Was Floyd robbed in Atlanta?
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 29 Apr 2015
It was during the dark days of amateur boxing when Floyd Mayweather, Jr. lost a 10-9 decision to Bulgaria?s Serafim Todorov in the featherweight semifinals of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. At the time, Pakistan?s Anwar Chowdhury ruled the AIBA like a fiefdom and his influential henchman Bulgaria?s Emil Jetchev was the technical director who assigned the referees and judges for fights.
Mayweather was 19 and Todorov 27 when they faced off. A three-time world amateur champion in his second Olympic appearance, Todorov was bigger, longer and more experienced than Mayweather who was coached by Al Mitchell. But Mayweather was quicker, more agile and busier than the Bulgarian.
On the way to the semifinals, Mayweather brushed aside Kazakhstan?s Bakhtiyar Tileganov, Armenia?s Artur Gevorgyan and Cuba?s Lorenzo Aragon. He made the headlines as the first American to beat a Cuban in amateur boxing in 20 years and was favored to beat the almost robotic Todorov.
When the first bell rang, it looked like the outcome was predetermined. Todorov raced to a 2-0 lead before Mayweather could score a point to end the opening round. Mayweather appeared to have done enough to win the round, raking Todorov with 1-2 bombs. Todorov fought like a typical European, moving forward with a jab-straight combination and nothing else. Mayweather proved difficult to hit and used lateral side-to-side movement to stay out of Todorov?s range. Mayweather was the aggressor. He showed defensive lapses when attacking, his midsection opening up in lunging towards the Bulgarian, but it wasn't a major problem.
In the second round, Mayweather turned counterpuncher and used his now patented shoulder-roll defense to block Todorov?s lead left jab. The adjustments worked as Mayweather quickly evened the count, 2-2, then erected a 6-3 lead. Todorov couldn?t connect squarely but the judges kept scoring points for the Bulgarian. He closed in at 6-4 and 6-5 with phantom punches before Mayweather took a 7-5 lead. The round ended with Mayweather holding a slim 7-6 margin.
The third and final round was close. It took almost a minute before the judges awarded a point to Todorov who leveled at 7-all. With 1:12 to go, the Bulgarian scored again to go up, 8-7. While Mayweather?s workrate slowed down, it wasn?t like he ran out of ammunition. The judges didn?t score a point for Mayweather until a minute was left. That meant Mayweather was blanked for two solid minutes. Todorov regained the lead, 9-8 and upped it to 10-8. With eight seconds remaining, Mayweather attacked furiously and picked up another point but it was too late. Todorov held on to win, 10-9.
Referee Hamadi Hafez Shouman of Egypt called both fighters to the center of the ring for the announcement of the winner. Although the announcement was the winner came from the red corner, Shouman raised the hand of Mayweather wearing blue. He later corrected himself and raised Todorov?s hand. Olympic historians David Wallechinsky and Jaime Loucky wrote that ?the fight was so close that when Todorov was declared the winner, Shouman raised Mayweather?s hand by mistake.? The US delegation protested the verdict but nothing came of it.
Todorov went on to lose an 8-5 decision to Thailand?s Somuck Kamsing in the finals. He was so downhearted that he took to the bottle to drown his woes. Todorov later said Jetchev told him before the bout, his only chance was to win by knockout, insinuating an arrangement had been made for Kamsing to win on points. Todorov, a member of Bulgaria?s Turkish minority, defected to Turkey in 1997. A year later, he turned pro but his career never got off the ground. Todorov finished with a 5-1 record, including 1 KO, in a brief pro career that ended in 2003.
Today, Todorov subsists on a $500 monthly pension in Bulgaria. He lives with wife Albena, a son and a pregnant daughter-in-law in a modest apartment on the ground floor of a seven-storey building in Pazardzhik on the banks of the Maritsa River. Todorov has worked as a driver and in a grocery store and sausage factory. It?s not even sure if he still has the silver medal he took home from the Atlanta Olympics.
Mayweather?s loss to Todorov was his last as a fighter. He finished his amateur career with an 84-8 record. The first fighter to beat Mayweather was Pheotis Upshaw on a disqualification in 1992. California?s Arnulfo Bravo scored a decision over Mayweather at the Junior Olympics in Michigan in 1995. Carlos Navarro was the first southpaw to expose Mayweather?s allergy to lefthanders when he won on points at the Pan American boxoffs in 1995. Two-time Olympian Tigran Ouzlian of Greece decisioned Mayweather in Russia in 1995 and a year later, the American was outpointed by Mexican Martin Castillo.
At the 1996 World Championships in Berlin, Mayweather dropped an 8-6 verdict to Algeria?s Noureddine Medjihoud. Augie Sanchez was the next fighter to beat Mayweaather at the 1996 Olympic boxoffs, narrowly carving out a 12-11 decision. Mayweather, however, avenged the setback twice on scores of 12-8 and 20-10 to clinch the featherweight slot on the US team for the 1996 Olympics.
As a pro, Mayweather has yet to taste defeat. His record is 47-0. Manny Pacquiao is out to obliterate the zero when they meet in the Battle For Greatness this Saturday (Sunday morning, Manila time).
Photo: Mayweather trails 0-2 in the first round against Serafim Todorov in the featherweight semifinals of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
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