.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo in the main occasion of a Top Ranking on ESPN 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 and also he has succeeded 14 successive matches given that, including impressive success over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the very best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently rejected a rewarding match versus fellow lightweight champion Gervonta "Container" Davis and also while he hasn't introduced his retirement, will certainly we view "Hi-Tech" in the ring again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his 2nd ring appeal this year, yet not against the boxer supporters have actually demanded. Rather Than David Benavidez, Canelo will definitely encounter Edgar Berlanga, that's certainly never fought at this level in his brief occupation. While Berlanga possesses extraordinary power-- he started his job with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can easily he find a means to win, or even at the very least go the range versus Alvarez?Former abundant champion Anthony Joshua will defend a label for the very first time in two years. Joshua will encounter IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is preferred to end up being a three-time world champ (-550 every ESPN WAGER). And also two-division champ Danny Garcia returns to the band for just the 2nd attend nearly 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who gained belts at 140 and 147 extra pounds, is going up in body weight for the possibility to become a three-division champion, yet can he upset a much older yet still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger and also Chip Parkinson address these inquiries and also additional, making an effort to differentiate what's genuine as well as what is actually not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly resign without an additional fightNot actual ... meanwhile. Lomachenko is considering retirement, sources informed ESPN, portion of the factor he dropped a rewarding fight with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually also an option that Lomachenko will certainly come back in the very first one-half of 2025 to shield his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) appeared in a combating mood Saturday in Los Angeles: he and also Shakur Stevenson needed to be actually split at ringside in the course of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov memory card. Lomachenko was found saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go best now.If that is actually any indication, Lomachenko will definitely fight once again. Maybe even against Davis or Stevenson, the 2 most significant matches on the table for him. Yet if he never laces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's tradition is actually safeguarded. He's a three-division champ, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and also a pillar of the pound-for-pound checklist over the last 10 years.He additionally doesn't require to eliminate for the money. He's gained countless dollars in his job as well as still resides in Ukraine, where he is among the country's very most popular professional athletes. Whether he deals with once more, he surely won't do this a lot longer. He turns 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara and becomes a champ in a third divisionNot actual. Garcia has outplayed the chances prior to, featuring a stunning KO gain Amir Khan and also a prevalent choice triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The very first gain lifted him to the upper echelon of the sport and the last sealed that status.But the Matthysse fight was 11 years ago, though, as well as those two signature Garcia triumphes went to 140 pounds (he additionally won a headline at 147 extra pounds as well as went up to 154 for a July 2022 sway Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still seeking a gain that matches that, as well as a dismayed triumph over Lara would certainly suit the bill.Garcia failed to be similar to the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision success over Benavidez, and also he have not completed given that. Right now, he'll move up yet another weight training class (though the Lara battle is happening at a catchweight between 155 and also 160 pounds) and have to emulate band lack of exercise. The Sept. 14 middleweight title match versus Lara will be actually Garcia's second due to the fact that December 2020, when he was routed by Errol Spence Jr.The choose here is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, even at 41, shows enormous energy, albeit against fighters beneath Garcia's level. Lara is riding a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's match versus Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left, shields his unquestioned incredibly middleweight championship against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu using Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's best star, have not scored a KO triumph since he smoothed Caleb Plant in a Nov 2021 fight to win the unquestioned super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has actually scored a presentation in his final 3 battles. Versus a competitor in Berlanga, that will be dealing with on the best degree for the first time, Alvarez should include the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been hurt in the ring in the past, namely in a step-up fight against Marcelo Coceres, that dropped him in Cycle 9. As well as his protection isn't exactly sound. Berlanga has electrical power (he began his job along with 16 consecutive KO succeeds in the preliminary), and also if he picks to trade along with Canelo, Alvarez needs to take him out.Alvarez assured as much at a pair of press conference recently to advertise the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: Not one other light champ can beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears an actual risk to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez through a large number decision to gain the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) knocked down Chirinho in three of the 4 rounds, while his breakout gain with Ramirez was one of the most ideal fights in 2023. Publisher's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest planet lightweight champ in record-- would be actually a problem for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to stand up coming from an uppercut from Espinoza in Around 1, just before he was actually soon overwhelmed. As a specialist, Chirinho had never ever been brought down before Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza produced a surprise in beating two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last three spheres. Although he is actually not as expert as Lopez, the quantity of blows he has thrown in his last pair of fights, alongside his height and also arrive at benefits, could possibly verify insurmountable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually looked implausible in recent battles, while our experts still require to view a lot more coming from Nick Round before we declare him the department's No. 1. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) caught the WBA featherweight label with a split selection sway Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment adhered to a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC label in March. But Espinoza will overlook 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was frustrating versus Sphere and also has actually not gained in almost two years, so it is actually hard to offer a debate for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 spheres in a third self defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has actually gotten over big problems in headline fights, like boxing in a champ's home town and acquiring slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he wins on Sunday against Angelo Leo, he may maybe experience his largest obstacle but in a title marriage fight against Espinoza to crown the most effective boxer in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will certainly KO Daniel DuboisReal. Like Dubois' resurgence has actually been merely a year after being actually stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, latest form advises his initial IBF abundant title protection will definitely finish in a KO loss to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in best type, extra thus than every other abundant. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually must fix his profession, after going through back-to-back choice losses to Usyk in 2021 and also 2022. Joshua battled very carefully, along with an unanimous decision draw Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his final three battles, he rounded off Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned coming from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting heavyweight champion after he quit Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF waistband, which meant Dubois was upgraded to complete champ, and so provides Joshua with the opportunity to become a three-time world champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will try to exploit what Hrgovic had actually redoed results along with against Dubois. Hrgovic frequently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early spheres, and Joshua has actually displayed in recent matches just how detrimental his right hands seek he destroyed Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right-hand man on the past UFC big-time champion's chin to take him out cool. Joshua will certainly take possession of the option if Dubois produces themself in a similar way on call, as he did against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a greater puncher than Hrgovic and, although Dubois revealed durability to soak up type June, he has been actually quit two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk last year) and also was defeated three times in the preliminary through Kevin Lerena prior to recovering to win in Cycle 3. But it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, that also needs to have to respect Dubois' power. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's face and can potentially manage a surprise standstill against Joshua, much like Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. But Joshua, that ruled as champ from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards from 2019 to 2021, is more likely to win this fight by KO.-- Parkinson.