Despite the massive hype surrounding a potential clash between heavyweight legend Mike Tyson and fan-favorite Eric ‘Butterbean’ Esch in the mid-to-late 1990s, the dream fight never came to fruition. Both men were at the height of their fame and often mentioned as ideal opponents for one another. Yet, fate had other plans for the heavyweight icons. Still, Esch hasn’t entirely let go of the idea.

The 58-year-old, who has dabbled in several forms of combat sports over the years, recently appeared in an interview with Ariel Helwani on the latter’s popular ‘The Ariel Helwani Show.’ While discussing his intentions to continue fighting against the likes of Brock Lesnar and Jake Paul, ‘Butterbean’ opened a can of verbal whoop-a** on the youngest heavyweight champion. 

“I’ll be honest, after the fight Mike had with Jake, I don’t think it would even be a close fight,” Esch told Helwani when asked why not fight Mike Tyson since it never happened despite the demand. Interestingly, Tyson squared off against ‘The Problem Child’ last year in November, where ‘Iron’ Mike looked like a mere shell of his former self, losing via a unanimous decision after 10 painfully boring rounds. 

Regardless, ‘Butterbean’ further warned, “I think I would destroy him that quick, if that’s actually how he’s going to fight.” When asked why the Tyson fight never materialized, the Atlanta, Georgia native claimed ‘Iron’ Mike was protected from him. “I’ll be honest, I think because Tyson does not have a chin. Mike cannot take a punch,” he said. Highlighting Tyson’s knockout losses to Buster Douglas and Kevin McBride, he explained away his indirect win over Tyson.

“Funny thing is, I fought a guy that knocked both them guys out, and I knocked him out—Louis Monaco,” Esch said. Notably, ‘Butterbean’ knocked out Monaco in the first round of their fight in 1995. While Monaco did knock out both Douglas and McBride in 1997, he actually lost the Douglas fight via disqualification because the knockout came after the bell rang. Regardless, he added, “I think after I knocked Monaco out, it ceased to exist; they had seen the power.”

Passing on Mike Tyson, Butterbean wants to fight Jake Paul

When Jake Paul fought a 58-now-59-year-old Mike Tyson last year, no one would have thought he would share the ring with another in the same age group. However, heavyweight cult icon Eric ‘Butterbean’ Esch has thrown his name into the hat. During the same interview with Ariel Helwani, ‘Butterbean’ made his intentions clear. 

“I want to fight Jake so bad. When I was in my wheelchair, Jake said some nasty stuff about me,” he claimed. Having lost 300 pounds, Esch says the 28-year-old motivated his comeback. “I started getting healthy again… I’m going to push myself until I’m able to knock him out, and guess what, I’m here.” Despite the glaring age gap, ‘Butterbean’ is confident in what he can do.

“I hit so much harder than these guys… I know I can take him, and he thinks he can take me—that’s what would make it a great fight.”

It appears ‘Butterbean’ has lost interest in facing Mike Tyson after the latter’s loss to Jake Paul. But at the same time, Paul has become his primary target. While the fight isn’t impossible, given Paul’s history of fighting aging opponents, only time will tell whether ‘El Gallo’ would ever consider such a fight. 

In today’s game, there’s a thriving scene for nostalgia-fueled showdowns, catering to the MMA and boxing crowd’s craving for legendary bouts. Heavy hitters like Tyson, Paul, Holyfield, and the gang have all stepped into the ring. Butterbean’s proposition hits the nail on the head with this trend—but it sure raises eyebrows about what’s real versus what’s just for show. Is this all about the thrill of competition, or just another flashy streaming event meant to stir up excitement?