Antonio Moran didn't walk away with the win but the manner in which he finished his fight with Yomar Alamo certainly breathed new life into his career. 

The headlining act of Boxeo Telemundo's fall season premiere failed to produce a winner, as Alamo and Moran were forced to settle for a split decision draw. Scores were 97-93 Alamo, 96-94 Moran and 95-95 in their regional title fight Friday evening at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Fla. 

While generally an unpopular opinion in a medium where absolutes are always the preference, the end result was the right call. Mexico City's Moran came in with something to prove, seeking out a better ring memory than his most recent appearance a little more than four months ago when he landed on the wrong end of a highlight reel knockout produced by unbeaten lightweight Devin Haney. 

In facing his second straight undefeated opponent, Moran showed grit at the new weight after having previously campaigned in the 135 pound division. He jumped out to a strong start versus Alamo, who didn't truly find his stride until midway through the contest. 

The fighting pride of Caguas, Puerto Rico turned the tide midway through the contest, keeping Moran at the end of his jab and putting in effective work on the inside. Alamo's second half surge appeared to put him well on his way to his third decision win of 2019—all coming at this very venue—but failed to close the show. 

Moran put together a strong stretch late in round nine and in the 10th and final round. While a decision was seemingly out of reach, the 26-year old never stopped fighting for the win. A late power surge left Alamo stunned and ultimately costing him the victory.

The timely finish was enough for Moran to avoid a third loss within his last four starts. With the draw, his record moves to 24-4-1 (17KOs). While a 1-2-1 stretch doesn't look appealing on paper, his strong showing on Friday as well as his hard fought loss to Jose Pedraza last June are plenty over which to proudly hold his head high. 

Alamo suffers the first blemish on his career, although the split draw verdict keeps his unbeaten status intact. The 24 year old Boricua moves to 17-0-1 (12KOs). 

The downside to the stalemate is that it casts a shadow over the World Boxing Organization's 'Tournament of Champions' plans. The intention was to match Friday's winner with whomever prevails in Saturday’s battle between unbeaten Puerto Rican knockout artist Danielito Zorrilla (12-0, 10KOs) and Mexico’s Jesus Antonio Perez (23-3, 18KOs) at Coliseo Pedrin Zorrilla in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

A far more conclusive outcome came in preliminary action, when locally based Deron Thompson (3-0, 2KOs) produced a Knockout of the Year contender with a three-round dusting of winless Ivan Reyes. The rookie super lightweight—who hails from the greater Orlando area—twice floored Mexico's Reyes (0-3, 0KOs) in the opening round before finishing him off in round three. A pair of right hands rendered Reyes defenseless as he collapsed sideways to the canvas, prompting an immediate stoppage. 

All three of Thompson's career bouts have taken place in 2019 and at this very venue. 

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox