.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo in the main event of a Leading Position on ESPN 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 and also he has actually gained 14 successive matches since, featuring outstanding success over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the very best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently turned down a beneficial fight against fellow light-weight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis as well as while he have not introduced his retirement life, are going to our company see "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will certainly make his 2nd ring appeal this year, but not against the competitor enthusiasts have clamored for. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly experience Edgar Berlanga, who is actually never ever battled at this degree in his brief profession. While Berlanga has astonishing electrical power-- he started his job along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can easily he discover a technique to succeed, or at the very least go the distance versus Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua are going to fight for a title for the first time in pair of years. Joshua will experience IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is actually favored to come to be a three-time world champ (-550 per ESPN BET). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia comes back to the band for just the 2nd time in almost 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who won belts at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is going up in weight for the chance to become a three-division champ, however can he disturb a much older however still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Scar Parkinson answer these concerns and even more, making an effort to identify what's true and also what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will definitely resign without one more fightNot actual ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is reflecting upon retired life, sources told ESPN, part of the reason he declined a highly profitable match with Gervonta Davis in November. There's additionally a possibility that Lomachenko are going to return in the very first one-half of 2025 to guard his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a combating mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson had to be actually separated at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was observed telling Stevenson, "Let's go ideal now.If that is actually any type of indication, Lomachenko will battle again. Maybe even against Davis or Stevenson, the two biggest matches on the desk for him. However if he never laces up the gloves once again, Lomachenko's tradition is protected. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer as well as a mainstay of the pound-for-pound listing over the last 10 years.He likewise does not require to eliminate for the cash. He's gotten countless bucks in his occupation and also still stays in Ukraine, where he is among the country's very most well-liked athletes. Whether or not he battles once again, he absolutely will not accomplish this a lot longer. He transforms 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as ends up being a champ in a third divisionNot genuine. Garcia has upset the probabilities just before, consisting of a shocking KO get Amir Khan and a leading choice triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The first win raised him to the higher echelon of the sporting activity as well as the last bound that status.But the Matthysse fight was actually 11 years ago, though, as well as those 2 trademark Garcia triumphes went to 140 extra pounds (he likewise gained a label at 147 pounds and also went up to 154 for a July 2022 draw Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still looking for a gain that matches that, and an upset success over Lara would match the bill.Garcia really did not resemble the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and he have not completed because. Now, he'll go up one more body weight class (though the Lara fight is actually taking place at a catchweight in between 155 and also 160 pounds) as well as have to emulate band lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline battle versus Lara are going to be Garcia's second due to the fact that December 2020, when he was actually transmitted by Errol Spence Jr.The decide on here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, even at 41, shows incredible power, albeit against fighters beneath Garcia's degree. Lara is riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's fight versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, protects his indisputable tremendously middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best celebrity, have not scored a KO triumph considering that he flattened Caleb Plant in a November 2021 battle to win the unquestioned tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a knockdown in his final 3 matches. Against a fighter in Berlanga, who will be actually battling on the top amount for the first time, Alvarez needs to add the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been hurt in the ring in the past, specifically in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, who dropped him in Cycle 9. And his protection isn't precisely appear. Berlanga possesses power (he began his career with 16 consecutive KO gains in the preliminary), as well as if he opts for to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez guaranteed as much at a set of news conferences today to advertise the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: No other lightweight champion may beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a genuine threat to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number decision to succeed the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the 4 rounds, while his outbreak succeed with Ramirez was one of the most ideal matches in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest world featherweight champ in past history-- would be actually an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho flourished to get up coming from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, prior to he was actually very soon subdued. As a qualified, Chirinho had never been actually torn down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza generated a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the last three spheres. Although he is not as professional as Lopez, the quantity of blows he has actually thrown in his final pair of fights, alongside his height and also hit perks, could verify unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared implausible in recent battles, while our team still require to view a lot more from Scar Ball prior to our company proclaim him the branch's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBA featherweight label with a split choice win over Raymond Ford in June. That triumph adhered to a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. Yet Espinoza would tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfactory versus Sphere as well as has certainly not won in virtually two years, so it is challenging to offer an argument for him in his existing form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after quiting Reiya Abe in 8 arounds in a third self defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has beat big challenges in label battles, like punching in a champion's neighborhood and receiving slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he succeeds on Saturday versus Angelo Leo, he might maybe experience his biggest difficulty however in a title marriage match versus Espinoza to dental crown the best competitor in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' revival has been only a year after being actually visited Oleksandr Usyk, latest type recommends his very first IBF heavyweight title self defense will finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in best type, even more thus than some other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually must rebuild his job, after going through next decision reductions to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua dealt with cautiously, with a consensual choice get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, yet in his final three battles, he finished off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back coming from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF acting big-time champ after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk at that point gave up the IBF belt, which meant Dubois was improved to complete champ, therefore offers Joshua with the option to become a three-time globe champ at Wembley Coliseum in London.Joshua are going to make an effort to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually redoed excellence along with against Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early arounds, and also Joshua has shown in latest matches how destructive his right hands seek he ruined Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the previous UFC heavyweight champ's jaw to take him out cold. Joshua is going to take possession of the option if Dubois produces themself similarly on call, as he carried out versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois showed resilience to soak up type June, he has actually been stopped two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2015) and also was actually defeated 3 attend the first round by Kevin Lerena prior to recouping to gain in Round 3. However it is actually no stroll in the playground for Joshua, who likewise requires to recognize Dubois' power. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's face and also can possibly manage a surprise interruption against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. However Joshua, that ruled as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is actually most likely to win this match through KO.-- Parkinson.