KUROKI KEEPS WBC FEMALE 105LB BELT

By Joe Koizumi

Fast-moving southpaw Yuko Kuroki (17-4-1, 8 KOs), 104.5, impressively retained her WBC 105-pound belt when she dropped former champ Mari Ando (13-10, 6 KOs), 105, twice in early rounds, withstood Ando’s retaliation in the second half and earned a unanimous decision (all 96-92) over ten give-and-take rounds, in Fukuoka, Japan.

Kuroki registered her fifth defense since she dethroned Ando here in 2014, and displayed her progress and pugnaciousness, flooring Ando with a southpaw left in the second and fifth.

Ando, however, came back hard in later rounds, occasionally having the champ at bay. But Kuroki’s early accumulation of points carried her to a well-deserved victory before the hometown audience including her Father, a police executive in Fukuoka.

The former two-time champ Ando announced her farewell to the ring with her final attempt to win the world throne.

Promoter: Yuko Fitness Promotions.