Cult-like hero and boxer Eric Esch, better known as Butterbean, has been fighting demons since his brief flirtation with fame.
The former boxer, who also fought in MMA in the 1990s and 2000s, had a combined record of 97-24-5 but has had many more battles outside of the arena where he detailed painful issues behind the scenes.
The 58-year-old admitted that he has been battling obesity, as well as sex addiction that nearly ruined his marriage, he said in a recent interview with The Mirror.
“I’ve been married for a long time and I’ve always loved my wife, but that was something that I’ve always had trouble getting over,” Esch said. “Now, I’m good. I’m confident in myself now. I don’t have that problem. I’m a good boy now.”
Butterbean also detailed weighing over 500 pounds at one point and being unable to walk.
In his prime, Butterbean stood at six feet tall, weighed roughly 378 pounds and fought some of boxing’s biggest stars.
Butterbean’s rise to fame included a boxing match against Bart Gunn at WWE’s WrestleMania XV, a first-round knockout for Esch.
He also showed a willingness to move forward and take the fight to legend Larry Holmes in the legendary heavyweight champ’s final fight in 2002. Despite a massive reach disadvantage, Esch scored a knockdown at the end of the 10th and final round, while losing in a unanimous decision.
But things went downhill once his fighting career ended.
“When you can’t walk and you can’t walk into the store and get something to drink, you do get depressed,” Butterbean said. “I was in bed for almost a year… got out of bed just to go to the bathroom. And I ate in the bed. I mean, I didn’t even leave the bed.”
Butterbean has since turned his life around, having lost more than 200 pounds, something he credits to former WCW and WWE wrestler “Diamond” Dallas Page, who has his own yoga fitness program.
“I’m in the best shape of my life right now,” he said adding that at one point he needed a wheelchair to get around. “I’m not in a wheelchair no more.”
Last year, Butterbean revealed that he wants to be Jake Paul’s next potential victim.
“Butterbean’s back for one more fight,’ he said in a social media clip. “There’s only one fighter out there that wants to fight retired, bald guys. I’m coming for you. I want to fight Jake Paul because he runs his damn mouth too much.”
Paul has made a career defeating past their prime fighters in the boxing ring; something that was magnified after he defeated 58-year-old Mike Tyson who could barely stand up by the end of their fight.
