On June 24, 1998, Sutcliffe met Para Draine in Atlantic City for her second bout, losing by technical knockout in round five.

Sutcliffe then fought Belgian champion Veerle Braspennings for the vacant Intercontinental WIBF title at the Armouries in Leeds, winning by technical knockout in round 7.

Her next fight, against Kim Messer in South Korea, also ended in a loss by points decision in ten rounds.

Sutcliffe followed these losses by winning the IFBA World Title crown at the Irish Center in Leeds on May 17, 2001, knocking out Bulgarian champion Maria Ivanova in round 5.

Sutcliffe lost in a seven-round technical decision when the fight's referee dictated that a cut suffered by Lang had been produced by a headbutt; the bout's result proved to be controversial, as many[like whom?]

Reflecting on her career, Sutcliffe stated:[citation needed] It was very hard in the beginning, as I had to fight women from other nations with much greater opportunities for professional boxing than in the UK.