Floyd Mayweather’s final defeat cemented his unstoppable professional legacy – while victory ruined his opponent.
Mayweather was just 19 when he made it to the semi-finals of the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 against little-known Bulgarian Serafim Todorov.
9
9
9
And he looked like he was heading to the final after referee Hamad Haffaz Shouman raised his hand after three rounds.
But when Todorov’s name was announced as the winner, chaos broke out across the arena – taking everyone by surprise.
Mayweather was left so upset and emotional that he could barely get his words out after the incident.
“I think I won that battle,” he told NBC, fighting back tears.
Mayweather then began crying and walked out of the interview, as he was so heartbroken that he couldn’t speak.
The pain followed the American legend throughout his career and ultimately proved to be the catalyst for his unrivalled 50-0 professional record.
Mayweather, now 47, told the former NFL star Shannon Sharpe“Am I happy with my amateur career? Absolutely.
“Am I happy to win the bronze medal and not the gold medal? Absolutely. The referee raised my hand because he thought I had won.
9
9
Casino Specials – Best Casino Welcome Offers
“But I’m glad the fight went the way it did, because it made me work even harder as a professional – so that I don’t feel the same pain again. It was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
Mayweather made his professional debut just months after his Olympic loss, while Todorov turned down lucrative deals to remain an amateur.
Todorov – who won a silver medal after losing in the 1996 Olympic featherweight final – was embroiled in a dispute with the Bulgarian Boxing Federation.
He even tried to switch alliances to represent Turkey at the 1997 World Championships – a year after his controversial win over Mayweather.
The move was blocked and Todorov refused to represent Bulgaria again – ending his amateur boxing career in 2003.
In the years that followed, Mayweather became boxing’s richest prizefighter ever, topping Forbes’ Richest of the Decade list in 2019 £700 million Make.
Meanwhile, Todorov had to barely get by.
Inside Team GB’s boxing fiasco in Paris, which saw boxers controversially beaten before the iconic sport vanished from the OlympicsHe was living in a house in Peshtera, in the southern region of Bulgaria, but after falling on hard times he was forced to sell his house.
In 2015, new York Times The former Olympian was tracked down and it was revealed that he and his wife worked in sausage factories and supermarkets.
And Todorov – who also turned down offers from the Bulgarian underworld – had to rely on a £370 benefit.
9
9
9
“I depend on state aid, the money I get from the government is not enough, my family has no jobs,” he said.
“It’s hard to work here because it’s a small town and there’s very little work.
“I had a big house in my hometown, Peshtera, which is 20km from my current place of residence, but I had to sell it because I had no money to make ends meet.”
Mayweather learned of Todorov’s tragic circumstances and said: “I wish only the best for him.”
“I don’t know why he didn’t become a boxing coach because at the time we sparred he was much older than me.
“I was fighting at the top level at 16. I wanted to turn professional at 14, but it never happened. Five years later, I turned professional at 19. Within a year, I became a champion.”
While Mayweather used this setback for the greater good, Todorov took the opposite approach of self-pity.
He said: “After I lost we had to stay in Atlanta for two more days to wait for our plane.”
I’m glad the fight happened the way it did, because it made me work harder as a professional – so that I don’t have to feel the same pain again.
Floyd Mayweather said on his defeat in the Olympics
“I drowned my sorrows in alcohol and when I came back to Bulgaria I wanted to quit boxing.”
Mayweather – who has never touched alcohol – was renowned for his grueling training sessions – and he has Todorov to thank for that.
They told show time In 2015: “I am happy with the result.
“I’m really happy because this is why I’ve been working so hard to get to where I am today.”
Mayweather officially retired in 2017 after defeating former UFC champion Conor McGregor, 36, in a lucrative crossover bout.
But even in retirement the money keeps coming in, and Mayweather is still competing in exhibition bouts.
His next fight will be on August 24 in Mexico against the grandson of notorious New York crime boss John Gotti.
Gotti III was disqualified last year for an in-ring brawl.
Read more at The Scottish Sun
Todorov, on the other hand, has kept a low profile, although a movie about his life is said to be in development.
So this might not be the last we hear about the man who last beat Mayweather.
