Carl Froch admits he is concerned about the Atlantic City judging as he goes into the biggest fight of his life just one week after Amir Khan joined the growing list of British boxers protesting they have been robbed on foreign soil.
In the midst of training here for Saturday night's world super-middleweight title unifying Super Six Final against American stylist Andre Ward, Froch says: 'You're always worried about the scoring when you're away from home. To be certain of getting justice over here you have to put up a dominating performance.'
His comments came as Khan flew home to Bolton ruing the poor decision to go to Lamont Peterson's home city, Washington, and wishing he had opposed the appointment of local referee Joe Cooper, whose bizarre points deductions Khan blames for the loss of his world light- welterweight belts.
Froch's duel with the undefeated Ward, the 2004 light-heavyweight Olympic gold medallist, will be refereed by Steve Smoger, New Jersey's most experienced official. The three judges are a Canadian, an Englishman and an American.
Froch recalls: 'You can never be sure. I clearly beat Glen Johnson in Atlantic City but one of the judges scored it a draw. I won comfortably against Andre Dirrell but one judge had him winning. I still believe I would have got the decision against Mikkel Kessler if that great battle had been anywhere other than Denmark.
'They would have loved to give Arthur Abraham the decision against me over in Europe but they couldn't go there because I totally dominated him. I need to do the same against Ward, but that's difficult because he is a greater boxer than Abraham.
'So I'll just have to hit him with everything. And if that doesn't work maybe I'll have to kick him where it hurts.'
He was smiling wickedly as he made that last remark, but there is no doubting his intention to give Ward a gruelling physical fight. Nottingham-born Froch also realises that with Khan's setback, following David Haye's loss of his heavyweight belt to Wladimir Klitschko, he is the lone British world title-holder.
Haye is here cheerleading for Froch - as he did for Khan in Washington - while waiting to see if Vitali Klitschko will agree to take him on some time next year.
But it is Froch who has to do the fighting, and he does so confident in the belief that he is the best Englishman for the job.
He says: 'I've been the No 1 fighter in Britain for some years. 'I guess that's confirmed now, with what happened to Amir.
'If people want to give me credit for that, great. If not, I'm not bothered. I've got past that stage.
'I am at the elite level. Amir was doing fantastic but maybe he's not quite there yet. Unlucky or not against Peterson, he knows he's not ready to go up to welterweight. He needs to stay at 140lb, get his titles back in the rematch, adjust, then think about where he goes from there.'
At 34, Froch has no intention of following Haye into retirement, be it permanent or temporary.
He says: 'I'm at my peak, I'm fresh. I feel great and I expect to be able to continue at the top for at least another four years, until I'm 38. 'Why stop? Once I beat Ward there are plenty more big fights out there, starting with Lucian Bute (who holds the IBF title, while Froch and Ward are WBC and WBA champions respectively).
'This Super Six tournament has put the focus bang back on the super-middleweights.'
Of all the spate of major fights involving British fighters this year, Froch faces easily the toughest.
But if anyone can turn the tide of world championship losses by Haye, Matthew Macklin, Darren Barker, Martin Murray, John Murray, and Khan, it is this iron man from the very heart of England.
Nottingham-born Froch also realises that with Khan's setback, following David Haye's loss of his heavyweight belt to Wladimir Klitschko, he is the lone British world title-holder.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/boxing/article-2073753/Carl-Froch-The-judges-wont-rob-me.html#ixzz1gTCSelW1
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