.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo in the main event of a Top Ranking on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final loss resided in May 2019 as well as he has gained 14 consecutive matches since, including outstanding victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. However is he the greatest featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently declined a lucrative match against fellow light in weight champ Gervonta "Container" Davis as well as while he have not announced his retired life, will our team see "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez are going to make his second band look this year, however certainly not versus the competitor followers have actually clamored for. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will certainly deal with Edgar Berlanga, who's never battled at this degree in his quick profession. While Berlanga possesses unbelievable electrical power-- he started his career along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- can easily he find a way to succeed, or at least go the proximity versus Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will certainly fight for a label for the first time in pair of years. Joshua is going to face IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is actually preferred to come to be a three-time globe champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the ring for just the second attend almost four years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who gained waistbands at 140 as well as 147 extra pounds, is going up in weight for the odds to come to be a three-division champ, but can easily he distress a more mature but still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and Scar Parkinson answer these concerns as well as even more, attempting to differentiate what's real and what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will retire without one more fightNot real ... for now. Lomachenko is considering retirement life, resources informed ESPN, part of the explanation he dropped a highly profitable match with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually likewise an opportunity that Lomachenko are going to come back in the 1st one-half of 2025 to guard his IBF light-weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) seemed in a dealing with state of mind Sunday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson had to be actually split at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was observed saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go correct now.If that's any type of indication, Lomachenko is going to combat once again. Maybe even against Davis or Stevenson, the 2 biggest fights on the table for him. But if he certainly never laces up the gloves again, Lomachenko's tradition is protected. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and also an essential of the pound-for-pound checklist over the last 10 years.He likewise does not require to eliminate for the money. He's made countless dollars in his occupation and still stays in Ukraine, where he's one of the nation's very most well-liked sportsmens. Regardless if he combats once again, he certainly won't do this much longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and becomes a champ in a 3rd divisionNot genuine. Garcia has outplayed the probabilities just before, featuring a stunning KO gain Amir Khan as well as a dominant decision triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The initial gain elevated him to the top tier of the sporting activity and also the second bound that status.But the Matthysse match was 11 years back, though, and those two signature Garcia triumphes went to 140 pounds (he additionally won a title at 147 pounds and moved up to 154 for a July 2022 win over Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still hunting for a win that matches that, and also a distressed triumph over Lara will fit the bill.Garcia really did not resemble the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision victory over Benavidez, and also he hasn't contended given that. Right now, he'll move up an additional body weight course (though the Lara battle is occurring at a catchweight between 155 as well as 160 extra pounds) and need to contend with band lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight title battle against Lara will definitely be Garcia's 2nd due to the fact that December 2020, when he was directed through Errol Spence Jr.The choose listed here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, reveals tremendous power, albeit against boxers below Garcia's level. Lara is riding a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's fight versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, protects his undeniable tremendously middleweight championship against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's best superstar, hasn't scored a KO victory considering that he flattened Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 battle to gain the undisputed tremendously middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually racked up a presentation in his final 3 matches. Against a competitor in Berlanga, that will certainly be actually fighting on the top level for the very first time, Alvarez ought to incorporate the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been actually harmed in the ring before, specifically in a step-up battle versus Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Round 9. And his defense isn't specifically seem. Berlanga possesses electrical power (he started his job with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the first round), as well as if he chooses to exchange with Canelo, Alvarez should take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a pair of press conference recently to market the fight.-- Coppinger Real or not: No other light champion can beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a true hazard to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and also beating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number selection to succeed the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the four rounds, while his escapement succeed along with Ramirez was one of the best matches in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world featherweight champion in record-- will be actually a problem for Lopez. Chirinho did well to stand up coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Sphere 1, just before he was quickly overwhelmed. As a professional, Chirinho had actually certainly never been actually brought down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a shock in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the final 3 rounds. Although he is actually certainly not as professional as Lopez, the volume of hits he has actually included his last pair of fights, in addition to his elevation as well as hit advantages, can show unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has appeared implausible in latest fights, while our company still require to observe even more coming from Nick Sphere prior to our team announce him the branch's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight title with a split selection sway Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment complied with a controversial draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. Yet Espinoza will stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was actually unsatisfying versus Ball and has actually not succeeded in nearly pair of years, so it is tough 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 ceasing Reiya Abe in eight arounds in a third protection of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has conquered major obstacles in headline matches, like boxing in a champion's hometown and also obtaining slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), as well as if he succeeds on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he might perhaps encounter his largest challenge yet in a headline marriage match versus Espinoza to crown the greatest fighter in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' revival has actually been actually only a year after being come by Oleksandr Usyk, latest form advises his initial IBF abundant label defense are going to finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in best form, even more therefore than some other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has needed to fix his occupation, after experiencing next selection reductions to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua battled meticulously, along with a consensual decision win over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last three matches, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting heavyweight champion after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk then relinquished the IBF belt, which indicated Dubois was upgraded to complete champ, consequently shows Joshua with the possibility to end up being a three-time globe champ at Wembley Stadium in London.Joshua will definitely make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had duplicated effectiveness with versus Dubois. Hrgovic continuously landed right-hand men on Dubois in the very early spheres, and Joshua has displayed in latest fights how detrimental his right-hand men are after he ruined Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC heavyweight champion's chin to knock him out chilly. Joshua will definitely take the possibility if Dubois produces himself in a similar way accessible, as he performed versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a greater puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois revealed sturdiness to take in punches in June, he has been stopped two times (through Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2015) as well as was actually floored three attend the first round by Kevin Lerena before recouping to win in Cycle 3. But it is no stroll in the park for Joshua, who also needs to have to appreciate Dubois' power. Dubois pauperized Hrgovic's face as well as can potentially manage a shock stop versus Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. Yet Joshua, who concluded as champ coming from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is actually very likely to win this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.