Butterbean’s wife was left stunned by his dramatic weight loss before the boxing legend declared he would “destroy” Jake Paul.
Butterbean, whose real name is Eric Esch, rose to fame in the 1990s thanks to his large frame and devastating knockout power. He also competed in MMA, kickboxing and professional wrestling during his heyday.
He had his last boxing bout in 2013, retiring with a 77-10-4 record. After hanging up his gloves, Butterbean became dangerously overweight and wheelchair-bound, once tipping the scales at 515lbs, just over 36 stone.
However, he has undergone a remarkable body transformation in recent years, shedding more than 200lbs having enlisted the help of former WWE star Diamond Dallas Page, now a renowned yoga teacher. His journey has been charted in a documentary, ‘Butterbean’s Comeback – One More Fight’, which is available to watch on YouTube.
The show includes probably the most emotional weigh-in of his career ahead of a major hip operation. After being told his weight had dropped below 300lb, his shocked wife Libby replied: “Wow, he’s only been 299 one time, and that was when they announced it at 301, he was actually 299.”
After being informed he has “broken” 300lb, a delighted Butterbean said: “Oh s***. Damn!” Two years on from those emotional scenes, Butterbean is now ready to get back into the ring at the age of 57 and would welcome a fight against Jake Paul, whose super-fight with Mike Tyson has been shelved until November.
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Speaking last year, Butterbean told CVV Clips: “I’d love to fight Jake Paul, but he’s too smart to fight me. I’m being honest. I’m not saying he’s a coward or anything like that, but I would destroy him. I think he knows. I hit way too hard for him.
“He made a statement a while back about me when he said, ‘I’m not like Butterbean, I’m not a joke’. Ever since then, I’ve wanted to fight him. If he thinks I’m a joke, I want to fight him.”
Butterbean acknowledged that Paul was “getting better” as a boxer, but questioned the calibre of his opponents, adding: “What bugs me is that he’s fighting ex-MMA guys in a boxing match. It’s a different sport. MMA guys are not always the best stand-up guys.”
