.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt against Angelo Leo in the main occasion of a Best Ranking on ESPN 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 as well as he has succeeded 14 successive matches considering that, featuring impressive victories over Josh Warrington in England and also Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the most ideal featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko just recently turned down a profitable match versus fellow light-weight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis and while he hasn't revealed his retirement, are going to our team find "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez will make his 2nd ring appeal this year, but certainly not versus the fighter supporters have demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will face Edgar Berlanga, who is actually never battled at this degree in his brief career. While Berlanga possesses amazing energy-- he started his career along with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he discover a way to win, or at the very least go the distance versus Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua are going to fight for a headline for the first time in pair of years. Joshua will definitely face IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is favored to come to be a three-time globe champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the ring for just the 2nd attend almost 4 years to tackle WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who gained belts at 140 and also 147 pounds, is actually going up in weight for the odds to come to be a three-division champion, but can easily he upset a more mature but still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Nick Parkinson address these concerns and also even more, making an effort to distinguish what's true and also what is actually not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will retire without an additional fightNot actual ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is actually reflecting upon retired life, sources informed ESPN, portion of the main reason he decreased a highly profitable battle along with Gervonta Davis in November. There is actually additionally a probability that Lomachenko will certainly return in the 1st half of 2025 to safeguard his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a dealing with state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he and Shakur Stevenson must be separated at ringside throughout the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually viewed informing Stevenson, "Allow's go best now.If that's any indication, Lomachenko will deal with once again. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, both largest battles on the table for him. But if he certainly never shoelaces up the gloves once more, Lomachenko's legacy is safeguarded. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and also a mainstay of the pound-for-pound list over the last 10 years.He additionally doesn't require to overcome for the money. He is actually gotten countless dollars in his occupation and still resides in Ukraine, where he's one of the country's most preferred sportsmens. Regardless if he deals with once again, he surely won't do so much longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also ends up being a champ in a third divisionNot actual. Garcia has upset the chances before, featuring a surprising KO win over Amir Khan and also a dominant decision success over Lucas Matthysse. The first win raised him to the top echelon of the sporting activity as well as the second glued that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years earlier, however, and also those two signature Garcia victories were at 140 extra pounds (he additionally won a headline at 147 pounds and also went up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is actually still hunting for a win that matches that, as well as a distressed victory over Lara will suit the bill.Garcia failed to appear like the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, as well as he have not contended given that. Now, he'll move up an additional body weight lesson (though the Lara fight is taking place at a catchweight between 155 and 160 pounds) and also must contend with band lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight label match versus Lara are going to be actually Garcia's 2nd because December 2020, when he was actually transmitted through Errol Spence Jr.The select right here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, presents enormous power, albeit against boxers under Garcia's degree. Lara is actually riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's match against Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, protects his unquestioned tremendously middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's top superstar, have not racked up a KO triumph because he flattened Caleb Vegetation in a November 2021 match to win the unquestioned extremely middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a knockdown in his last three matches. Against a competitor in Berlanga, that are going to be actually battling on the best degree for the very first time, Alvarez should include the 40th KO of his renowned career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually hurt in the band in the past, such as in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, that lost him in Cycle 9. And his self defense isn't precisely seem. Berlanga has power (he began his profession with 16 consecutive KO wins in the preliminary), as well as if he chooses to swap with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a pair of news conferences today to ensure the fight.-- Coppinger Real or otherwise: No other lightweight champion can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a true risk to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and also defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a majority selection to succeed the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the 4 shots, while his outbreak win along with Ramirez was one of the very best fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world lightweight champ in history-- would certainly be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho did well to get out of bed from an uppercut from Espinoza in Round 1, before he was very soon overthrown. As a qualified, Chirinho had actually never ever been actually torn down just before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza created a shock in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, as well as he outlanded him in the final 3 rounds. Although he is actually not as expert as Lopez, the amount of strikes he has actually included his final pair of matches, in addition to his elevation and reach benefits, could possibly show overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked implausible in recent battles, while our experts still need to have to see more coming from Nick Sphere just before our team proclaim him the branch's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight label with a split choice get Raymond Ford in June. That conquest complied with a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. However Espinoza would certainly tower above 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfactory versus Ball as well as has actually not gained in nearly two years, so it is actually hard to offer a debate for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is actually the present ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 arounds in a third self defense of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually gotten over major obstacles in label fights, like punching in a champion's neighborhood and also getting slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and also if he succeeds on Sunday versus Angelo Leo, he might maybe encounter his greatest obstacle but in a title unification fight against Espinoza to dental crown the most effective competitor in the division.-- ParkinsonReal or otherwise: Anthony Joshua are going to KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' rebirth has been only a year after being stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, latest kind proposes his 1st IBF heavyweight label self defense will certainly finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) resides in best type, more thus than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has actually needed to restore his career, after experiencing back-to-back decision reductions to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua dealt with meticulously, with an unanimous choice gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final 3 matches, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting heavyweight champion after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk after that relinquished the IBF waistband, which meant Dubois was actually improved to complete champion, therefore presents Joshua with the chance to become a three-time planet champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will certainly try to manipulate what Hrgovic had repeated results with versus Dubois. Hrgovic regularly landed right hands on Dubois in the very early rounds, and also Joshua has actually shown in latest battles just how destructive his right-hand men are after he damaged Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the previous UFC big-time champ's jaw to knock him out cold. Joshua will definitely take the chance if Dubois creates themself similarly readily available, as he did versus Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a bigger puncher than Hrgovic as well as, although Dubois presented longevity to soak up punches in June, he has been ceased twice (through Joe Joyce in 2020 as well as Usyk last year) as well as was knocked down three times in the first round by Kevin Lerena just before recovering to win in Round 3. But it is no stroll in the park for Joshua, that additionally needs to respect Dubois' electrical power. Dubois bungled Hrgovic's skin as well as may possibly pull off a surprise discontinuance versus Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. But Joshua, that concluded as champion coming from 2016 to 2019 and then coming from 2019 to 2021, is most likely to win this match through KO.-- Parkinson.