.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo in the main occasion of a Top Rank on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final reduction was in May 2019 and also he has actually succeeded 14 consecutive matches given that, including remarkable victories over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently declined a profitable fight versus fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Tank" Davis and while he have not revealed his retired life, will our team view "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez are going to make his 2nd band appearance this year, however not against the boxer enthusiasts have actually clamored for. As Opposed To David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely experience Edgar Berlanga, that's never battled at this amount in his brief occupation. While Berlanga possesses unbelievable electrical power-- he started his occupation along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can he locate a method to succeed, or even at the very least go the range against Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will certainly defend a label for the first time in pair of years. Joshua will definitely face IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is preferred to come to be a three-time globe champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia comes back to the ring for merely the second time in just about four years to handle WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded waistbands at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is going up in weight for the odds to end up being a three-division champion, yet may he distress a much older but still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger and Nick Parkinson answer these inquiries and even more, attempting to distinguish what's genuine and also what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will resign without one more fightNot real ... for now. Lomachenko is actually reflecting upon retired life, sources told ESPN, portion of the main reason he dropped a profitable fight with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually additionally an opportunity that Lomachenko will return in the very first half of 2025 to protect his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a fighting state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson had to be actually separated at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually observed informing Stevenson, "Let's go correct now.If that's any kind of evidence, Lomachenko is going to fight once again. Perhaps even against Davis or even Stevenson, the two most significant matches on the desk for him. But if he certainly never laces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's tradition is actually protected. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Venue of Famer as well as a pillar of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He likewise does not need to have to fight for the money. He's gained numerous dollars in his career and also still lives in Ukraine, where he is among the nation's very most popular professional athletes. Whether or not he deals with once more, he definitely will not do this a lot longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara as well as becomes a champ in a third divisionNot genuine. Garcia has actually upset the probabilities just before, featuring a shocking KO sway Amir Khan and a dominant choice success over Lucas Matthysse. The initial win elevated him to the upper tier of the sporting activity and also the second cemented that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years earlier, though, and also those two signature Garcia triumphes went to 140 pounds (he likewise won a label at 147 pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 gain Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still seeking a win that matches that, as well as a distressed victory over Lara would certainly fit the bill.Garcia really did not be similar to the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and he hasn't competed given that. Right now, he'll go up another weight course (though the Lara match is actually occurring at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 pounds) and also have to emulate band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight label fight against Lara will definitely be Garcia's second because December 2020, when he was transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The pick listed below is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, reveals significant power, albeit versus fighters under Garcia's degree. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, guards his recognized extremely middleweight championship against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's top star, hasn't racked up a KO victory because he flattened Caleb Plant in a November 2021 battle to win the indisputable tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a presentation in his last three matches. Against a fighter in Berlanga, who will definitely be actually dealing with on the top amount for the first time, Alvarez should add the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually injured in the band before, particularly in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, who fell him in Round 9. And also his protection isn't exactly sound. Berlanga possesses electrical power (he began his job along with 16 successive KO gains in the first round), and if he picks to exchange with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez assured as much at a set of news conferences this week to market the fight.-- Coppinger Real or not: Nothing else light champion may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a genuine risk to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and also defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk selection to gain the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the 4 rounds, while his escapement win along with Ramirez was just one of the best fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest world lightweight champ in record-- will be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho did well to get out of bed coming from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, just before he was very soon overpowered. As a qualified, Chirinho had actually certainly never been brought down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the final three rounds. Although he is not as skilled as Lopez, the quantity of punches he has thrown in his final two battles, alongside his elevation and hit conveniences, could show insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared unconvincing in current fights, while we still need to see more from Scar Round just before our experts proclaim him the branch's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight headline with a split choice draw Raymond Ford in June. That triumph followed a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. Yet Espinoza would overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Ball and also has not gained in virtually 2 years, so it is actually challenging to show a debate for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in eight rounds in a 3rd defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually gotten rid of major difficulties in title fights, like punching in a champ's neighborhood and getting cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he succeeds on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may possibly experience his biggest difficulty but in a label unification battle against Espinoza to dental crown the best fighter in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' resurgence has actually been simply a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, current form proposes his initial IBF abundant title protection will finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in best kind, more so than any other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually had to fix his job, after enduring back-to-back decision reductions to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua fought very carefully, with an unanimous decision win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his final 3 battles, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting big-time champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF belt, which implied Dubois was upgraded to full champ, therefore provides Joshua along with the option to come to be a three-time planet champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua will definitely attempt to exploit what Hrgovic had duplicated success along with against Dubois. Hrgovic constantly landed right hands on Dubois in the early rounds, and Joshua has received current battles exactly how damaging his right hands want he damaged Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC big-time champion's chin to take him out chilly. Joshua will certainly seize the opportunity if Dubois produces themself in a similar way available, as he did versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a greater puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois presented durability to soak up type June, he has actually been stopped two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2015) as well as was floored 3 attend the first round through Kevin Lerena prior to recuperating to succeed in Cycle 3. However it is actually no stroll in the park for Joshua, that additionally needs to recognize Dubois' energy. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's face and can likely manage a shock blockage versus Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. But Joshua, that ruled as champ from 2016 to 2019 and then coming from 2019 to 2021, is more probable to win this match through KO.-- Parkinson.