By Daniel Hughes: Fighters, promoters, managers, trainers, writers and boxing fans will always question tight decisions the world over the nature to debate a close call. It makes boxing the one sport you can sit around a table or bar and argue to your heart’s content when a fight goes to the scorecards.

I have witnessed many fighters go away from home into opponents back yard and unless you can stop your opponent, you have little or no chance of getting your hand raised on the night. The life of being the underdog. Boxing, we can love it and at times hate it by being so frustrated by the politics in what seems can hold it back. The judges at times it seems premeditating the outcome without even watching the fight. It happens the world over sadly. It has and will continue to do so unless the judges themselves get called to explain how they have registered one sided cards in close fights.

The regular readers of what I write well aware I will call a fight how I see it. The recent Arthur Abraham-Paul Smith WBO 168 pound title fight in Germany for example. The home fighter Abraham and massive favorite expected to dominate and the scorecards which were expected to not even be in the equation. Paul Smith fought a great fight as challenger, and was rewarded with a decent payday but not even an acknowledgment of what the contest that unfolded, reflected on the cards. I had the fight very tight on the cards and really couldn’t have argued a case had either fighter won a close call or draw. The cards on the night embarrassing for the sport 119-109 on one even the home promoter Kalle Sauerland left shaking his head when that score was read out.

Boxing is a subjective sport. Personally I look to reward the pressure fighter, the guy that pushes the action and holds his own in but looks to finish close exchanges. Many others will judge a fight differently. The point being we may judge what we see differently but most fair minded writers. Fans will call a fight to either fighter within a point or two of a close fight.

The boxing public of course have always missed out on big fights worldwide because of this. Home advantage one thing, but home cooking another. Let’s be frank. It has happened far too often for everyone’s liking and as it stands will continue to do so. The only way is for the judges to be called into account for scorecards that are obviously so un-reflective of the fight that took place. Judge the officials. They judge the fighters why not on poor scorecards?

Going away from home hard enough as the underdog Glenn Catley from the UK went to Germany in May 2000. WBC 168lb title fight similar circumstances as Paul Smith against Abraham for me. Catley was fighting the unbeaten Markus Beyer 18-0 at the time. Catley expected to be extended to the cards defeat certainly or possibly stopped. Beyer was hyped at the time.

Glenn Catley stopped Beyer in the 12th and last round. Boxing records at the time at least show the fight was even at the time with one judge to each fighter with the other scoring a draw. He took it out of the judges’ hands but at least those judges reflected a close fight to that point. The better referees between fighters ask for clean work inside the ring. It’s time we got better clean work outside also.