A stunning and controversial Deontay Wilder knockdown remains lost without a trace after a WBN investigation.
The former WBC heavyweight champion got put down by the little-known Harry Sconiers in 2010. Golden Boy acknowledged the clash as Wilder’s “toughest test to date,” but the footage is nowhere to be found.
For years now, World Boxing News has searched far and wide for the whereabouts of any video containing the incident.
Deontay Wilder knockdown
Taking place at Fantasy Springs twelve years ago, Wilder was reportedly dropped for more than ten seconds and saved by the bell to avoid losing just his thirteenth bout.
WBN gained eye-witness accounts and references from Wilder himself and trainer Jay Deas. However, none of those obtained shed any further light on the mystery.
As previously explained, several social media links to the video and photos are dead. At the same time, WBN has contacted Golden Boy, Fantasy Springs, and Mexican Television for footage.
Topped by Eloy Perez vs Dominic Salcido, Solo Boxeo grabbed the rights to broadcast the event in Mexico. WBN has since learned they only recorded the main event.
Fantasy Springs spokesman Michael Felci delved into the archives upon request by WBN. In the end, they could only come up with photographs.
One of which accompanies this article.
Golden Boy, who some fans have accused of ‘burying’ what would have been a damaging clip of Wilder, responded through Robert Diaz.
The GBP Vice President and Matchmaker could only push us in the right direction. Ultimately, a dead-end came to fruition.
So what really happened that night?
Two men who were undoubtedly there on the night commented in prior interviews.
Rabbit punch
Wilder himself said to The Opening Kickoff on WNSP-FM 105.5: “Early in my career, I got dropped. I got a rabbit punch in the back of the neck.
“When the punch happened instantly, my neck started to swell. There was a knot back there. It was a black out-type of feeling.
“By the time I got back up, the ref was in my face. I was like, “what’s going on?'”
Deas, his co-manager alongside Shelly Finkel, stated to Tha Boxing Voice: “Harold Sconiers, who didn’t have a great record but had just knocked out Andre Purlette.
“He was forty wins and three losses in the fight before Deontay, so we knew he was a live guy.
“Deontay knocked him down twice and moved in for the kill. Sconiers threw a punch. It landed kind of on the back of Deontay’s head. But it still counted.
Wilder wins by KO
“Deontay took it well, got up, and stopped it in the next round. So it can happen to anybody. It’s just one of those things in boxing.
“Behind the head, but hey, it’s boxing. What are you going to do, complain? You got to get back up. You got to do the job.”
Deontay Wilder did so in the fourth after dropping Sconiers four times. But that fact still can’t deflect from what really went down.
Maybe we will never know. Or maybe there’s someone out there with grainy footage of the knockdown.
Furthermore, if you were in the crowd that night on October 15th, 2010, at Fantasy Springs in California, please get in touch with Phil Jay at WBN. [phildjay@worldboxingnews.net] or WBN [contact@worldboxingnews.net].
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
