One thought the days are gone when boxing was regarded as cantankerous sport with unseen shady characters manipulating the fistic business behind the scene.

The raw deal given Ghana’s bantamweight gem Joseph King Agbeko in his International  Boxing Federation(IBF)  world title fight against  Abder Manez of Mexico  in Las Vegas  gives me the jitters that the bad days of this  so called  “noble art of self defence” could be back if the purists don’t sit up.

It was such a clear victory for Agbeko that one didn’t need to have a white cane to see the winner. The judge who scored it even might be God fearing indeed.

I guess his inner feelings prevented him from declaring the Mexican winner and he chose the safest option of declaring it a draw.

The referee and the other judges who made Manez winner perhaps lost sight of the fact that the fight was live on TV around the globe. I am sure they will bow down their heads in shame after watching the TV footage of the fight.

An understandably peeved Agbeko has described the referee as racist for ignoring the several low blows by Manez. I believe he is not racist. For all you know its pure business.

Manez had to win, pure and simple. These Mexicans in the boxing world have a lot of connections and you need to be tough to break their network.

Once upon a time in May 1964, the Mexican connection was seen at close quarters in Accra when Ghana staged her first world title fight between local idol Floyd Klutei Robertson and Cuban born Mexican Sugar Ramos for the World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight title.

The nation was so thrilled with the honour of staging such an important tournament that the subterranean aspect of the whole promotion was ignored.

All the three officials were Mexicans. It was a night to remember as Floyd fought a fight of his fighting life and reduced the face of Ramos to a mass of blood after 15 grueling rounds but the verdict went to Ramos much to the amazement of the packed Accra Stadium.

Then a young sportswriter with the Daily Graphic, I remember vividly the confusion at the Stadium that might when Prince Yao Boateng, chairman of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA), mounted the ring and announced that the GBA had reversed the decision and that Klutei was winner.

Peter Wilson, reputed to be the world’s number one sportswriter who covered the event for the Daily Mirror of London described Prince Boateng’s action as “adding confusion to disbelief”.

Of course Ramos kept the title and subsequent events showed that an African boxer would need to win by a knock out to break the Mexican stranglehold on the lighter weight category of the sport.

I suspect boxing legend Azumah Nelson might have been told about this when growing up and that explains why throughout his career he fought so ferociously especially against Mexican opponents.

Agbeko may have to be extra tough against Manez if a rematch is arranged.   You see boxing is such a tricky sport that it is most times difficult to talk about fair play.

It would definitely not serve the interest of the manipulators otherwise electronic scoring could be introduced like we have for the amateurs at the big international tournaments.

I can bet with my last Ghana new cedi that this proposed electronic scoring system could raise a huge international debate like the one about goal line technology in football.  And people are talking about fair play. What a strange world.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.