.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo in the main occasion of a Leading Position on ESPN 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 succeeded 14 successive fights given that, featuring excellent triumphes over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently rejected a beneficial battle versus fellow light-weight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis as well as while he have not declared his retirement life, will our experts observe "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez are going to make his 2nd ring appeal this year, however not against the fighter supporters have clamored for. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely deal with Edgar Berlanga, who is actually never dealt with at this amount in his brief career. While Berlanga possesses fabulous electrical power-- he began his profession along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- may he discover a way to succeed, or even a minimum of go the distance versus Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will fight for a title for the first time in pair of years. Joshua is going to encounter IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually favored to come to be a three-time planet champ (-550 per ESPN BET). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the ring for merely the 2nd time in almost four years to handle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who won waistbands at 140 and also 147 pounds, is actually going up in weight for the possibility to become a three-division champ, but may he disturb a more mature however still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Chip Parkinson respond to these questions and more, making an effort to distinguish what's real and also what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko are going to resign without an additional fightNot true ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is actually reflecting upon retired life, resources said to ESPN, aspect of the main reason he dropped a highly profitable battle with Gervonta Davis in November. There's also a probability that Lomachenko will return in the very first half of 2025 to guard his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a battling state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson needed to be separated at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually seen saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go ideal now.If that is actually any kind of indicator, Lomachenko will battle again. Perhaps even against Davis or even Stevenson, both greatest battles on the table for him. However if he never ever shoelaces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's legacy is actually secured. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and also a mainstay of the pound-for-pound list over the final 10 years.He additionally doesn't need to have to combat for the money. He's earned millions of bucks in his job and also still dwells in Ukraine, where he is just one of the nation's very most preferred athletes. Regardless if he deals with once again, he surely won't do this much longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and becomes a champion in a third divisionNot real. Garcia has actually upset the odds prior to, consisting of an astonishing KO draw Amir Khan and also a dominant decision triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The first gain lifted him to the higher tier of the sport as well as the latter sealed that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years ago, though, as well as those two trademark Garcia wins went to 140 extra pounds (he additionally won a headline at 147 extra pounds and also went up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still hunting for a gain that matches that, and also a dismayed victory over Lara will fit the bill.Garcia failed to look like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and he hasn't contended due to the fact that. Now, he'll go up yet another body weight course (though the Lara battle is happening at a catchweight between 155 and also 160 extra pounds) and also need to contend with band inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline match against Lara will certainly be Garcia's second since December 2020, when he was actually routed through Errol Spence Jr.The choose listed here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, reveals enormous electrical power, albeit versus competitors beneath Garcia's degree. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, protects his undeniable very middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading celebrity, hasn't racked up a KO success since he smoothed Caleb Plant in a November 2021 battle to gain the undeniable extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a presentation in his last 3 matches. Versus a fighter in Berlanga, that are going to be battling on the top degree for the very first time, Alvarez should add the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been injured in the ring before, such as in a step-up battle versus Marcelo Coceres, who fell him in Cycle 9. And his defense isn't specifically seem. Berlanga has energy (he began his job with 16 successive KO wins in the preliminary), as well as if he selects to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez vowed as a lot at a set of press conference this week to market the fight.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Nothing else light champ may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a true danger to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round gain in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk choice to succeed the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in 3 of the 4 rounds, while his breakout succeed with Ramirez was one of the most effective matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest globe light champion in past history-- would certainly be actually a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to get out of bed coming from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, just before he was quickly overwhelmed. As a professional, Chirinho had actually never been actually brought down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last 3 spheres. Although he is not as skilled as Lopez, the volume of strikes he has thrown in his final two matches, in addition to his elevation and arrive at advantages, can verify overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared unconvincing in current battles, while our team still require to find a lot more coming from Scar Ball before we proclaim him the branch's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight headline with a split decision gain Raymond Ford in June. That conquest observed a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. However Espinoza will overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually frustrating versus Round and has not succeeded in nearly 2 years, so it is actually tough to provide an argument for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in eight rounds in a third self defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has eliminated big challenges in label matches, like boxing in a champ's neighborhood and also obtaining cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he wins on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may possibly encounter his most significant problem but in a label unification match against Espinoza to crown the most ideal boxer in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' revival has actually been actually just a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, latest kind proposes his initial IBF abundant label self defense are going to finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in leading kind, more therefore than any other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has must rebuild his profession, after enduring next choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua battled carefully, with a consensual choice get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final three matches, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting big-time champion after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk at that point gave up the IBF waistband, which indicated Dubois was actually updated to total champion, and so offers Joshua along with the option to end up being a three-time planet champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua are going to try to exploit what Hrgovic had actually repeated success with versus Dubois. Hrgovic frequently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early spheres, and Joshua has actually displayed in current battles how damaging his right-hand men seek he ruined Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the past UFC big-time champ's chin to knock him out cool. Joshua will definitely take the chance if Dubois makes themself similarly readily available, as he carried out versus Hrgovic. Joshua is a larger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois revealed sturdiness to take in type June, he has been quit two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk last year) and also was floored 3 attend the preliminary by Kevin Lerena before bouncing back to win in Cycle 3. But it is no stroll in the playground for Joshua, who also needs to have to respect Dubois' power. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's skin and also may possibly pull off a surprise stoppage against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. However Joshua, that concluded as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is more probable to win this match by KO.-- Parkinson.