LAS VEGAS – Luis Nery re-established himself as one of boxing’s best in the 122-pound division Saturday night.

The Mexican southpaw dropped Carlos Castro early in the first round before boxing craftily for most of the remainder of their 10-round junior featherweight fight at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino’s Michelob ULTRA Arena. Judges Max DeLuca (95-94) and Steve Weisfeld (96-93) scored their opener of a four-fight FOX Sports Pay-Per-View show for Nery, who won a split decision.

Judge Tim Cheatham credited Castro, who was the aggressor for most of their fight, with a 95-94 victory.

Nevertheless, Tijuana’s Nery (32-1, 24 KOs) recorded an important win against a previously undefeated fighter in his first bout since he lost his WBC super bantamweight championship to then-unbeaten Brandon Figueroa. Phoenix’s Castro slipped to 27-1 (12 KOs).

Seemingly in control, Nery continued to elude Castro and pot-shotted him during the ninth and 10th rounds. Castro caught him with a right hand toward the end of the 10th round, but he couldn’t hurt the former 122-pound and 118-pound champion.

Nery nailed Castro with a right uppercut and then a left hand that moved Castro into the ropes and made him cover up during the eighth round.

Castro pressed the action again in the seventh round, but still had difficulty finding the elusive Nery. Toward the end of the seventh round, Nery landed a flush left uppercut and spun away from Castro.

Nery continued to jab and move out of Castro’s punching range during the fifth and sixth rounds. Castro was the aggressor in those rounds, though, and attempted to jab and land right hands.

Following a competitive, tactical third round, Nery clipped Castro with a right hook in an exchange that got Castro’s attention in the fourth round. Nery defended himself well thereafter, when Castro tried to connect with right hands.

Castro got back to boxing in the second round after Nery knocked him down early in the first round. He tried to work off his jab and mostly kept Nery from getting inside, where he could connect with another damaging left hand.

Nery nailed Castro with a straight left hand that stunned him and sent him to the seat of his trunks very early in the first round. Castro calmly composed himself and waited until Mora’s count reached eight before beating his count.

Nery jumped right on him as soon as Mora allowed it, but Castro bobbed and weaved his way toward weathering that early storm.

The opening round indicated this night would be very different from May 15 for Nery.

Figueroa (22-1-1, 17 KOs) stopped Nery that night with a left uppercut to the body in the seventh round of a fight Nery led on one scorecard through six rounds at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Figueroa, of Weslaco, Texas, lost his WBC belt to WBO champ Stephen Fulton (20-0, 8 KOs) in his first defense – a “Fight of the Year” candidate November 27 at Park MGM in Las Vegas.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.