World Boxing Organization’s second-ranked flyweight Riku Kano of Taisei Boxing Gym pounded out a 12-round unanimous decision over fifth-ranked Yuga Inoue of Shinsei Boxing Gym and won the vacant WBO’s Asia-Pacific flyweight title on Sept. 3 in Osaka.

After the hard-fought fight at EDION Arena Osaka’s annex, all three judges scored the fight for the 24-year-old Kano by the margins of two to four points. There were no knockdowns.

The left-handed Kano landed variety of punches from various angles from the early rounds while Inoue, 23, retaliated with his highly vaunted hard punches throughout the fight.

After the fight, Kano, who was a former WBO’s Asia-Pacific light flyweight champion, said, ‘’I did not feel any difference in terms of power even at flyweight. Though I felt Mr. Inoue’s fighting spirit, I think I was able to come out the winner with the difference of career. I am determined to take a crack at a world title in the future.’’

With the win, Kano improved his record to 15 wins, including seven KOs, against three losses. For his part, Inoue fell to a 13-3-1 win-loss-draw tally with two KOs.