually not won in almost two years, so it is hard to offer an argument for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in eight spheres in a 3rd self defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually beat major challenges in title matches, like boxing in a champ's home town and getting slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he wins on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might maybe face his most significant difficulty however in a title unification fight versus Espinoza to dental crown the very best competitor in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' rebirth has actually been actually simply a year after being actually visited Oleksandr Usyk, recent form recommends his initial IBF heavyweight headline protection will certainly finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in leading type, much more therefore than any other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually must restore his profession, after suffering next decision losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua fought meticulously, along with a consentaneous choice gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last three matches, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting heavyweight champion after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk at that point gave up the IBF belt, which suggested Dubois was upgraded to total champion, therefore offers Joshua with the chance to end up being a three-time world champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will attempt to exploit what Hrgovic had duplicated success with against Dubois. Hrgovic constantly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early rounds, and Joshua has shown in latest fights just how detrimental his right-hand men are after he ruined Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the past UFC heavyweight champion's chin to knock him out cold. Joshua will take the option if Dubois makes themself in a similar way accessible, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a greater puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois presented toughness to soak up type June, he has been actually ceased two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2014) as well as was actually knocked down 3 attend the preliminary through Kevin Lerena prior to recuperating to succeed in Cycle 3. However it is no stroll in the playground for Joshua, who also needs to have to respect Dubois' energy. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's skin and can likely carry out a surprise stop against Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, that concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually more probable to succeed this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.