30 little-known facts about Floyd Mayweather Jr.

23. Mayweather’s last official loss came at the Olympic Games in 1996

Much is made about Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s undefeated professional boxing record, with Mayweather himself loudly and obnoxiously claiming that his in-ring perfection makes him TBE (“The Best Ever”). Of course, the fact that Mayweather feels compelled to so boisterously proclaim his greatness often detracts from it in the eyes of former fighters and boxing purists.

Given that perfection is so integral to Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s brand, it’s intriguing to revisit the last time he officially lost — a result that occurred in his final amateur bout at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. In dropping a highly controversial decision to Bulgaria’s Serafim Todorov, who was making his third Olympic appearance, Mayweather was forced to settle for a bronze medal. Todorov would ultimately claim silver, losing to Thailand’s Somluck Kamsing in the final.

One can speculate about whether the controversial loss ultimately benefited Mayweather, especially given the level of in-ring and financial success he’s attained. That said, lacking the springboard of an Olympic gold medal perhaps delayed Mayweather’s transition to crossover stardom — a small gripe given the celebrity and earning power he now enjoys.

In 2015, the New York Times ran an engrossing piece on the last man to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr., reporting that Todorov currently survives on a pension of about 400 euros per month and wrestles with the regret of turning down offers to pursue professional boxing.