By Jake Donovan

Jhack Tepora atoned for past sins with an entertaining win in his latest ring adventure.

The unbeaten featherweight fended off a determined but outgunned Jose Luis Gallegos to score a 10-round decision Saturday evening at Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, California.

Scores were 99-91 across the board in favor of Tepora, a Filipino southpaw fighting for the first time in more than 10 months.

The lengthy layoff was his own doing, having miserably missed weight for a prime opportunity earlier this year. The unbeaten featherweight contender was due to appear on the Showtime Pay-Per-View undercard of famed countryman and promoter Manny Pacquiao, who made his Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) debut with a 12-round win over Adrien Broner this past January in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tepora was due to face Hugo Ruiz on the televised undercard, but their planned featherweight title eliminator was scrapped when the Filipino miserably missed weight and was pulled from the show. Ruiz would face Alberto Guevara on less than one day’s notice, scoring a 10-round decision and then proceeding with a failed 130-pound title challenge of unbeaten Gervonta Davis just three weeks later.

It was a hard lesson learned for Tepora, whom looked refreshed in coming in at 127 pounds as per the contract terms for Saturday’s affair. While the bout was action packed, Tepora remained a step ahead throughout the fast moving contest. He more than doubled up Gallegos in punches landed but the bout not without its anxious moments.

Gallegos (16-7, 12KOs) had early success when the two were at close quarters, and had Tepora trapped along the ropes midway through an entertaining round six that saw the unbeaten boxer in a rare moment on the defensive.

It was as close as the fight came to a momentum swing, although at no point did the in-ring action leave a feeling of disappointment among the casino crowd on hand.

Despite the lopsided loss, Gallegos—who has now dropped three straight—leaves with a moral victory. He goes 10 rounds for the first time in his career, although no closer to breaking away from opponent status as when the evening began.

Tepora advances to 23-0 (17KOs), although in going the distance for the first time in more than three years ends a six-fight knockout streak.

The bout aired live on FS2 and Fox Deportes, in supporting capacity to a PBC on FS1 telecast later this evening. Headlining the show, former two-division titlist Devon Alexander faces California-based Ukrainian super lightweight Ivan Redkach, who moves up in weight.

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