Former heavyweight boxing champion Deontay Wilder was arrested in Los Angeles at 1:15 a.m. on Tuesday, May 2, for possessing a concealed weapon. The 37-year-old was taken into custody by police officers from the Los Angeles Police Department on charges of suspicion of carrying a concealed gun in his vehicle, according to ESPN. Five hours later, Wilder was released on a $35,000 bond.
TMZ Sports reported that Wilder was in Hollywood when police officers pulled him over, citing the windows on his Rolls-Royce were illegally tinted, and his license plate was obstructed. During the traffic stop, officers also stated they noticed a smell of burnt marijuana coming from his vehicle, leading to the search. Allegedly marijuana and a 9mm gun were discovered in the car.
Jail records reveal that Wilder bonded out at 6:34 a.m. Once released, the boxer took to Twitter with a message that confused many.
I’d rather be safe than sorry. The End 🙏🏿
— Deontay Wilder (@BronzeBomber) May 2, 2023
The New York Daily News reported that Wilder had a very impressive start to his boxing career. He won his first 40 bouts, 39 by way of knockouts. But, recently, that streak took a hit when he reportedly lost consecutive title fights to Tyson Fury in 2020 and 2021. His record is now 43-2-1.
According to Sports Illustrated, Wilder won the WBC heavyweight title in 2015 and held it for five years. He successfully defended the title for 10 fights until he lost the belt to Fury in February 2020. The last time Wilder was in the ring for a professional bout was in October 2022, when he won the match by knocking out Robert Helenius.
It has been rumored that Wilder may be getting back in the boxing ring with an expected fight against Anthony Joshua, but only time will tell.
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