.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo generally occasion of a Top Position on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction resided in May 2019 and also he has actually succeeded 14 consecutive battles considering that, featuring impressive victories over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the most effective featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately denied a lucrative battle against fellow light in weight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis as well as while he have not declared his retirement, will definitely our team find "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his second band appeal this year, but certainly not versus the competitor followers have demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly encounter Edgar Berlanga, who's never ever combated at this degree in his quick career. While Berlanga has astonishing energy-- he began his career along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he discover a technique to gain, or at the very least go the span against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will certainly defend a title for the very first time in pair of years. Joshua will face IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually preferred to end up being a three-time planet champ (-550 per ESPN BET). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the band for only the 2nd time in virtually 4 years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who won belts at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is actually going up in body weight for the possibility to end up being a three-division champ, yet can he distress a more mature but still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Scar Parkinson answer these inquiries and more, making an effort to differentiate what's actual and what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will retire without an additional fightNot true ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is actually pondering retirement, sources informed ESPN, component of the cause he dropped a beneficial match with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually also a possibility that Lomachenko will certainly return in the 1st half of 2025 to defend his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a battling mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson had to be separated at ringside during the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was observed telling Stevenson, "Allow's go appropriate now.If that is actually any type of sign, Lomachenko is going to fight once more. Maybe even against Davis or Stevenson, the two greatest matches on the desk for him. Yet if he never laces up the gloves once again, Lomachenko's legacy is actually gotten. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and a mainstay of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He likewise does not need to fight for the money. He's made numerous bucks in his job as well as still dwells in Ukraine, where he is among the country's very most popular sportsmens. Whether or not he battles again, he certainly will not accomplish this a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and also becomes a champ in a 3rd divisionNot true. Garcia has upset the chances just before, featuring a shocking KO sway Amir Khan and a dominant decision triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st win lifted him to the top echelon of the sporting activity and also the last glued that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years earlier, however, and also those pair of signature Garcia victories were at 140 pounds (he likewise succeeded a title at 147 extra pounds as well as went up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still seeking a win that matches that, as well as an upset success over Lara will match the bill.Garcia really did not resemble the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and also he have not completed due to the fact that. Currently, he'll move up an additional weight lesson (though the Lara match is actually happening at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 extra pounds) as well as need to contend with band inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline match against Lara will definitely be actually Garcia's 2nd due to the fact that December 2020, when he was transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The pick below is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, shows remarkable electrical power, albeit against fighters under Garcia's degree. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, guards his unquestioned very middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading celebrity, hasn't scored a KO victory given that he squashed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 match to succeed the undeniable tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a knockdown in his last 3 battles. Against a competitor in Berlanga, who are going to be actually fighting on the leading amount for the very first time, Alvarez needs to add the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been injured in the band in the past, such as in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, who lost him in Round 9. And his protection isn't precisely sound. Berlanga has electrical power (he began his job along with 16 consecutive KO wins in the preliminary), and if he chooses to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as a lot at a pair of press conference today to ensure the fight.-- Coppinger Real or not: Nothing else lightweight champ can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears an actual danger to Lopez after agonizing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June and defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority selection to succeed the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in 3 of the four rounds, while his outbreak gain with Ramirez was just one of the very best battles in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest world featherweight champion in background-- would certainly be actually a problem for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to stand up coming from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Round 1, just before he was actually very soon overthrown. As an expert, Chirinho had actually certainly never been actually knocked down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the final 3 rounds. Although he is actually not as professional as Lopez, the amount of punches he has thrown in his last 2 matches, along with his elevation and reach perks, could possibly confirm overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked unconvincing in recent battles, while our experts still require to observe much more from Nick Sphere prior to our company announce him the branch's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) caught the WBA featherweight label along with a split choice sway Raymond Ford in June. That victory followed a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. However Espinoza will stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was disappointing versus Round as well as has not gained in almost 2 years, so it is challenging to present an argument for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a third self defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually beat significant obstacles in label battles, like punching in a champion's neighborhood and also obtaining slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he gains on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may perhaps face his most significant obstacle but in a headline marriage fight against Espinoza to crown the most ideal boxer in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' rebirth has been actually simply a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, current form recommends his initial IBF heavyweight title defense will definitely end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in leading form, a lot more thus than any other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has had to fix his occupation, after suffering next choice reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua dealt with carefully, along with a consensual decision draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last three fights, 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 quit Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF waistband, which meant Dubois was improved to total champ, therefore offers Joshua with the option to become a three-time world champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will definitely attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually duplicated effectiveness along with against Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right hands on Dubois in the very early spheres, and Joshua has received recent matches just how detrimental his right-hand men want he damaged Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC big-time champion's jaw to knock him out chilly. Joshua will definitely seize the option if Dubois produces himself in a similar way accessible, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois revealed toughness to absorb punches in June, he has been stopped twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk last year) and was knocked down 3 times in the first round through Kevin Lerena before recouping to succeed in Round 3. But it is actually no walk in the park for Joshua, who likewise needs to respect Dubois' power. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's skin and also may potentially carry out a surprise halt versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. Yet Joshua, that concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that coming from 2019 to 2021, is more likely to gain this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.