.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo in the main event of a Leading Position on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final reduction resided in May 2019 as well as he has gained 14 consecutive fights given that, including remarkable victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately denied a beneficial match versus fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis as well as while he have not revealed his retirement, will our experts see "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly make his 2nd band appeal this year, but not against the fighter followers have demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely face Edgar Berlanga, who is actually never ever fought at this level in his brief career. While Berlanga has fabulous power-- he began his career with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can he locate a way to win, or even at least go the span versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will certainly fight for a headline for the first time in pair of years. Joshua will definitely deal with IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is chosen to come to be a three-time globe champion (-550 every ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the ring for only the 2nd attend nearly 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that gained belts at 140 and also 147 pounds, is going up in weight for the possibility to come to be a three-division champ, yet can he disturb a much older however still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Chip Parkinson answer these concerns and additional, making an effort to identify what's true and what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely resign without yet another fightNot actual ... for now. Lomachenko is reflecting upon retirement, sources told ESPN, component of the explanation he dropped a profitable battle with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's additionally a probability that Lomachenko will come back in the 1st one-half of 2025 to safeguard his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a combating state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson must be actually split at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was found saying to Stevenson, "Allow's go appropriate now.If that is actually any sort of evidence, Lomachenko will combat once again. Perhaps even against Davis or even Stevenson, both most significant matches on the desk for him. Yet if he never shoelaces up the handwear covers once more, Lomachenko's tradition is secured. 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 doesn't need to have to fight for the money. He is actually gotten numerous bucks in his profession and also still stays in Ukraine, where he is among the nation's most popular professional athletes. Regardless if he deals with once more, he absolutely will not do so a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara as well as ends up being a champ in a third divisionNot true. Garcia has actually outplayed the chances just before, consisting of an astonishing KO sway Amir Khan as well as a leading decision triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The first gain elevated him to the higher tier of the sporting activity and also the latter sealed that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years ago, though, and also those 2 signature Garcia wins were at 140 pounds (he also gained a label at 147 extra pounds as well as moved up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still searching for a win that matches that, and an upset victory over Lara would certainly accommodate the bill.Garcia really did not resemble the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and he have not contended considering that. Right now, he'll move up another weight class (though the Lara battle is actually occurring at a catchweight in between 155 and 160 pounds) and also must contend with band stagnation. The Sept. 14 middleweight label fight against Lara will certainly be actually Garcia's 2nd given that December 2020, when he was directed through Errol Spence Jr.The pick right here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, shows remarkable electrical power, albeit versus fighters below Garcia's amount. Lara is riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's fight versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, shields his undisputed super middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's leading superstar, hasn't racked up a KO triumph due to the fact that he flattened Caleb Plant in a November 2021 match to succeed the unquestioned super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a knockdown in his last 3 matches. Against a boxer in Berlanga, that will definitely be actually combating on the leading amount for the very first time, Alvarez needs to include the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually hurt in the ring in the past, particularly in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Cycle 9. And also his self defense isn't precisely seem. Berlanga possesses power (he began his job along with 16 successive KO gains in the first round), and also if he picks to swap with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez vowed as a lot at a pair of press conference today to promote the match.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other featherweight champion can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears an actual risk to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority choice to succeed the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the four rounds, while his escapement win along with Ramirez was one of the greatest battles in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest planet featherweight champ in record-- would be a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho prospered to stand up coming from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was quickly subdued. As a professional, Chirinho had never ever been knocked 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 last 3 spheres. Although he is actually certainly not as skilled as Lopez, the quantity of strikes he has thrown in his final pair of fights, in addition to his elevation and also reach advantages, can prove insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared implausible in latest battles, while our experts still require to view extra coming from Chip Round prior to our team declare him the division's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight label along with a split decision sway Raymond Ford in June. That conquest complied with a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. However Espinoza would tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfactory versus Round and also has certainly not succeeded in almost pair of years, so it is actually tough to show a debate for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a third protection of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually conquered huge obstacles in title battles, like boxing in a champion's home town as well as getting slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he succeeds on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he might possibly encounter his most significant problem yet in a headline unification battle against Espinoza to dental crown the most ideal fighter in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' resurgence has been just a year after being dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, latest form suggests his initial IBF heavyweight headline protection are going to finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in best type, extra thus than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has had to fix his profession, after experiencing next selection losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua dealt with very carefully, with a consensual decision win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last 3 battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and also Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting heavyweight champion after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk after that relinquished the IBF belt, which meant Dubois was actually updated to complete champ, and so provides Joshua with the chance to come to be a three-time world champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had duplicated success with versus Dubois. Hrgovic frequently landed right hands on Dubois in the early spheres, and Joshua has displayed in latest fights exactly how detrimental his right hands are after he ruined Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC heavyweight champion's jaw to knock him out cold. Joshua will definitely confiscate the opportunity if Dubois makes themself likewise available, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a bigger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois showed sturdiness to absorb type June, he has been actually quit twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2014) as well as was actually floored 3 attend the preliminary by Kevin Lerena prior to bouncing back to succeed in Cycle 3. However it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, who likewise requires to respect Dubois' electrical power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's face as well as can potentially manage a surprise discontinuance versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. But Joshua, who concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually very likely to succeed this match through KO.-- Parkinson.