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Eric Esch
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Eric "Butterbean" Esch | |
| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Real name | Eric Esch |
| Nickname | Butterbean |
| Weight | Super-Heavyweight |
| Nationality |  American |
| Birth date | August 3, 1966 (age 40) |
| Birth place | Bay City, MI, US |
| Style | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 88 |
| Wins | 77 |
| Wins by KO | 58 |
| Losses | 7 |
| Draws | 4 |
| No contests | 2 |
Eric Scott "Butterbean" Esch (born August 3, 1966 in Bay City, Michigan) is a professional boxer and mixed martial artist, known for his bald head and excessive weight. Butterbean stands 5 ft 11 in (180cm) tall and weighs 417½ pounds (189 kg). He is the former IBA World Super-Heavyweight Champion. Esch's round body, bald head and vicious scowl, make him a menacing (yet highly entertaining) fight figure. His combined professional fight record currently stands at 86 wins with 62 knockouts, 10 losses and 5 draws. Butterbean currently resides in Jasper, Alabama.
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Known as the "King of 4 rounders", Butterbean developed a cult following after he burst onto the Toughman Contest scene in the United States before entering the world of professional boxing in 1994. He was a five time World Toughman Heavyweight Champion with a record of 56-5 with 36 knockouts (not counted towards pro career).
While a majority of his opponents were technically limited, club level fighters early in his career, he did move up the ranks to win the IBA World Super-Heavyweight Championship. Butterbean faced former world champion Larry Holmes in 2002. Holmes won a unanimous 10-round decision with Butterbean credited with a knockdown in the final round. Esch's most recent title shot came on October 15, 2005 where he lost a split decision against George Linberger for the NABC Super-Heavyweight title.
Esch's professional boxing record is 77 wins with 58 knockouts, 7 losses and 4 draws. He won his last boxing match against Joe Siciliano, which occurred on March 9, 2007 at the Palladium.[1] That same night, Esch's son, Brandon, lost in his professional debut against Matthew Eckerly.[2]
Butterbean has appeared twice in WWF events competing in boxing matches. In 1997, at the In Your House 19: D-Generation X pay-per-view event, he defeated Marc Mero (former Golden Gloves champion) via disqualification in a worked match. Two years later, Butterbean defeated Bart Gunn in a legitimate shootfight at Wrestlemania XV, defeating the Brawl For All champion with ease, knocking him out in 27 seconds.
Butterbean's previous fighting experiences led him to venture into mixed martial arts. At K-1 Premium 2003 on December 31, 2003, Butterbean lost his first MMA bout to 155 lbs Japanese fighter Genki Sudo via tap out to a heel hook. Esch regrouped, going 6-0-1 in appearances in King of the Cage, Fightfest, and Rumble on the Rock including a TKO stoppage of Cabbage Correira. Esch returned to Japan with the PRIDE Fighting Championships on August 26, 2006 to compete at Bushido 12 against Ikuhisa Minowa, a 185 lbs fighter, to whom he lost via armbar at 4:25 of round one. Less than two months later, Butterbean was scheduled to fight K-1 legend Mark Hunt at Pride FC's first North American show on October 21, 2006. Due to an injury Hunt sustained in training, Esch was matched up against Irish-American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist Sean O'Haire, whom he defeated via knockout at 30 seconds in the first round. On February 10, Butterbean knocked out James Thompson 43 seconds into the first round at Cage Rage 20: Born 2 Fight. Butterbean's MMA record is 9 wins with 4 knockouts, 3 losses and 1 draw. Esch is currently training with American Top Team to improve his ground game.[3]
Butterbean is scheduled to fight Zuluzinho at PRIDE 34:Kamikaze on April 8, 2007.
| 9 Wins - 3 Losses - 1 Draw (4 KO's) | |||||||
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Method | Round, Time | ||
| 12/31/2003 | Loss | Genki Sudo | K-1-Premium 2003 Dynamite | Submission (Heel Hook) | Round 2, 0:41 | ||
| 02/25/2005 | Draw | Michael Buchkovich | King of the Cage - Payback | Draw | Round 2, 5:00 | ||
| 12/09/2005 | Win | Walley Keenboom | Fightfest 1 - Royce Gracie Fightfest | Submission | Round 1, 2:37 | ||
| 01/20/2006 | Win | Wesley Correira | Rumble on the Rock 8 | TKO (Doctor Stoppage) | Round 2, 5:00 | ||
| 04/14/2006 | Win | Leo Sylvest | Fightfest 2 - Global Domination | Submission (Choke) | Round 1, ?:?? | ||
| 04/21/2006 | Win | Aaron Aguilera | Rumble on the Rock 9 | Submission (Choke) | Round 2, 1:15 | ||
| 05/20/2006 | Win | Matt Eckerle | Fightfest 4 | Submission | Round 1, 0:56 | ||
| 07/15/2006 | Win | Rich Weeks | Fightfest 5 - Korea vs USA | Submission | Round 1, 1:29 | ||
| 08/26/2006 | Loss | Ikuhisa Minowa | Pride Bushido 12 | Submission (Armbar) | Round 1, 4:25 | ||
| 10/21/2006 | Win | Sean O'Haire | Pride 32 - Real Deal | TKO (Punches) | Round 1, 0:29 | ||
| 12/09/2006 | Loss | Rob Broughton | Cage Rage 19 - Fearless | Submission (Tap To Strikes) | Round 2, 3:43 | ||
| 01/18/2007 | Win | Charles Hodges | Palace Fighting Championships - King of the Ring | KO (Right Punch) | Round 1, 0:45 | ||
| 02/10/2007 | Win | James Thompson | Cage Rage 20 - Born 2 Fight | KO | Round 1, 0:43 | ||
Butterbean appeared in the film Jackass: The Movie, where he fought Johnny Knoxville in a department store, where Knoxville was floored by Esch and received several stitches in his head after the encounter. However, it is obvious in the movie that Butterbean gives Knoxville several rabbit punches as Knoxville was going down. While being treated by on-scene medical personnel, a badly beaten Johnny Knoxville asks "Is Butterbean okay?" On the DVD commentary Knoxville stated that Esch is actually quite friendly outside of the ring, despite his fearsome ringside demeanor.
Prior to the skit, Johnny asked Butterbean to go "all out on him." Butterbean stated, "I can't do that Johnny." When Knoxville repeated himself, Butterbean then replied, "You don't have to ask me twice." Knoxville then claimed he knew he was in trouble.
Butterbean also appeared in the film Chairman of the Board as the Museum Security Guard with the "chia hair", a fact that is pointed out on the DVD commentary by the movie's star Scott "Carrot Top" Thompson.
Butterbean was featured as the cover character as well as the final boss character in the EA Sports title "Toughman Contest" released in July 1995 for the Sega Genesis and Sega 32X.[4] He also appeared as a playable character in the EA Sports boxing video game Knockout Kings 2001.