Former WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder had been arrested yesterday in the early hours of Tuesday morning because of concealing a firearm, according to statements by the Los Angeles Police Department. Wilder, who last fought Robert Helenius in October of 2022 was taken into custody in Hollywood, LA, at around 1 AM but only sat for a couple hours before eventually being released at around 6 AM.
The catalyst that made the police search the car appeared to be the illegally-tinted windows of his Rolls Royce vehicle and the license plate which was obstructed. While Deontay Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KO’s) apparently remained cooperative throughout the search of the officers, the police found his concealed gun and some Marijuana, and the American boxer was forced to sit in jail for some time as they charged him with the possession of a concealed weapon ― which in itself is considered a felony.
However, the American Heavyweight did not need to sit too long in jail and was released on bond just hours after his arrest. The fact his charge has been classified as a felony ― which can put him in prison for at least a year ― means that Wilder will have to settle his case in court at some point this year, or the next.
Deontay Wilder, 37, has been tipped to face former unified Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (25-3, 22 KO’s) in December in the Middle-East for a blockbuster match that seems several years too late now that both fighters have incurred losses that have taken away their unbeaten status and their world titles. Nevertheless, a match-up between the two may very well become one of the most exciting bouts of the past decade.
Despite his arrest, the negotiations that have been apparently in the works between his team and Anthony Joshua’s will likely not be affected as he has not been slammed with any further charges other than having a concealed weapon.
The “Bronze Bomber”, as Wilder is also known as, has since reacted to the ordeal with a short but powerful message regarding his arrest.
“I’d rather be safe than sorry. The end.” Wilder said unabashedly ― with a praying emoji at the end of his message ― on his Twitter account at around 5 PM yesterday in response to the news of his arrest.
