.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo in the main event of a Leading Position on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final loss was in May 2019 as well as he has actually succeeded 14 consecutive matches due to the fact that, consisting of excellent victories over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the very best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately turned down a lucrative match versus fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis and while he hasn't declared his retired life, are going to our team view "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez will create his second band look this year, yet not against the fighter fans have demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo is going to encounter Edgar Berlanga, who's never ever fought at this degree in his short occupation. While Berlanga has unbelievable electrical power-- he started his occupation along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can he locate a method to gain, or at least go the range against Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will definitely fight for a label for the first time in 2 years. Joshua will certainly experience IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is preferred to become a three-time world champ (-550 every ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the band for only the second attend nearly 4 years to tackle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who succeeded waistbands at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is actually going up in weight for the odds to become a three-division champ, yet may he distress a much older however still effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Scar Parkinson respond to these questions as well as even more, attempting to distinguish what's actual and also what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will resign without one more fightNot genuine ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is reflecting upon retirement life, sources informed ESPN, portion of the factor he declined a rewarding fight with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There's also a probability that Lomachenko will certainly return in the very first one-half of 2025 to protect his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a fighting mood Sunday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson must be actually split at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was seen saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go correct now.If that's any sort of evidence, Lomachenko will certainly battle once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the two biggest fights on the desk for him. However if he never ever laces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's legacy is actually safeguarded. He is actually a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well as a mainstay of the pound-for-pound checklist over the final 10 years.He also does not need to fight for the money. He's gained millions of dollars in his profession and still resides in Ukraine, where he is among the country's very most prominent athletes. Whether he fights 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 becomes a champion in a 3rd divisionNot real. Garcia has actually outplayed the chances just before, consisting of an astonishing KO get Amir Khan and also a prevalent decision triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The very first win elevated him to the upper echelon of the sport and also the second bound that status.But the Matthysse match was actually 11 years earlier, however, as well as those pair of signature Garcia triumphes were at 140 pounds (he likewise gained a headline at 147 extra pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still looking for a win that matches that, and an upset victory over Lara would fit the bill.Garcia didn't be similar to the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, as well as he have not competed since. Currently, he'll move up an additional body weight course (though the Lara fight is occurring at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 pounds) as well as must emulate ring lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline match against Lara will be actually Garcia's second considering that December 2020, when he was directed by Errol Spence Jr.The decide on listed here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, shows tremendous power, albeit versus competitors below Garcia's level. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's battle against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, guards his undeniable incredibly middleweight champion versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's top superstar, hasn't scored a KO victory given that he smoothed Caleb Plant in a November 2021 fight to succeed the undisputed super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a knockdown in his final three fights. Versus a boxer in Berlanga, that will definitely be actually battling on the best degree for the first time, Alvarez needs to incorporate the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually injured in the band in the past, namely in a step-up match versus Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Round 9. And also his defense isn't precisely sound. Berlanga possesses power (he started his career along with 16 successive KO succeeds in the preliminary), and also if he chooses to exchange with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez vowed as much at a pair of news conferences this week to advertise the battle.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: Not one other lightweight champ may hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a real threat to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June and defeating Robeisy Ramirez by a bulk decision to succeed the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the 4 shots, while his escapement win with Ramirez was just one of the very best battles in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest globe featherweight champion in past history-- would be actually a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to get out of bed from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Sphere 1, prior to he was actually soon subdued. As a specialist, Chirinho had actually never been actually knocked down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced 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 skilled as Lopez, the amount of punches he has actually thrown in his final two matches, together with his height and get to benefits, might prove insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared implausible in latest fights, while we still need to see even more coming from Scar Round just before our company proclaim him the division's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight label with a split selection draw Raymond Ford in June. That conquest adhered to a questionable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. However Espinoza would stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually frustrating versus Ball and has actually certainly not succeeded in nearly pair of years, so it is actually challenging to provide a debate for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in 8 rounds in a third protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has conquered huge problems in label matches, like punching in a champion's hometown and receiving cut early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he wins on Saturday versus Angelo Leo, he might probably experience his largest challenge however in a label marriage match versus Espinoza to dental crown the greatest competitor in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' revival has actually been actually simply a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, recent form suggests his initial IBF heavyweight headline protection will certainly end in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in top kind, a lot more so than some other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually must fix his occupation, after going through next selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua battled meticulously, with an unanimous decision get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his last three battles, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting heavyweight champ after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Sphere 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF belt, which suggested Dubois was updated to full champ, and so presents Joshua with the chance to become a three-time globe champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will certainly make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had redoed success along with versus Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right hands on Dubois in the early rounds, as well as Joshua has actually displayed in current battles just how damaging 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 take him out cold. Joshua will seize the possibility if Dubois creates himself likewise on call, as he performed against Hrgovic. Joshua is a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois showed sturdiness to take in punches in June, he has been stopped twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2014) and also was knocked down 3 attend the first round by Kevin Lerena prior to bouncing back to succeed in Round 3. Yet it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, that additionally requires to recognize Dubois' energy. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's face as well as may potentially carry out a shock stop against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. But Joshua, that ruled as champ from 2016 to 2019 and after that coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually very likely to succeed this battle through KO.-- Parkinson.