Who is Butterbean? Legendary boxing sensation vows to unretire to fight Jake Paul

Don't get your hopes up, but Jake Paul vs. Butterbean is on the table.

'The Problem Child' is in a unique position in his boxing career. Having come from a YouTube background before getting into combat sports, he's understandably inexperienced compared to other top stars in the sport. However, due to his fame, he's still one of the biggest names in boxing.

If there's someone that can relate to that situation, it's probably Eric Esch. Known as 'Butterbean', the super heavyweight originally got into boxing off a dare from his friends to do a Toughman Contest. Quickly, he realized that he had dynamite in his fists.

From 1994 to 2013, he racked up a staggering 77-10-4 record, winning the IBA super heavyweight title along the way. Furthermore, he also eventually faced some high-profile names later in his career, coming up short against Larry Holmes in late 2002.

Over a decade after his retirement, Butterbean is ready to return. In an Instagram live video, he called out Jake Paul, stating:

"I'm going to fight one last fight. It's gonna 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."

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Jake Paul vs. Butterbean: Heavyweight legend calls out Mike Tyson

Jake Paul vs. Butterbean would be fun, but the heavyweight legend just really wants a proper sendoff.

The superheavyweight retired in 2013, riding a three-fight losing streak. While he's not competed in over 10 years, there's been several legends who have returned to the ring in recent years. One was 'Iron Mike'.

Mike Tyson returned in November 2020, fighting to a draw against Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition bout. Following the contest, the former champion stated his intention to compete in another exhibition, but nothing has come to fruition.

In an interview with SunSport last year, Butterbean called for fights with both Tyson as well as Jake Paul. While he's friends with the heavyweight legend, he's down to fight him. In the interview, he stated:

“I’m not a typical boxer, I go out there to fight, I want to knock somebody out. Jake Paul or Mike Tyson. Jake Paul runs his mouth too much, he’s never fought nobody, I would love to fight him. But I think people would like to see me and Tyson go at it, which would be a hell of a draw."

Given Tyson's latest comments, it seems unlikely that he's a legitimate option for Esch.