David Picasso got off to a blistering start Saturday night and looked like he would become the first opponent to knock out Erik Ruiz.

The Mexican featherweight’s hand speed, power and combination punching overwhelmed Ruiz during the first four rounds of their 10-round, 126-pound bout on the Jaime Munguia-John Ryder undercard at Footprint Center in Phoenix. Once the 23-year-old Picasso sustained a right rib injury in the fifth round, however, he wasn’t nearly as active offensively, lost a couple rounds on two scorecards and craftily maneuvered his way to the final bell.

Picasso (27-0-1, 15 KOs) won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 98-92. The resourceful Picasso also extended his winning streak to 22 since his technical draw with Martin Jiminez in March 2018, when Picasso was originally a technical-knockout loser, until Mexico City’s boxing commission ruled that Jiminez landed an elbow that affected the outcome.

The durable Ruiz, of Oxnard, California, dropped to 17-10-1 (7 KOs).

Ruiz finally seemed to affect Picasso with a left hook and then a right hand with under a minute remaining in the 10th and final round. Picasso recovered, though, and made it to the final bell.

Ruiz drilled Picasso with a right hand that landed a few seconds after the halfway point of the ninth round. Picasso tried to use his jab and fended off Ruiz to make it to the final round.

Picasso’s style changed during the sixth, seventh and eighth rounds, when he tried to box and keep away from Ruiz after sustaining a rib injury in the fifth round. Ruiz pressured him in those three rounds, but he couldn’t capitalize on Picasso’s injury.

Ruiz drilled Picasso with a right hand to the side of his head during the fifth round. Picasso also suffered a rib injury in the fifth round, according to what DAZN’s Sergio Mora learned from Picasso’s corner men.

Picasso’s combination punching, including a vicious right hand, made Ruiz retreat a few seconds after the midway mark of the fourth round. A left hook to the body by Picasso moved Ruiz backward with under 30 seconds remaining in the fourth round.

An ever-aggressive Picasso backed Ruiz into the ropes with under 50 seconds to go in the third round and unloaded hard head and body shots on his tough opponent. Ruiz’s trainer asked Ruiz if he wanted the fight stopped following a one-sided third round, but Ruiz continued.

Picasso’s right to the head followed his left hook to the body with just under 50 seconds remaining in the second round. He continued hammering Ruiz with head and body shots until the second round ended.

Picasso and Ruiz traded various shots on the inside throughout an action-packed first round. Picasso finally forced Ruiz to move away from him by landing a left hook to the body with just over 40 seconds to go in the opening round.

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