.IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez defends his belt versus Angelo Leo in the main event of a Leading Ranking on ESPN card at Tingley Col iseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET). Lopez's last reduction resided in May 2019 and he has succeeded 14 consecutive battles because, consisting of impressive victories over Josh Warrington in England as well as Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. Yet is he the most effective featherweight in boxing?Vasiliy Lomachenko recently denied a profitable match versus fellow light in weight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis and while he hasn't announced his retired life, will certainly our company observe "Hi-Tech" in the band again?Canelo Alvarez are going to make his 2nd ring appearance this year, but not against the competitor fans have demanded. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will experience Edgar Berlanga, who's never dealt with at this level in his quick profession. While Berlanga has fabulous electrical power-- he started his occupation with 16 consecutive first-round KOs-- can he locate a method to gain, or even at least go the range against Alvarez?Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will fight for a headline for the first time in two years. Joshua will certainly deal with IBF champ Daniel Dubois in Greater London, as "AJ" is chosen to come to be a three-time planet champ (-550 per ESPN BET). And two-division champ Danny Garcia goes back to the band for merely the second attend almost four years to take on WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, that won waistbands at 140 and 147 pounds, is actually going up in weight for the opportunity to become a three-division champion, yet can he upset an older yet still strong Lara?Mike Coppinger and Chip Parkinson respond to these questions and more, making an effort to differentiate what's actual and what's not.Real or otherwise: Vasiliy Lomachenko will certainly retire without yet another fightNot real ... in the meantime. Lomachenko is considering retired life, resources told ESPN, part of the main reason he declined a lucrative fight along with Gervonta Davis in November. There's also an opportunity that Lomachenko will return in the 1st one-half of 2025 to defend his IBF light in weight title.After all, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a battling state of mind Saturday in Los Angeles: he as well as Shakur Stevenson must be divided at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. Lomachenko was actually observed informing Stevenson, "Permit's go best now.If that's any kind of sign, Lomachenko will definitely battle once more. Perhaps even versus Davis or even Stevenson, the two biggest matches on the desk for him. But if he never ever laces up the handwear covers once again, Lomachenko's tradition is protected. He's a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and also a mainstay of the pound-for-pound list over the final 10 years.He also does not need to combat for the money. He is actually gotten countless bucks in his job as well as still dwells in Ukraine, where he is just one of the country's very most popular athletes. Regardless if he battles again, he surely won't accomplish this a lot longer. He switches 37 in February.-- CoppingerReal or not: Danny Garcia hammers Erislandy Lara as well as becomes a champion in a 3rd divisionNot genuine. Garcia has outplayed the chances before, consisting of a stunning KO sway Amir Khan as well as a dominant selection triumph over Lucas Matthysse. The 1st gain lifted him to the upper tier of the sport and also the second glued that status.But the Matthysse fight was actually 11 years ago, however, as well as those two signature Garcia victories went to 140 pounds (he additionally gained a label at 147 extra pounds and went up to 154 for a July 2022 get Jose Benavidez Jr.) Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still looking for a win that matches that, as well as a dismayed success over Lara would accommodate the bill.Garcia really did not appear like the sharp counterpuncher in the majority-decision triumph over Benavidez, as well as he have not competed due to the fact that. Right now, he'll go up another weight class (though the Lara fight is happening at a catchweight in between 155 as well as 160 extra pounds) and also have to emulate band sluggishness. The Sept. 14 middleweight title battle versus Lara will be Garcia's 2nd due to the fact that December 2020, when he was actually routed through Errol Spence Jr.The select right here is actually Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who, also at 41, shows remarkable energy, albeit versus competitors under Garcia's degree. Lara is actually using a three-fight KO streak.-- CoppingerReal or not: Canelo Alvarez's battle against Edgar Berlanga doesn't go the distanceCanelo Alvarez, left behind, safeguards his recognized very middleweight championship versus Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Sin City. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty ImagesReal. Alvarez, punching's top celebrity, have not racked up a KO triumph since he flattened Caleb Plant in a November 2021 fight to win the recognized very middleweight championship.However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has racked up a knockdown in his final three battles. Versus a boxer in Berlanga, that will be actually combating on the best amount for the very first time, Alvarez must include the 40th KO of his remarkable career.Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has actually been hurt in the ring before, particularly in a step-up battle against Marcelo Coceres, who lost him in Round 9. And also his defense isn't precisely seem. Berlanga has electrical power (he began his career with 16 successive KO wins in the preliminary), and also if he selects to exchange along with Canelo, Alvarez ought to take him out.Alvarez assured as a lot at a pair of news conferences recently to advertise the battle.-- Coppinger Real or not: Not one other light champion can hammer Luis Alberto LopezNot real. Rafael Espinoza appears a real hazard to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round succeed in June as well as beating Robeisy Ramirez by a large number selection to succeed the WBO headline in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defeated Chirinho in three of the four shots, while his escapement gain along with Ramirez was among the greatest battles in 2023. Editor's Picks1 RelatedAt 6-foot-1, Espinoza-- the tallest globe light champ in past-- would be an obstacle for Lopez. Chirinho succeeded to rise from an uppercut coming from Espinoza in Around 1, just before he was actually soon subdued. As a specialist, Chirinho had actually never ever been actually knocked 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 three rounds. Although he is certainly not as expert as Lopez, the amount of strikes he has included his final pair of matches, together with his elevation and get to perks, could possibly show unbeatable for Lopez.Rey Vargas has actually appeared unconvincing in latest matches, while our experts still need to have to observe a lot more coming from Nick Round just before our team proclaim him the branch's No. 1. Round (20-0-1, 11 KOs) grabbed the WBA featherweight label along with a split selection win over Raymond Ford in June. That victory followed a debatable draw versus Vargas for the WBC headline in March. Yet Espinoza will stand over 5-foot-2 Ball.Vargas was unsatisfactory versus Round and has actually certainly not succeeded in virtually 2 years, so it is actually hard to provide a disagreement for him in his present form.Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is the current ESPN No. 1 at featherweight after ceasing Reiya Abe in 8 arounds in a third self defense of the IBF belt in March. Lopez has beat huge obstacles in headline battles, like punching in a champ's neighborhood as well as receiving slice early (vs. Josh Warrington), and if he wins on Saturday versus Angelo Leo, he might perhaps experience his most significant problem but in a title unification battle versus Espinoza to dental crown the very best competitor in the branch.-- ParkinsonReal or not: Anthony Joshua will definitely KO Daniel DuboisReal. Comparable to Dubois' revival has actually been actually only a year after being actually stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, recent form recommends his first IBF heavyweight headline defense will finish in a KO defeat to Joshua.Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) remains in best kind, even more thus than any other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, twenty KOs), Joshua has must restore his occupation, after suffering back-to-back decision losses to Usyk in 2021 as well as 2022. Joshua fought meticulously, with a consensual selection gain Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, however in his last 3 fights, he accomplished Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin as well as Francis Ngannou.Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to London as IBF interim big-time champ after he ceased Filip Hrgovic in Round 8. Usyk after that gave up the IBF waistband, which implied Dubois was actually upgraded to complete champion, and so offers Joshua along with the possibility to come to be a three-time planet champ at Wembley Arena in London.Joshua will make an effort to exploit what Hrgovic had repeated results with versus Dubois. Hrgovic consistently landed right-hand men on Dubois in the early arounds, as well as Joshua has actually received recent fights how detrimental his right-hand men want he damaged Ngannou in Sphere 2. Joshua landed a right hand on the former UFC big-time champ's jaw to take him out cool. Joshua will confiscate the chance if Dubois creates himself likewise available, as he carried out against Hrgovic. Joshua is actually a much bigger puncher than Hrgovic and also, although Dubois presented resilience to absorb punches in June, he has been ceased twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk in 2014) as well as was actually defeated three attend the preliminary by Kevin Lerena just before recovering to gain in Round 3. However it is no walk in the playground for Joshua, that also needs to have to respect Dubois' energy. Dubois ruined Hrgovic's skin and may likely manage a surprise standstill against Joshua, similar to Andy Ruiz Jr. performed in 2019. But Joshua, that concluded as champion from 2016 to 2019 and afterwards from 2019 to 2021, is more probable to win this match by KO.-- Parkinson.