By Scott Shaffer

Boxing has its second major controversial decision in 2005 after Victor Polo's challenge for Scott Harrison's WBO featherweight title in Glasgow Friday was scored a draw, thereby allowing Harrison to retain his title.  As Boxingtalk has not yet seen the bout, a fair and accurate assessment is not yet possible, but initial reports indicate Polo may have been robbed. Although Harrison's hometown is Glasgow, it would be an oversimplification to call it a hometown decision.  The only British judge, the respected John Coyle, proved he was no homer, voting for Polo by the score of 116-113.  New Yorker Melvina Lathan had it even, 114-114, and Spain's Manuel Oliver judged it 115-113 for Harrison, who fought much of the bout with a cut and then swollen eye. Here are some comments from ringside reports: The Daily Record, a Scottish paper, wrote: "Harrison was beaten up by Polo... in what looked like an undeniable defeat."  Sport.Scotsman.com wrote: "The Glaswegian was the beneficiary of a barely credible set of scorecards from the three ringside judges which left Polo stunned and justifiably dismayed after a superb display which seemed to have earned him a world title."  The Guardian: "The judges stunned most ringside observers by scoring a draw when the veteran challenger Victor Polo appeared to clearly have won the fight. Harrison was outboxed round after round."  The Belfast Telegraph: "the frustrated looking [Harrison], eye now closed, looked as if he knew he had lost his belt to the skillfull challenger." This was the Colombian's fourth attempt at a world title, two of which resulted in split decision losses and now this draw which gets added to his list of heartbreaks. Entering the bout, Boxingtalk rated Harrison #5 and the barely-active Polo #17.