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Kickboxer Riyadh Al-Azzawi Faces Fine After Driving His Gold G-Wagen Without Insurance

There have been multiple stories of people driving supercars that are not insured. And it looks like it’s also the case of British-Iraqi kickboxer Riyadh Al-Azzawi and his gold G-Wagen.
Riyadh Al-Azzawi's Gold G-Wagen 6 photos
Photo: Instagram / Riyadh Al-Azzawi
Riyadh Al-Azzawi's Gold G-WagenRiyadh Al-Azzawi's Gold G-WagenRiyadh Al-Azzawi's Gold G-WagenRiyadh Al-Azzawi's Gold G-Wagen and Ferrari 458 SpiderRiyadh Al-Azzawi's Gold Rolls-Royce Wraith
One of your main responsibilities when owning a car is making sure it has an insurance. But, it might’ve happened to a lot of us to forget that it expired. Now, the first-ever Arab kickboxing world champion, Riyadh Al-Azzawi, is facing a hefty fine or up to eight points for allegedly failing to ensure his gold-wrapped Mercedes-AMG G 63.

Last May, Al-Azzawi pleaded guilty to driving without insurance near his home in the UK via his lawyer, Mr. Alex Mincoff. But the athlete, known as 'the Golden Champion' has just failed to attend the Lavender Hill Magistrates' Court for his case because he's reportedly been "living it up" in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he spends most of the time when he's not in London. Now his case is set to resume at a new hearing next month.

The 36-year-old athlete, who won the kickboxing champion title in 2008, "genuinely did believe he did have valid insurance," his lawyer claimed. However, it eventually turned out that this belief was "incorrect."

Despite pleading guilty, the champion kickboxer insisted that the vehicle was insured. His latest claim came online on January 26. He re-shared an article about his situation, adding on top of the picture, "I was insured for sure," with a smiley emoji.

At the moment, he has not been hit with a fine or points, so let’s move on to a much more fun subject: his cars. And with a nickname like 'the Golden Champion,' you might have a hint at what’s coming. Because the British-Iraqi athlete owns a gold vinyl-wrapped Mercedes-AMG G 63, inspired by his love for gold medals.

His Mercedes-AMG G 63 received some Brabus parts besides the gold vinyl wrap. The off-roader is not from the current generation, but the previous one, available between 2013 and 2018, since he's had his since 2017. Among the upgrades are a hood scoop, aftermarket front bumper, matching golden wheels, LED lamps both in the bumper and on the roof, Brabus badging, and others. It's unclear whether the 5.5-liter V8 engine received any boost from the Brabus treatment. However, the interior is not as flashy as its gold-wrapped exterior, as the G 63 features a black cabin with red upholstery.

If you thought that was all, you were wrong. The athlete also owns a gold-wrapped Ferrari 458 Spider and a gold Rolls-Royce Wraith. And we're not sure Ferrari would let him buy a new one again, since the Maranello brand is allegedly very strict when it comes to the customization of their cars.

But, at the end of the day, the athlete is the one who reportedly paid around $250,000 for the G-Wagen alone, so he’s the one who should like it. And insure it, of course.

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About the author: Monica Coman
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Imagine a Wenn diagram for cars and celebrities. At the intersection you'll find Monica, putting her passion for these fields and English-Spanish double major to work. She's been doing for the past seven years, most recently at autoevolution.
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