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Real or not: Will Canelo knock out Berlanga? Lopez the best featherweight? Last of Lomachenko?

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IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez will defend his title against Angelo Leo in the main event of Top Rank on ESPN at the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, Up-to-date Mexico, on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET).

Lopez’s last loss came in May 2019, and he has won 14 straight fights since then, including impressive victories over Josh Warrington in England and Michael Conlan in Northern Ireland. But is he the best featherweight in boxing?

Vasiliy Lomachenko recently turned down a lucrative fight with fellow lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis. While he has yet to announce his retirement, will we see “Hi-Tech” in the ring again?

Canelo Alvarez will be stepping into the ring for the second time this year, but not against what fight fans have been clamoring for. Instead of David Benavidez, Canelo will face Edgar Berlanga, who has never fought at this level in his compact career. While Berlanga has incredible power — he began his career with 16 consecutive first-round knockouts — can he find a way to win, or at least last, Alvarez?

Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will fight for a title for the first time in two years. Joshua will face IBF champion Daniel Dubois in London, as “AJ” is the favorite to become a three-time world champion (-550 according to ESPN BET).

And two-division champion Danny Garcia returns to the ring for the second time in nearly four years to face WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. Garcia, who has titles at 140 and 147 pounds, moves up a weight class for a chance to become a three-division champion, but can he defeat the older but still powerful Lara?

Mike Coppinger and Nick Parkinson answer these questions and more, trying to distinguish what is true and what is not.


True or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko will retire without another fight

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Dominant Lomachenko stops Kambosos Jr. in 11th round to win title

Vasiliy Lomachenko lands a series of body punches on Georgiy Kambosos Jr., forcing the referee to stop the fight in the 11th round.

Not realistic…for now. Lomachenko is considering retirement, sources told ESPN, which is one reason he turned down a lucrative fight with Gervonta Davis in November. There’s also the possibility that Lomachenko could return in the first half of 2025 to defend his IBF lightweight title.

Finally, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) showed up in a fighting mood in Los Angeles on Saturday: He and Shakur Stevenson had to be separated at ringside during the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov event. Lomachenko was seen telling Stevenson, “We’re going now.

If this is any indication, Lomachenko will fight again. Maybe even Davis or Stevenson, the two biggest fights on the table for him. But if he never laces up the gloves again, Lomachenko’s legacy is assured. He’s a three-division champion, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a mainstay on the pound-for-pound list for the past 10 years.

He doesn’t have to fight for money either. He’s made millions of dollars in his career and still lives in Ukraine, where he’s one of the country’s most popular athletes. Whether he fights again or not, it won’t be for long. He turns 37 in February.


True or not: Danny Garcia defeats Erislandy Lara to become the third division champion

Not true. Garcia has stunned opponents before, including a shocking knockout win over Amir Khan and a dominant decision over Lucas Matthysse. The first victory catapulted him into the sport’s upper echelon, and the second cemented that status.

However, the Matthysse fight was 11 years ago, and those two wins for Garcia came at 140 pounds (he also won a title at 147 pounds and moved up to 154 pounds by defeating Jose Benavidez Jr. in July 2022.)

Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is still looking for a similar victory, and a surprising win over Lara would be a prime example of that.

Garcia didn’t resemble the keen counterpuncher he was in his majority decision victory over Benavidez and hasn’t fought since. Now, he’ll move up in weight (although the fight with Lara will take place at a catchweight between 155 and 160 pounds) and face a lack of in-ring activity. The middleweight title fight with Lara on Sept. 14 will be Garcia’s second fight since December 2020, when he was defeated by Errol Spence Jr.

The choice fell on Lara (30-3-3, 18 KO), who, even at 41, shows enormous strength, although against fighters below Garcia’s level. Lara has a series of three KOs behind her.


Real or not: Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga fight won’t go the distance

Real. Alvarez, boxing’s biggest star, hasn’t had a knockout win since defeating Caleb Plant for the undisputed super middleweight championship in November 2021.

However, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has been knocked down in his last three fights. Against Berlanga, who will be fighting at the highest level for the first time, Alvarez should add the 40th knockout of his illustrious career.

Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has been injured in the ring before, most notably in his fight with Marcelo Coceres, who knocked him down in the ninth round. And his defense isn’t exactly solid. Berlanga has the power (he started his career with 16 consecutive first-round KO wins), and if he decides to trade with Canelo, Alvarez should knock him out.

Alvarez promised the same thing at two press conferences this week promoting the fight.


Real or not: No other featherweight champion can beat Luis Alberto Lopez

Not true. Rafael Espinoza looks like a real threat to Lopez after tormenting Sergio Chirinho Sanchez in a four-round victory in June and defeating Robeisy Ramirez by majority decision to win the WBO title in December. Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) has floored Chirinho in three of four rounds, and his breakthrough win over Ramirez was one of the best fights of 2023.

The 6-foot-1 Espinoza — the tallest featherweight world champion in history — would be a challenge for Lopez. Chirinho did well to recover from Espinoza’s uppercut in Round 1 before being taken down shortly after. As a professional, Chirinho had never been knocked down before Espinoza pushed him aside.

Espinoza pulled off a shock win over two-time Olympic gold medalist Ramirez, outboxing him in the final three rounds. While he’s not as experienced as Lopez, the amount of punches he’s landed in his last two fights, along with his height and reach advantage, could prove insurmountable for Lopez.

Rey Vargas hasn’t looked convincing in recent fights, while Nick Ball still has some ground to fill before we can declare him No. 1 in the division. Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) won the WBA featherweight title with a split decision victory over Raymond Ford in June. That triumph followed a controversial draw with Vargas for the WBC title in March. But Espinoza would tower over the 5-foot-2 Ball.

Vargas disappointed rival Ball and hasn’t won in almost two years, so it’s tough to make an argument in his favor given his current form.

Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs) is currently ESPN’s No. 1 featherweight after stopping Reiya Abe in eight rounds in March in his third defense of the IBF belt. Lopez has overcome substantial challenges in title fights, such as boxing in the champ’s hometown and getting cut early (against Josh Warrington), and if he wins Saturday against Angelo Leo, he could face his biggest challenge yet in a title unification fight with Espinoza to crown the best fighter in the division.


Real or not: Anthony Joshua will knock out Daniel Dubois

True. While Dubois’ resurgence has been good just a year after being stopped by Oleksandr Usyk, recent form suggests his first IBF heavyweight title defense will end in a KO loss to Joshua.

Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is in peak form, better than any other heavyweight. Like Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), Joshua has had to rebuild his career after back-to-back decision losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Joshua has fought cautiously, earning a unanimous decision victory over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023, but has defeated Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou in his last three fights.

Dubois returned from Saudi Arabia to London as the interim IBF heavyweight champion after knocking out Filip Hrgovic in the eighth round. Usyk then vacated the IBF belt, meaning Dubois became the full champion and Joshua had the opportunity to become a three-time world champion at Wembley Stadium in London.

Joshua will look to capitalize on what Hrgovic repeatedly found in the Dubois fight. Hrgovic was constantly landing right hooks on Dubois in the early rounds, and Joshua has shown in recent fights just how damaging his right hooks are, after destroying Ngannou in Round 2. Joshua landed a right hook to the former UFC heavyweight champion’s chin to knock him out. Joshua will capitalize on the opportunity if Dubois is as available as he was in the Hrgovic fight. Joshua is a bigger puncher than Hrgovic, and while Dubois showed some staying power in June, he was stopped twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Usyk last year) and was knocked down three times in the first round by Kevin Lerena before recovering to win in Round 3.

But it’s no walk in the park for Joshua, who also has to respect Dubois’s strength. Dubois has scarred Hrgovic’s face and could potentially pull off a shocking stoppage of Joshua, like Andy Ruiz Jr. did in 2019. But Joshua, who reigned as champion from 2016 to 2019 and then from 2019 to 2021, is more likely to win this fight by knockout.

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Boxing

BrianNorman Jr. prepares his father for a shocking comeback after 14 years

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Norman vs Hackett

Undefeated twenty-four-year-old welterweight world champion Brian Norman Jr. he has been coached by his father, Brian Norman Sr., since he was seven years elderly. They changed course and Junior is now training Senior for his February 15 boxing match against Greg Hackett in Atlanta, Georgia.

The long-running feud between Brian Sr. and Hackett came to a head in November when the two participated on Coach Malachi’s Tru Media podcast. Things got heated when Norman told Hackett, “As an opponent, you were getting $400 to basically lose. You lose for a living.

Shortly thereafter, it was decided that they would lace them up and settle them in the ring. The event will be broadcast live on BLK Prime PPV.

Norman (17-11, 5 KO) from Atlanta and Greg Hackett (3-23) from Philadelphia will decide the result in a six-round lightweight heavyweight fight.

“I’m trained by a world champion who I trained to become that world champion,” Brian Sr. said. “He has the knowledge that I gave him. Now he can see this vision of what he is telling me, which is the same thing I was telling him. At the same time, he can visualize himself through me, observing how I respond to instructions. Ultimately, he helps himself as much, if not more, than he helps me.”

So, Junior, you’re getting him back after everything Dad’s been through all these years?

“Has it been a wonderful journey so far,” Brian Norman Jr. said. “I see a lot of similarities between me and him, mainly the drive for self-determination and the desire. It was a wonderful experience to witness. There were a few times when Dad got tired and wanted to stop and I shouted “no, two more rounds.” I have to push him, you know? We don’t like to lose – we’re both very competitive and I see that in him all day long.

“I like the way this fight turned out and it’s good for boxing,” Hackett said. “There’s no animosity here, but I’m going to hate him for eighteen minutes of our fight. There are many people who say they don’t want to go there, but we will go there. I’ve been training since the day it happened. It’s going to be a good fight. I think he’ll push it because he’s a bigger guy, but skill-wise I’m the better player. I just have to be prepared for whatever he brings to the table and make him pay for his mistakes. I will win this fight, whether by knockout or decision. I will win this fight.”

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Deontay Wilder: Warning against throwing in the towel on the fat suit myth

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Deontay Wilder is preparing to return to boxing this year and will face an opponent who has lost eleven times in Curtis Harper.

Wilder is on a losing streak, winning just once in his last five fights. The first of these four defeats remains a huge bone of contention. Wilder exploded with emotion after a one-sided rematch in February 2020 at the MGM Grand.

The “Brown Bomber” blamed everyone but himself for what happened when Fury beat him and put him through seven painful rounds. WBN witnessed the fight in the smoke-filled Garden Arena. Despite the sight, it was clear that Fury was the much better fighter that night.

Fury brought Steward SugarHill into his corner to make him more aggressive. The tactic paid off brilliantly as he regained the world heavyweight title. However, this was not what became the story of the event. Unfortunately, Deontay Wilder took that away from the “Gypsy King” with his post-fight accusations.

Wilder’s main target under his deal was Mark Breland. His longtime coach threw in the towel when the Tuscaloosa player came under massive fire and stared at his feet. But that’s not where Breland went wrong. Wilder’s problem was that the 1984 Olympic gold medalist ignored his previous instructions and never used a towel to end one of his fights.

That’s why Wilder was so irate, as he later told Brian Custer in “The Last Stand.”

“I have been preaching for five years. Never give up on Deontay Wilder,” said the former WBC champion.

The 36-year-old believed he could detonate on Fury at any time due to his one-punch KO skills.

“Deontay Wilder is never out until this is all over, because of my heart, my will and the strength I have. And yes, I really feel like he was part of it and it’s not my place to explain that to anyone. I said my peace and let out my emotions. I said it. People can believe what they want.”

Another story that got out of hand was the massive suit excuse. Wilder pointed out that he only mentioned something behind the scenes and someone in the media blew it up.

“They actually overheard something in the locker room,” Wilder explained. “I’m not justifying the costume. The costume was a bit massive. But it wasn’t enough to make me feel the way I felt in the ring. It wasn’t enough that I had no legs.

Strangely, however, Wilder blamed this part on someone who potentially gave him a demanding time. He will strive to ensure that the decision never falls on Malik Scott, who replaced Breland as coach.

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Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC

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Badou Jack Rozicki Mikaelian WBC

The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).

If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.

“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”

29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.

Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.

“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”

Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.

The next move is Badou Jack’s.

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