.IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez defends his waistband versus Angelo Leo in the main event of a Best Position on ESPN memory card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's final loss resided in May 2019 as well as he has gained 14 consecutive matches due to the fact that, consisting of excellent victories over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the very best featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko lately refused a financially rewarding battle against fellow light in weight champion Gervonta "Storage tank" Davis as well as while he hasn't revealed his retired life, will certainly our experts view "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez are going to create his second band appearance this year, yet certainly not against the boxer enthusiasts have clamored for. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will encounter Edgar Berlanga, that's never combated at this amount in his quick career. While Berlanga possesses awesome power-- he began his career along with 16 successive first-round KOs-- may he discover a technique to win, or at least go the span versus Alvarez?Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua are going to defend a title for the first time in pair of years. Joshua will certainly experience IBF champ Daniel Dubois in London, as "AJ" is favored to come to be a three-time world champion (-550 per ESPN WAGER). As well as two-division champion Danny Garcia returns to the band for just the second attend just about 4 years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that gained belts at 140 as well as 147 pounds, is moving up in weight for the opportunity to end up being a three-division champion, but can he upset a much older however still highly effective Lara?Mike Coppinger as well as Chip Parkinson answer these inquiries and also even more, attempting to distinguish what's real and what's not.Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will resign without one more fightNot real ... for now. Lomachenko is actually reflecting upon retired life, sources said to ESPN, component of the main reason he decreased a rewarding match along with Gervonta Davis in Nov. There is actually also a possibility that Lomachenko will definitely come back in the very first fifty percent of 2025 to shield his IBF lightweight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a dealing with state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson must be actually split at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually found saying to Stevenson, "Permit's go ideal now.If that is actually any sort of indicator, Lomachenko will certainly fight once more. Maybe even against Davis or Stevenson, the 2 biggest matches on the table for him. But if he never laces up the handwear covers once more, Lomachenko's heritage is actually gotten. He is actually a three-division champ, a first-ballot Venue of Famer and a backbone of the pound-for-pound listing over the final 10 years.He likewise does not need to have to eliminate for the money. He's made countless bucks in his job as well as still dwells in Ukraine, where he's one of the nation's very most well-liked athletes. Regardless if he fights again, he undoubtedly will not accomplish this a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Danny Garcia beats Erislandy Lara and also ends up being a champion in a 3rd divisionNot real. Garcia has outplayed the probabilities before, featuring a stunning KO sway Amir Khan as well as a leading decision victory over Lucas Matthysse. The very first win raised him to the higher echelon of the sport and also the last sealed that status.But the Matthysse battle was 11 years earlier, though, as well as those pair of trademark Garcia wins went to 140 pounds (he additionally gained a label at 147 pounds as well as went up to 154 for a July 2022 gain Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still seeking a gain that matches that, and a distressed victory over Lara would suit the bill.Garcia really did not resemble the stinging counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, and also he hasn't contended because. Now, he'll move up yet another body weight training class (though the Lara battle is actually occurring at a catchweight between 155 as well as 160 pounds) and need to contend with band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight headline battle versus Lara are going to be actually Garcia's 2nd considering that December 2020, when he was directed through Errol Spence Jr.The decide on below is Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), that, also at 41, reveals enormous electrical power, albeit against competitors beneath Garcia's amount. Lara is using a three-fight KO touch.-- CoppingerReal or otherwise: Canelo Alvarez's match versus Edgar Berlanga does not go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, safeguards his unquestioned super middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, boxing's top superstar, have not scored a KO triumph given that he flattened Caleb Vegetation in a Nov 2021 match to gain the undeniable super middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has scored a knockdown in his final three matches. Versus a competitor in Berlanga, that are going to be fighting on the best amount for the very first time, Alvarez should add the 40th KO of his illustrious career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been actually hurt in the ring before, specifically in a step-up fight versus Marcelo Coceres, who lost him in Cycle 9. And his protection isn't specifically seem. Berlanga possesses power (he started his occupation along with 16 successive KO wins in the preliminary), as well as if he picks to swap with Canelo, Alvarez must take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a pair of news conferences this week to advertise the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: Not one other lightweight champ can easily beat Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza looks a real hazard to Lopez after torturing Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round win in June and defeating Robeisy Ramirez through a bulk choice to win the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) floored Chirinho in three of the four shots, while his breakout succeed with Ramirez was one of the most effective matches in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the highest world light champ in background-- will be a difficulty for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to get out of bed from an uppercut from Espinoza in Around 1, prior to he was actually soon subdued. As a specialist, Chirinho had actually never been actually brought down prior to Espinoza swept him aside.Espinoza made a surprise in pounding two-time Olympic gold medallist Ramirez, and also he outlanded him in the last three rounds. Although he is certainly not as experienced as Lopez, the quantity of blows he has thrown in his final 2 fights, along with his elevation as well as reach benefits, might show overwhelming for Lopez.Rey Vargas has looked implausible in recent battles, while our team still require to find much more coming from Chip Sphere just before our experts declare him the branch's No. 1. Sphere (20-0-1, 11 KOs) recorded the WBA featherweight title along with a split choice gain Raymond Ford in June. That accomplishment followed a disputable draw versus Vargas for the WBC title in March. Yet Espinoza would certainly stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was disappointing versus Ball and also has certainly not succeeded in nearly 2 years, so it is actually hard to offer a disagreement for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the existing ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in eight rounds in a third protection of the IBF waistband in March. Lopez has actually overcome huge obstacles in headline battles, like boxing in a champion's neighborhood as well as receiving slice very early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he gains on Saturday against Angelo Leo, he might maybe face his greatest difficulty but in a title marriage match against Espinoza to dental crown the greatest boxer in the department.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel DuboisReal. Just as good as Dubois' resurgence has actually been simply a year after being actually stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, current form proposes his very first IBF abundant headline defense will definitely end in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in best form, more thus than some other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has actually needed to rebuild his career, after going through next selection losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua combated carefully, with a consensual choice get Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but in his last three battles, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.Dubois came back from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF acting big-time champ after he stopped Filip Hrgovic in Around 8. Usyk at that point relinquished the IBF belt, which implied Dubois was upgraded to total champ, and so presents Joshua along with the chance to become a three-time world champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua are going to attempt to manipulate what Hrgovic had actually redoed effectiveness along with against Dubois. Hrgovic continually landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early arounds, and Joshua has displayed in recent matches exactly how harmful his right hands seek he destroyed Ngannou in Around 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC big-time champion's jaw to take him out chilly. Joshua will certainly take possession of the opportunity if Dubois makes himself in a similar way offered, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois presented resilience to take in punches in June, he has actually been quit two times (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and also Usyk in 2014) and also was actually knocked down three times in the first round through Kevin Lerena before recouping to gain in Round 3. But it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, that also requires to value Dubois' electrical power. Dubois made a mess of Hrgovic's face and also may potentially manage a surprise halt versus Joshua, just like Andy Ruiz Jr. carried out in 2019. Yet Joshua, who concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and after that from 2019 to 2021, is actually more likely to win this fight through KO.-- Parkinson.