"Pretty Boy" Floyd Joy Sinclair Mayweather vs. Serafim Simeonov "Sarafa (The Money-Changer)" Todorov

27 years ago this August.

This content is protected

It has long been my view that Mayweather's last opponent with a legitimate claim to having beaten him was his in his penultimate match at the Olympics in '96, just before these Finals:

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/floyd-mayweather-jr-vs-lorenzo-aragón-july-31st-1996.456941/

I also would have favored Aragón over Todorov, somewhat heavily.

That having been said, most observers do feel Todorov won round three and was competitive throughout - although it should have still been a clear victory for Mayweather. He was a very good fighter and in fact was favored to capture gold by many heading into the Olympic games, in which he widely outpointed Robbie Peden en route to his finals match. He just wasn't the best man in the field that summer. Anybody that hasn't already can now view for themselves and chime in on how they scored it (remember, in those days it wasn't all flattened out into a ten-point must RBR system like in the pros; you tallied up significant punches landed per round and then awarded the win to whoever gained the overall numerical advantage).

Here's a pretty detailed analysis of the fight:
http://www.cnnphilippines.com/sports/2015/04/27/floyd-mayweather-last-loss-todorov.html

And here's a Bulgarian article on what became of Todorov (who very belatedly followed Mayweather into the professional ranks and never got much going there) afterward:
https://www.standartnews.com/balgar...sar-na-ringa-do-bednyak-ot-getoto-396480.html

 

Round 1

Lots of feints outta the gate. Head movement by PBF. Сарафа busy with the jab. Lead right by PBF. Chopping right by Сарафа. 1-2 by PBF, only the right cross grazes. There's a pause to adjust headgear roughly three-quarters of a minute in, and so far each has scored maybe one blow you might consider flush and significant. PBF gets in a light incidental tapping left hook on the cheek as he's gathering his arms in to stem a flurrying advance by Сарафа. Сарафа's glove-whips mostly falling into the shoulder. Really nobody landing clean in the second minute of the round, lots of colliding arm contact - either intentional blocks or just the works being gummed up from both firing at the same time in short frenzied melees. Lunge-in jab by Сарафа slipped by PBF, who counters with a pair of pull-counter rights that both just graze as the Bulgarian straightens up.

4:1 Mayweather, if you discount the grazing shots then it's 1:1

Judges have it 2:1 in favor of Todorov. Meh, near enough to my austere-leaning score of a level round above.


Round 2

Сарафа with the jab feint off his lead hip. PBF reacting, jabbing high and low from a side lean. Both very cagey, Сарафа pressuring but wisely not overcommitting to give the counter-punching American opportunities. Liberal use of the shoulder roll by PBF, slipping jabs. Rights flung up off the rear hip behind a jab or lead hook by PBF, but nothing getting through as Сарафа remains long & tall and keeps making adjustments to his foot positioning. Good stingy defense on both sides here. Both also bringing a lot of nervous twitchy energy to all their offense, neither one taking careful aim to either's best ability. Сарафа doing a good job disrupting the PBF lead right with a raised and horizontally turned left forearm, but some getting through, mainly on the headgear covering the upper left brow of the Bulgarian. A couple of drawbridge left jabs planed down into the forehead of PBF. Nice hook off a jab by PBF about eighty second in, both scoring in quick succession. At one point early in the final minute Сарафа throws an overhand right that is shielded on crossed arms, with PBF swiping furiously underneath looking for some body shots, but not reaching his opponent's skinny torso.

By my count 8-4 connects in Mayweather's favor - possibly 9, as there did seem to be another right hand lead that landed flush but the referee was eclipsing them with his back taking up most of the camera's view. I'll omit that one to be safe. 12-5 or 9-5 to Mayweather altogether on my card, depending on how permissive we felt like being of the grazing right hands in the 1st. Either way ahead.

Judges have it 7:6 for Mayweather. This is cumulative, so adding onto their first round score (or rather, subtracting it from this new total) in the 2nd they had it 6:4 for the American.

Round 3

Сарафа is jogging clockwise along the ropes, gyrating his bent left arm up by his ear when not popping jabs. Good use of straight combinations at range by the Bulgarian, making the young American shell up or attempt to dive in and clinch to not get carpet bombed. Lots of ugly headlocks and tie-ups in this frame. Good body shot with a free hand by PBF in a spinning clinch, mashing his fist into the liver. Gum shield out, replaced quickly. They meet at center ring and PBF sends a right hand whizzing in fast & high, but caroming off Сарафа's left shoulder. PBF then scores a stiff jab. Hard overhand right by Сарафа with half a minute left after both miss several in a frantic mid-ring scuffle. Long awkward clinch, both pulling on each other's necks with their forearms. Another messy exchange, neither getting anything through cleanly.

For me that one's 5:3 in favor of Todorov, which still puts Mayweather ahead 12:10 even scoring as conservatively as possible. Give him that right hand that was obscured by the ref in the 2nd as well as the few grazing ones in the 1st, even wider margin up to 16:10.

Judges returned 10:9 in favor of Todorov, meaning they saw him connecting on 4 to just 2 for Mayweather.

 

@chacal @Chuck Norris you've both participated in the poll, which means you need post your explanations (and punch counts)!

 

I think he was going for the money after this, either way. It would've been nice to debut as gold medalist, though.

He and RJJ (another U.S. squad hopeful that didn't get to do so - undeservedly, it's commonly agreed) both managed to eke out alright careers for themselves anyway, though.

 

I definitely believe Todorov was competitive throughout...but also that he did lose pretty clearly.

Under the at-the-time amateur scoring system, he landed less...and using the pro style ten-point must it'd be a fairly straightforward 29-28 in Mayweather's favor.

 

RBR punch counts or GTFO!

 

[insert Kubrat Pulev scowling meme]

 

Growth spurt at 19, maybe?