Heavyweight force Deontay Wilder hit the canvas for the first time in his career in what remains a mysterious knockdown to this day.
Continuing to delve into the mindset of Wilder’s 2010 opponent Harry Sconiers, WBN uncovered his one-shot intentions before the bout.
Sconiers is credited with putting Wilder down as they traded blows at Fantasy Springs. However, World Boxing News has covered that many in the crowd believe “The Bronze Bomber” may have been saved by the referee.
Deontay Wilder was knocked down
There are claims Wilder was down for more than ten seconds and saved by the bell. But Golden Boy, the promoters of the clash, don’t have any footage for verification.
At the time of the clash, GBP posted only old “yfrog” links of the bout on social media. Those links no longer work on the internet.
Therefore, gaining some perspective into how Sconiers felt about the situation has been a good starting point for building a clearer picture.
Luckily, the veteran heavyweight spoke in length to SportBible about his experience of being called up at the last minute to the up-and-coming future world titleholder.
After feeling disrespected at the weigh-in and being in no shape to fully compete, Sconiers hatched a plan to knock Wilder out early.
Not knowing about his chin frailties at the time, which since came to light against Tyson Fury, Sconiers had to wait for his trainer to arrive.
“I go to my hotel, and my trainer actually flies in that night. He flies in later after the weigh-in,” Sconiers told SportBible.
“I told him what the guy [Wilder] did [at the weigh-in]. I said, ‘I really wanna try to win this. But I feel like I’m going to have one shot.
Out of shape
“I’m out of shape. This guy’s cut, he’s tall, he’s big, he’s strong. I’m incredibly out of shape, but I know he’s a little inexperienced.
“He’s naive, and I believe I can at least catch him with that one or two good shots. If I can do that, I have a chance to end it.
“So I need your help. And my trainer, he said, ‘Well, that’s what we’re going to do. That’s our plan. Count on me.
“I’ve got the eyes for this. I know what I’m doing. Please put your trust in what I say. I’m going to be watching. But I’m going to be looking for that shot.
“I’m gonna let you know, and you need to follow my instructions, and we can try and get this done,'” he concluded.
Sconiers was true to his word. He put Wilder down early in the fight. However, the bell rang and saved the pre-fight favorite before Sconiers did further damage.
Due to his conditioning, Sconiers had little left as the contest went another couple of rounds. Wilder eventually got the job done in the fourth.
