Highlights
- Boxing legend Butterbean, known for his huge physique, has transformed his shape and is now in much better condition after retiring from the sport.
- Butterbean's heaviest fights saw him weigh in at an astonishing 417lb and 426lb, making for some memorable spectacles in the ring.
Boxing legend Eric Esch, aka Butterbean, became a household name in the sport which was largely down to his huge and record-breaking physique. But having retired from the sport several years ago, the squared circle icon now looks completely different and has vastly improved his shape.
Esch fought in professional boxing for an incredible 91 fights in an extremely long career picking up 77 wins along the way, and he even shared the ring with heavyweight legend Larry Holmes. If you have seen Holmes fight, you would have seen the vast difference in physique, and Esch showed despite not having world-level success, that anyone of any shape and size can compete.
The American heavyweight's last fight came in 2013 against Kirk Lawton, but in the weird and wonderful world of boxing, retirement can never entirely mean the point of no return. At 57-years-old it seems extremely unlikely, but stranger things have happened particularly given his previous call-out of YouTube boxer Jake Paul.
Butterbean's heaviest fights
Esch fought at some surprisingly heavy weights throughout his career, with it barely being believable at times given his stature in the sport. His famous physique only appeared to raise his profile further which saw him stay in boxing until the age of 47.
'The Bean' never came in underneath 300lb, which is pretty incredible considering some of the calibre of his opponent, with the likes of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury now currently coming in way lower. But what really opens the eyes of boxing fans were his two heaviest fights on record, which certainly shook the scales.
Esch came into a contest with Joe Siciliano at a mammoth 417lb which equates to around 187kg, and as expected quality and stamina weren't exactly on show. But this wasn't even his highest, and in barely fathomable fashion, Butterbean stepped on the scales at a huge 426lb for his final career fight against Kirk Lawton.
It was ten years ago and Butterbean was not clearly happy with his shape which saw him finally hang up his gloves. The contest must have been a real spectacle for fans attending given himself and his opponent weighed a combined 676lb, which really is heavyweight boxing.
Butterbean calls for Jake Paul comeback fight
Boxing in this new age has turned incredibly bizarre, with the weird and wonderful taking place on labels such as Misfits Boxing and Triller. This has included the return of Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather's whacky exhibitions, influencer boxing and even tag-team scraps.
And having regularly been asked, surely a comeback would seem even beyond the wildest dreams of Esch. However, photos began to emerge of his weight-loss plan as he looked to get into healthier shape, which sparked fresh rumours of a new comeback.
YouTube star Jake Paul has been called out by nearly everyone imaginable including bodybuilders, UFC fighters, boxers and fellow influencers given his proven pay-per-view draw. But none came more surprising than the sizeable American, who had his name on the tip of his tongue when asked if he would ever make a comeback.
He said in a social media post: "The big announcement is, that I’m going to fight one last fight. It’s going to be one year from now. Jake Paul, if you’re ready, I’m here for you my friend. Let’s get it on, me and you Jake Paul.
"I’m at fight weight. You’ll have to listen to my podcast coming up to find exactly how much weight I have lost, but I haven’t weighed this in over 20 years so that’ll give you an idea."
It is unclear exactly what fight weight is for Butterbean, but it is unlikely any potential fight would go long anyway, given he only fought once longer than four rounds in his entire career. Despite his lack of endurance, Esch has landed a whole host of opportunities including WWF, and would technically be a big enough name.
However, Paul never did respond to the call-out, and it's glaringly obvious the weight difference would be impossible to navigate for a sanctioned bout. What happens next in the boxing ring is always unknown, but we can't see Paul deciding to abandon a rematch with Tommy Fury to take on a 57-year-old giant.
Butterbean has now left his boxing career behind but has remained in training and has focused on a new diet as he looks to get into way better shape. Rarely is it that a heavyweight boxer is in better shape after their career, but surprisingly the veteran could buck the trend.
In a recent social media post on Instagram, Butterbean showed off his remarkable new physique which is certainly so much smaller than his previous fighting weight. Esch flexed in the picture and showed off a much leaner frame, before even admitting he still had some way to go.
However, he is almost unrecognisable from his fighting days, and has admitted that he has shed an incredible 200lb from his highest weight having explained to fans his strategy. It announced his weight as he stepped on the scales at 308lb which is almost 100lb less than while competing, and even 200lb less than at the highest of his life.
WATCH: Butterbean shows off transformation in public weigh-in
'The Bean' was clearly proud of his achievements, which have been documented on a series as part of his training programme with former wrestling champion Diamond Dallas Page. A fight looks highly unlikely, but something could reappear as part of a charity exhibition.
Jake Paul's future
YouTube boxer Paul is extremely unlikely to face 'Butterbean' and is on an entirely different trajectory. Paul defeated ex-UFC star Nate Diaz over the weekend on points having knocked him down earlier in the fight.
This saw him bounce back from a devastating defeat to bitter rival Tommy Fury in February, but a win may have just set up a second meeting providing 'TNT' progresses beyond KSI in October. He still wants to fight other boxers however and even called out current undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez.
Paul's time in the ring could be on borrowed time if he loses again, and he will know that his opponents need to be selected carefully, with an eye on pay-per-view draw and profile. The 'Problem Child' is also set to make his MMA debut under the PFL promotional banner which could also delay his return to the squared circle.
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