Last man to beat Floyd Mayweather now works in sausage factory for $400 a month

Unlike Mayweather, who went on to build a fortune through his legendary career, Todorov's post-boxing life has been marked by hardship.

Todorov made history in the semi-finals of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta when he defeated the young 19-year-old Mayweather 10-9, preventing him from winning an Olympic gold. However, Todorov's dream of gold was dashed when he lost to Thailand's Somluck Kamsing in the final.

Despite his impressive victory over Mayweather, Todorov's career took a nosedive after turning down a promotional deal and later failing to switch allegiances to Turkey for the 1997 World Amateur Boxing Championships. He eventually retired in 2003, though he made a brief return to the ring in 2015 at the age of 46.

Floyd Mayweather fights Serafim Todorov at the 1996 Olympics. Photo by AP

During this time, Todorov revealed that he was struggling to make ends meet, relying on government handouts to survive.

"I live on just a handout from the state, the money I get from the government is not enough, my family has no job," Todorov told The Sun. "It's hard here because it is a small town and there is very little work."

Todorov was forced to sell his home in Peshtera, a town 20 km from where he now resides, due to financial difficulties. To make a living, he took a job in a sausage factory, earning just $435 a month.

Meanwhile, Mayweather went on to become the highest-paid boxer in history, securing lucrative contracts that have brought him total earnings of more than $1.1 billion from his career and a net worth of $500 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Despite his struggles, Todorov holds no jealousy towards Mayweather. Instead, he fondly recalls his own achievements while speaking to the New York Times: "I beat all the Russians, all the Cubans, some Americans, Germans, Olympic champions. I was making fun of them in the ring."

Serafim Todorov after his boxing career. Photo by Reuters

While Mayweather, now 48, was unaware of Todorov's hardships, upon learning about them, he expressed his sympathy, saying during an interview with YouTube channel Club Shay Shay: "I wish him nothing but the best. I don't know why he didn't become a boxing trainer because at the time when we fought, he was already a lot older than I was."

Mayweather also reflected on his own journey: "I was fighting at the elite stage at 16. I wanted to turn pro at 14, but it never happened. Five years later, I turned pro at 19. Within a year, I was a champion."

When Mayweather turned pro, he has never lost a single match and kept his record at 50-0, which made him one of the best boxers of all time.