Two titles have already changed hands, with Dalton Smith beating Subriel Matias and Shakur Stevenson dominating Teofimo Lopez. And the division could experience even more turnover with two title fights on the Mario Barrios-Ryan Garcia "The Ring: High Stakes" card Saturday at T-Mobil Arena in Las Vegas on DAZN PPV.

Richardson Hitchins will put his IBF title on the line against Oscar Duarte in the co-featured bout. And, immediately before Hitchins vs. Duarte, WBA champion Gary Antuanne Russell will defend against Andy Hiraoka.

“I think it's a lot of talent,” Hitchins told The Ring on Wednesday. “I think all the champions are great fighters, great boxers, and it's definitely a great division.”

The turnover started with Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) beating Matias (23-3, 22 KOs) by fifth-round knockout to win the WBC title on January 10. Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) dazzled with his near-shutout victory over Lopez on January 31 to capture The Ring and WBO titles and become a four-division champion.

“[Stevenson] shook up the game a little bit, showcased his talent, came up to another division and just put on a spectacular performance against Teofimo Lopez,” Russell told The Ring on Wednesday. “Congratulations to him or whatnot, but he has a title, and he's on the radar. If I beat him, I feel like I would then earn the credit that I deserve, like I, Gary Antuanne Russell, is the true boogeyman of 140.”

Smith quickly acquired a target on his back among the current champions. Hitchins’ manager, Keith Connolly, mentioned at the final Barrios-Garcia news conference Thursday that the Englishman would keep Hitchins at 140 pounds rather than moving up to 147. Meanwhile, Russell (18-1, 17 KOs) named Smith as the first champion he’d like to face in a unification bout if he gets past Hiraoka (24-0, 19 KOs).

“He’s got the belt that I want,” Russell said. “I really like the WBC belt. It looks good.”

Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) and Russell also have history dating back to their time climbing the ranks as amateurs. Hitchins, of Brooklyn, New York, believes a fight against the dynamic southpaw from Capitol Heights, Maryland, is bound to happen at some point.

“I always knew that that matchup would come to fruition one day,” Hitchins said. “We were always the cream of the crop. Even back then as kids and now as professionals and grown men, we're still here at the top, still at the world level. It's just destined.”

Duarte (30-2-1, 23 KOs) has cemented himself as a viable threat after winning four consecutive fights since he lost by eighth-round knockout to Garcia in December 2023. His emergence has coincided with his move from Mexico to the U.S. to team up with trainer Robert Garcia. The Parral, Mexico native is coming off a majority decision win over Kenneth Sims on Aug. 2.

“It’s a great division,” Duarte told The Ring with Garcia translating. “Having all that talent in the division motivates me more to work harder, because I know those fights are all capable of happening in the future.”

Hiraoka is also a live underdog against Russell. The nearly 6-foot southpaw from Yokohama, Japan, became the mandatory challenger after his ninth-round stoppage victory over Ismael Barroso on September 3, 2024, his most recent bout. He has won 10 consecutive fights by stoppage.

Frank Martin is another name worth watching. He faces a tough test in Nahir Albright (17-2, 7 KOs) in a 10-round bout on Saturday. The hard-hitting southpaw announced his arrival to the division in emphatic fashion when he notched a “Knockout of the Year” contender with his fourth-round stoppage of Rances Barthelemy on December 6.

Martin (19-1, 13 KOs) is entering his second bout with Buddy McGirt as his trainer.

“I think it’s a hot division, and I think Martin will be a world champion,” McGirt told The Ring on Thursday.

Beyond the 140-pounders who will step into the ring on Saturday is a solid group of contenders. Alberto Puello (24-1, 10 KOs) is a former champion and the lone man to beat Russell. Lindolfo Delgado (24-0, 16 KOs) could be in line for a title shot in the near future, as he is ranked in the top seven by three of the four sanctioning bodies.

Former WBO lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis looked like a pound-for-pound talent in his first fight at junior welterweight, a dominant 12th-round knockout of Jamaine Ortiz on Jan. 31. A bout against Davis (14-0, 10 KOs, 1 NC) is one that Hitchins believes could happen in the near future.

“Great fight,“ Hitchins said of facing Davis. “I think it'll be even a bigger fight if he gets a world championship, but if not, we're still down to do it because it’s a big fight on its own.”

There are also a pair of intriguing prospects who could make the leap to contender status in Adam Azim and The Ring’s 2025 Prospect of the Year, Emiliano Vargas. Ernesto Mercado (18-0, 17 KOs) is further along than Azim (14-0, 11 KOs) and Vargas (16-0, 13 KOs) and could find himself in the title picture with a signature win in 2026.

January already showcased just how quickly things can change in a division full of viable contenders and former champions. Will the theme persist with Duarte and/or Hiraoka? Or will Hitchins and Russell hold serve and steady the division for the time being.

Either way, the 140-pound division has already proven to be one of the best in boxing. Saturday could dictate its direction and set up big fights for the rest of the year.

DAZN will distribute “The Ring: High Stakes” to non-subscribers on pay-per-view for $69.99 in the United States and £24.99 in the United Kingdom. The show is included in DAZN’s Ultimate monthly plan for subscribers ($44.99; £24.99).