Deontay Wilder has responded to reports that he was arrested in Los Angeles on a gun charge.
TMZ broke the news that the former heavyweight champion was pulled over at around 1AM in LA.
“Wilder was pulled over in Hollywood at around 1:15 AM after LAPD officers claimed his Rolls-Royce’s windows were illegally tinted and his license plate was obstructed.
During the stop, cops say they smelled an odor of burnt marijuana coming from his ride, so they searched the car.Sources say they then found weed and a 9mm in the vehicle, and put Wilder into custody. We’re told the 6-foot-7 fighter was cooperative and nice throughout the whole ordeal.
The 37-year-old was booked on a charge of possession of a concealed weapon. Jail records show he bonded out at 6:34 AM.”
‘The Bronze Bomber’ took to social media to react to the headlines, saying he’d rather ‘be safe than sorry’.
I’d rather be safe than sorry. The End 🙏🏿
— Deontay Wilder (@BronzeBomber) May 2, 2023
Wilder returned to the ring after back-to-back defeats to Tyson Fury last October with a first round knockout of Robert Helenius. He had been expected to fight Andy Ruiz Jr after the WBC officially ordered the fight as a final eliminator for a shot at Fury’s belt.
However, talks dragged on and now both men have now been heavily linked to fighting two British heavyweights. Ruiz is a potential opponent for Fury in the summer, whereas Wilder is expected to finally face Anthony Joshua in December – potentially as part of a four-man heavyweight tournament in Saudi Arabia.
Whether these reports will impact that fight is unclear at this time.