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Pro boxer Jonathan Guzman of the Dominican Republic celebrated his 26th birthday in fine fashion recently as he traveled to Japan and knocked out Shingo Wake in the 11th round to win the vacant IBF World Super Bantamweight Championship on July 20th. Guzman was reportedly paid $90,000 for his efforts and $20,000 of that went towards his management and training expenses. That still left Guzman $70,000 in cash, which he received by the way of 3,500 $20 bills. Guzman placed the cash in a carry-on bag and headed to the airport. However, when he arrived in Miami for the final leg of his journey he was told he had too much carry-on luggage, for the short flight to Santo Domingo and would need to check in one of his carry-on bags.

For some reason known only to him, Guzman decided to check in the bag which contained the $70,000 cash. Sampson Lewkowicz, the boxer’s promoter, told the press that when Guzman arrived to a hero’s welcome in his homeland at 2:45pm he soon realized that the cash was missing from his luggage. The theft was quickly reported and local authorities are now investigating the situation. Those involved in the investigation include the Directorate General Customs as well as Dominican airport officials and the CESAC (Specialized Airport Security Corps and Civil Aviation).

Lewkowicz told the media that he hasn’t been able to sleep well since the money went missing and he’s been trying to console Guzman. He also told the boxer that he’ll schedule a title defence as soon as possible so he can recoup the money with another payday. Guzman, who has a pro record of 22-0 with 22 Kos for a knockout ratio of 100 per cent, will reportedly defend his newly-won belt in December. The promoter stated, “God gave him the power and the talent to be a great champion and he will recoup the money in his first defense plus his regular payment and he will fight anyone.”

The story has been all over the internet chat forums and many believe Guzman’s money went missing due to an inside job. Others believe he checked the money in his luggage to avoid paying taxes on it once he reached the Dominican Republic. One thing’s for sure, Guzman’s decision to check $70,000 in cash in his luggage made absolutely no sense at all. The boxer is adamant the theft took place at the Airport of Americas in Santo Domingo and not in Miami. However, he says that he declared the money in Miami before boarding the flight as proof that the payment was made from a boxing match. Guzman told the local reporters, “Someone stole my $70,000 that I brought over in a suitcase. I was robbed at the airport. It took place here.”