Challenger Yuko Kuroki of YuKO Fitness Boxing GYM, utilizing her speedy footwork to her advantage, pounded out a 10-round unanimous decision over Nanae Suzuki of Shu Boxing Gym to win the World Boxing Organization’s female atomweight title on Sept. 1 at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.

After the 10-round battle, two of the three judges scored the fight 98-92 and the remaining one judge saw it 97-93 all in favor of Kuroki. With the defeat, Suzuki failed in her first defense of the title she captured in February.

The left-handed Kuroki, who was fighting her first world fight in four years and eight months, befuddled Suzuki with her movement while landing straight lefts.

Though Suzuki, 30, began to work Kuroki’s body from the second round, Kuroki landed a counter left in the fourth stanza and repeated the same in the fifth while moving side to side.

This pattern did not change during the remaining part of the fight although Suzuki showed everything she had in her arsenal.

The 31-year-old Kuroki said after the fight, ‘’I am happier than I first won the world title because five years are long time. If I had lost in today’s fight, I would have hung up my gloves. But since I won it, I am determined to unify the titles of the sanctioning bodies.’’

With the win, Kuroki, ranked seventh by the World Boxing Council’s minimumweight rankings, improved her record to 20 wins, including nine knockouts, against seven defeats and two draws. Meanwhile, Suzuki impaired to an 11-5-1 win-loss-draw tally with five KOs.