LAS VEGAS – Ra’esse Aleem wasn’t nearly as impressive Saturday night as he was in his previous appearance.

Aleem did enough against a determined Eduardo Baez, however, to remain unbeaten in the co-feature of Showtime’s tripleheader from Park MGM’s Dolby Live. Aleem overcame Mexico’s Baez by majority decision in their 10-round junior featherweight fight.

Judges Eric Cheek (98-92) and Patricia Morse Jarman (96-94) favored Aleem’s aggression, body work and occasional head shots against a taller opponent who uncharacteristically boxed going backward for most of their bout. Judge Max De Luca scored the action even, 95-95.

Nevertheless, by beating Baez, Aleem (19-0, 12 KOs) remains at least in position to fight for a 122-pound championship. He is still the WBA’s number one contender for its “super” champion, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, but Aleem declined early this month to face Armenia’s Avat Hovhannisyan in a final eliminator because he already had a signed contract to box Baez on Saturday night.

In the bout before he edged Baez, Aleem dropped Vic Pasillas (16-1, 9 KOs) four times on his way to an 11th-round stoppage January 23 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Aleem also ended Baez’s nine-fight winning streak. Mexicali’s Baez lost for just the second as a pro (20-2-2, 7 KOs).

Aleem went to the canvas with just under 1:10 remaining in the fight, but Ruiz correctly ruled that Baez pushed him down. Baez landed a left hook that backed Aleem into the ropes with just over 30 seconds to go in their bout.

Aleem appeared tired during the final round, though he tried to land power punches from a southpaw stance.

Aleem rocked Baez with a right hand that moved him toward the ropes late in the ninth round. The eight

Baez blasted Aleem with a right hand when there was just under 50 seconds to go in the seventh round. Aleem drilled Baez with a right hand that backed him up with about five seconds remaining in the seventh round.

Aleem countered Baez with a hard overhand right with just under 1:10 on the clock in the sixth round. An accidental clash of heads during the sixth round caused a cut over Baez’s left eye as well.

Aleem and Baez mostly missed with right hands during the fifth round, though both boxers did decent work to the body in those three minutes.

Baez belted Aleem with a right hand with 1:15 to go in the fourth round. A flush left hook by Baez also got Aleem’s attention with just over 50 seconds on the clock in the fourth round.

Aleem knocked Baez off balance with a right hand that connected just before the third round concluded. Aleem also moved Baez backward with a right hand earlier in the third round.

Baez and Aleem exchanged right hands about 35 seconds into the second round. Ruiz warned Aleem for a low blow with just under 20 seconds left in the second round.

Aleem’s sweeping left hook got the crowd’s attention with just under 20 seconds to go in the first round. Though he didn’t land many other flush punches in those opening three minutes, Aleem made Baez, usually the aggressor, box off his back foot throughout the first round.

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