Boxing
Butterbean reveals sex addiction struggles and who he would come out of retirement to fight
Shields vs. Daniels - Saturday on DAZN - Subscribe
Butterbean, the cult-hero boxer whose real name is Eric Esch, has revealed how he overcame a sex addiction during the peak of his career.
In a searingly honest admission, the American admitted his weight problems, past rejections and sudden fame fuelled his addiction in the 1990s and 2000s.
Butterbean has now conquered this demon and remains married despite his infidelities but he has laid bare his past problems.
The 58-year-old told 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.
“Now, I'm good. I'm confident in myself now. I don't have that problem. I'm a good boy now.”
- Read next | The road ahead for Oleksandr Usyk after Daniel Dubois rematch
Butterbean and wife Libby Esch have three children, including two sons who have forayed into mixed martial arts, although both were well shy of the 400-or-so pounds the elder Esch fought at in his boxing days.
Teased for his weight as a child, Butterbean channelled that frustration into Toughman contests – truncated boxing matches that often relied on larger 16-ounce gloves and other safety measures.
Butterbean never actually defeated a ranked opponent, although he did lose to 53-year-old former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes in 2002.
Although he continued to be a media presence, including stints in various wrestling circuits, Butterbean's weight increasingly became a problem.
“When you can't walk and you can't walk into the store and get something to drink, you do get depressed,” added Butterbean, who admittedly needed a wheelchair at one point as he surpassed 500 pounds.
“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.”
- Read more | List of the 10 greatest heavyweight boxers of all time: Has Oleksandr Usyk done enough to make the cut?
These days, Butterbean is down more than 200 pounds – something he credits to his friend, wrestling legend 'Diamond' Dallas Page, who introduced him to yoga and a number of other healthy habits.
He is retired, but would consider one comeback fight against Jake Paul.
“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.”
Watch the biggest fights and best fighters with a DAZN subscription
A DAZN subscription provides access to over 185 fights a year across a range of combat sports from the world's best promoters.
For pricing and more information, click here
