After the draw with Washington, Pearson began to climb the Super Featherweight (Junior Lightweight) ranks (130 lbs/59 kg), with 11 consecutive wins.
Pearson defended the USBA title once before suffering an unexpected defeat in a non-title 10-round bout against last minute replacement Orlando Salido (record 14-8).
Early in the fight, Pearson began showing discomfort in his surgically repaired right hand, and was forced to retire before the seventh round.
In September 2005, Pearson challenged for the USBA Super Featherweight title again at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia, against Brooklyn southpaw Shamir Reyes (record 18–3–2).
In July 2006, Pearson fought another southpaw, former World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Featherweight titleholder Joel Casamayor, on an ESPN2's Friday Night Fights broadcast from Phoenix, Arizona.