.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband against Angelo Leo in the main event of a Top Position on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final reduction resided in May 2019 and also he has gained 14 successive battles given that, consisting of outstanding success over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently declined a rewarding match against fellow light-weight champ Gervonta "Container" Davis and while he hasn't introduced his retirement life, will certainly our company view "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez are going to make his 2nd band appeal this year, however certainly not versus the competitor supporters have actually demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo is going to deal with Edgar Berlanga, who's certainly never combated at this degree in his brief career. While Berlanga possesses fabulous electrical power-- he started his occupation with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he find a method to succeed, or at least go the distance versus Alvarez?Former abundant champ Anthony Joshua will certainly fight for a headline for the first time in two years. Joshua will definitely encounter IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually favored to become a three-time world champion (-550 every ESPN BET). And also two-division champion Danny Garcia goes back to the band for just the 2nd attend practically 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who gained waistbands at 140 and 147 pounds, is going up in body weight for the chance to come to be a three-division champ, yet can he disturb a more mature however still powerful Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Nick Parkinson address these inquiries and additional, trying to distinguish what's real and what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly resign without another fightNot true ... for now. Lomachenko is actually reflecting upon retirement, sources informed ESPN, aspect of the factor he declined a lucrative fight along with Gervonta Davis in November. There's likewise an opportunity that Lomachenko will return in the first half of 2025 to shield his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a fighting mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson must be actually separated at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was viewed informing Stevenson, "Allow's go best now.If that's any type of indication, Lomachenko will certainly combat once again. Perhaps even versus Davis or Stevenson, both greatest fights on the desk for him. But if he certainly never shoelaces up the handwear covers once more, Lomachenko's legacy is actually safeguarded. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a mainstay of the pound-for-pound checklist over the last 10 years.He likewise doesn't require to combat for the cash. He is actually gotten countless bucks in his occupation and still resides in Ukraine, where he is just one of the nation's very most well-known sportsmens. Whether or not he battles once again, he definitely will not do so much longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and becomes a champion in a 3rd divisionNot true. Garcia has upset the odds just before, consisting of an astonishing KO gain Amir Khan and also a dominant decision success over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st win elevated him to the top echelon of the sporting activity and also the latter glued that status.But the Matthysse fight was actually 11 years back, though, as well as those pair of trademark Garcia success went to 140 pounds (he also won a headline at 147 pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 get Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still hunting for a gain that matches that, as well as a distressed victory over Lara would match the bill.Garcia didn't be similar to the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and he hasn't competed due to the fact that. Right now, he'll move up another body weight course (though the Lara match is happening at a catchweight between 155 and also 160 pounds) and also have to contend with band inactivity. The Sept. 14 middleweight title match versus Lara are going to be Garcia's 2nd considering that December 2020, when he was transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The pick listed here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, shows incredible electrical power, albeit against competitors under Garcia's level. Lara is using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, defends his uncontested tremendously middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's leading celebrity, have not racked up a KO success considering that he squashed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 battle to succeed the unquestioned tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a knockdown in his last 3 fights. Versus a competitor in Berlanga, who are going to be actually combating on the leading level for the first time, Alvarez ought to incorporate the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually hurt in the band previously, specifically in a step-up match against Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Round 9. And also his defense isn't exactly seem. Berlanga possesses energy (he started his occupation with 16 successive KO wins in the first round), and if he chooses to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a set of press conference recently to advertise the fight.-- Coppinger Real or not: Nothing else featherweight champ can easily hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a genuine risk to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June as well as defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority choice to succeed the WBO label in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the 4 shots, while his escapement gain along with Ramirez was among the most ideal battles in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world light champion in past-- would be a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to get out of bed from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, just before he was actually very soon overwhelmed. As a professional, Chirinho had never been brought down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last three spheres. Although he is actually certainly not as skilled as Lopez, the quantity of punches he has actually thrown in his final two fights, in addition to his elevation and arrive at conveniences, can confirm unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared implausible in recent fights, while we still need to have to find more from Nick Round just before our experts announce him the department's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight title along with a split choice get Raymond Ford in June. That triumph observed a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. But Espinoza would tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Ball and also has actually not won in almost two years, so it is actually challenging to provide a debate for him in his current form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in 8 spheres in a 3rd protection of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually conquered significant challenges in headline fights, like punching in a champion's hometown as well as acquiring cut very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he succeeds on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he may perhaps experience his greatest challenge however in a title unification battle against Espinoza to crown the very best competitor in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua will certainly KO Daniel DuboisReal. As good as Dubois' rebirth has actually been actually merely a year after being actually dropped in Oleksandr Usyk, current type suggests his first IBF abundant title defense will certainly finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in top type, a lot more thus than every other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has needed to restore his job, after enduring back-to-back selection losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua combated cautiously, with a consentaneous decision get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final 3 battles, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to Greater london as IBF interim big-time champ after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF waistband, which meant Dubois was improved to total champion, therefore offers Joshua along with the opportunity to become a three-time world champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua are going to attempt to exploit what Hrgovic had repeated success with versus Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right hands on Dubois in the early rounds, and Joshua has actually shown in current fights exactly how detrimental his right-hand men desire he destroyed Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the past UFC big-time champ's chin to take him out chilly. Joshua is going to take possession of the possibility if Dubois creates himself likewise available, as he carried out versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a larger puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois presented sturdiness to soak up punches in June, he has been ceased two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk in 2013) and was defeated 3 times in the first round through Kevin Lerena before recouping to succeed in Cycle 3. However it is actually no walk in the park for Joshua, who likewise needs to respect Dubois' electrical power. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's face as well as may likely pull off a shock interruption against Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. But Joshua, who concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that coming from 2019 to 2021, is actually most likely to win this battle by KO.-- Parkinson.