Raynard Talib Jr. bravely battled back from an opening round knockdown and a cut over his right eye to score a questionable four-round unanimous decision win over 44-year old journeyman Adam Ealoms. Scores were 38-37 across the board in their Fite Pay-Per-View preliminary bout Friday evening at Galveston Island Convention Center in Galveston, Texas.
Ealoms was rocked midway through the opening round but recovered well enough to catch Talib a sweeping left hook in producing the bout’s lone knockdown. Talib beat the count and found a home for his left hand in rounds two and three, although there wasn’t any quit in Ealoms who managed to open a cut over Talib’s right eye.
With the fight seemingly on the table, Ealoms moved in to secure the upset. The middle-aged southpaw from Bryan, Texas rocked Talib (3-0, 1KO) early in the fourth and final round. Talib took the shot well, responding with a stiff right jab to drive back Ealoms (4-19-3). The two traded until the final bell.
Charles Baylor enjoyed a successful pro debut in his home state. The Houston-bred middleweight had his way with Joel Muñoz, scoring a 2nd round knockout. The brief affair was all one-way action, with Baylor forcing a measured yet aggressive pace from the opening bell. Muñoz (0-2) was unable to do more than go on the defensive, which didn’t prove to be an effective strategy.
Baylor (1-0, 1KO) closed the show in style, landing a series of right hooks and left hands to force Muñoz to the ropes. A right hook forced Muñoz to the canvas, where he was in the midst of taking a count before his corner instructed the referee and ringside commission to stop the contest.
The official time was 1:40 of round two.
John Ramirez also made the most of his pro debut, needing just 1:51 to get rid of Jose Otero Solis (0-3). The Los Angeles-based bantamweight floored Solis one minute into the contest, before following up with a barrage of right uppercuts and overhand rights in forcing the stoppage.
On the free portion of the telecast, Houston-based junior welterweight Breyon Graham (7-0, 6KOs) remained unbeaten following a 3rd round knockout of Anthony Curtiss (2-7). Graham floored Curtiss hard in round three, with the Montana-based journeyman dazed and unsteady upon rising as the fight was waved off at 2:14 of round three.
Headlining the show, unbeaten former super middleweight titlist Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (40-0, 26KOs) ends a 20-month layoff as he faces Alfonso Lopez (32-3, 25KOs) in a scheduled 12-round regional light heavyweight title fight.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox