Eric Esch, aka ButterBean was a powerhouse who took the world by storm. An underdog factory worker, turned gladiator tough man boxer, turned just about everything you can imagine...His devastating power is the stuff of legends, and this original documentary examines the entirety of ButterBean's career.
Voice Over by:
Andrew Scott
/ josephvincent - Please support this channel on Patreon for exclusive content. We need your support to continue onwards. Thanks.
BUY JOSEPH VINCENT MERCH:
www.teespring.com/stores/josep...
"He was stuffed with power, charm, and probably fried chicken.“
He would ko joshua and wilder ezzzzz
I agree
Remember he squashed bart gunn
In wwe
At wrestlemania xv
Let's face it Butterbean gave the crowd what they wanted, throwing Haymakers with no regard for human life
Yeah, Johnny Knoxville approved
After what I saw from Joshua ….butterbean would have done better
I was the 300th like!
hahahah
@@jameskim1505 I forgot about that lol I can't imagine
"After I won 18 toughmans they told me I couldn't fight in em no more". Classic. Who else in the modern world has ever heard that said to them? Love it.
"Modern world" what?
It's like Bill Kazmeier being banned from Worlds Strongest Man for a couple years because he was too strong and winning it too often.
If it was coming from anyone else but the bean itd be bull shit
Like a man getting banned from the all-you-can eat.
Needed to send Lui Kang after him
One of the nicest men I’ve ever met … He had all the time in the world for me And my son today at Comic con … took pictures and told stories …
I met him at his restaurant. The paws on that man. He literally is two people. One of the nicest, kindest, and most mannered men I've met. He's definitely in on the joke, and revels in it.
what the fuck does a boxer have to do with comic con
@@nomercyinc6783 🤦🏾♂️
Is butterbean not allowed to go? You tell him that.@@nomercyinc6783
I mean, his persona is deliberately comical lol....., and he's a really good role model for kids, considering his personality. Just so well mannered and restrained for a fighter. The epitome of what masculinity should be.....he'said an absolute monster with remarkable control of it in his benevolence. If I was running the con, he's exactly the kind of person I'd want there "on the side" for the kids to hang out with
Can you imagine entering into a local tough man contest and facing a then unknown butterbean. Like "oh yeah I got this, he is chubby and probably slow and why am I staring at the lights? Why is my mouth piece flying towards the third row?"
😂😂😂😂😂😂
What's my name again?
"I swear I had some teeth earlier"
Haha, you should add: 'Why do i hear boss music?'
“… I think I can smell my brain”
You know you’re a true blue collar when you retire and open up an bbq spot! He stayed the person he’d always been so salute BB!
Shut up
Good for him. BBQ and Butterbean do go together 😋
Great to hear!
Fantastic
he probably bought 10 house and rents them out
I think his most amazing ability was squarely standing in front of his opponents flat footed and still throwing ko shots
are you slow or something?
At his size too.
What is the name of match at 1:07?
Every punch he threw is a haymaker and I love it.
Gotta love this dude, regular man with intense amount of power, an underdog that everyone doubted but in the end proved all wrong... man what an inspiration I love this guy
I wouldn’t call him a regular guy. He was a 400-pound monster who was gifted with a ton of natural power. His origins were humble but the man himself was born to fight.
@@bizmonkey007 rob must be American 🤣
I think his best showcase is his loss against an old Larry Holmes
@@paulblue9397 lol u wouldn’t survive butterbean
@@hbkslazyeye8865 he still a monster fighter
"He even knocked out a ref" I wasn't expecting that 🤣
Yup! Was funny as is but the video game sounds killed me 🤣🤣🤣
The Mario Music tho
Neither was that ref.
Like him or not, Butterbean had power to knock out any man. One of the best sluggers of the HW division.
And more impressively, great hand to eye coordination for such a huge man
@@bonk4225 not true. It's like saying everyone who's 6'10+ is a good rebounder in the nba
@@BrowniesByTheLake I agree I sparred with some bodybuilders and some had heavy fists but not knockout power because they lacked flexibility so it was nothing compared to how much they weighed. So casual fans like my friends would see the guy Im about to skate with and automatically think he would knock me out because of his body but I already have out boxed him easy and let him hut me a couple times.i still kept my hands up but wanted my friends to see how little power he had and were so confused about it. Lol
this man was a punchinbag in k1 kickboxers beat him easy
Does butterbean Remind you of Kingpin 💎👔🏙🌁🖐🏻
He had far more than just power, his accuracy was special.
he never gets credit for his technique. they just made him out like he was a power house with no real boxing skills
Its crazy, his style is so simple. You know exactly what he's going to do but you just can't stop him.
Almost like a train. You know exactly where it’s going, and you can try to jump out of the way, but it’s fast, and if it hits you, you’re a goner.
@@KriegeroftheLakewhat would you do if you had to dodge those missiles coming at your face?
@@Thestockxj96 Accept my fate
@@KriegeroftheLake I would probably run, and if I needed to, try to form another plan if it's life and death.
Going from 420 to 305 fighting weight I feel really helps explains Butterbeans success as well. I can’t imagine how much better your cardio feels after shedding 100+ lbs dead weight not to mention the strength that was required to carry that frame around at blue collar job.
I basically do a very similar job that he did,10 years service. I recently lost about 130 pounds( 400 pounds to 270 pounds)and I can say I am fitter and stronger than ever. I can only imagine how much more of an animal he felt after his weight loss
He frequently fought at 350+. They were worried about his health at 302- as in, he was too thin.
@@misterx6346 lmfao
take it from me, childhood obesity gives you fucking crazy core strength once you lose a good amount of weight. You're practically living with a weighted vest on you at all times, and once that goes off, you really reap the benefits.
Yes.. people overlook the fact that this man was over 420lbs working a laborers job building prefab houses in Mobil home factory. This is no easy task for a healthy weight man. You can't imagine the strength his arms and legs built up over the years that allowed him to crawl under and push himself up and over and get himself I'm and out of the tight spots it takes to do these jobs. Then to shed 115lbs through cardio training... it's almost like he was "on deck" for 10 years before swinging!!!
Dude is out here landing absolutely terrifying haymakers on professional fighters. How can anyone doubt the prowess?
And he moves really well for a 300 pound guy! His form when punching is actually fantastic. Puts his whole body into the punch
@@moradghonim The Biggest Boxer In Sports Entertainment History!
I think they realized he was the man and like most sports when there is a clear cut top dog you want to be the person that beats that top dog to give yourself a boost in status.
He's great, but he would not make it in a sanctioned federation with 12 round bouts. Maybe if he got a good coach and cut down a bit, but fat old Larry Holmes was the most well trained fighter he ever fought. Either he would have had a hard time getting fights, or a well trained defensive boxer would gas him out.
@@Mantorok12 I mean he held a legit 4 round World title and was promoted by Top Rank. I thik alot of the issue was if he had the gas tank to go longer, Butterbean fought like he was still in the 1 minute round Toughman fights.
Eric's punching accuracy has been grossly understated. Watch the slow mo's again.
That double punch on Graham was savage! Not many people out there that could stand after getting hit with boat anchors like that! The speed and accuracy from a man that size is nothing short of phenomenal
When Eric went pro you can see his dedication to the craft in his body. He is a large man, there’s no doubt about that, but you can see he put in all the effort to make a boxer out of his genetics. We’re more used to seeing guys like this in heavyweight mma divisions dragging down and laying on top of guys for 15 minutes at a time, or getting some sloppy one shot knockout more akin to his tough man matches. Butterbean, to me, is an icon of hard work and humbleness. He’s not going to go down in history like the old school greats, but he made a good life for himself and had a lot of fun along the way. If the phrase, “hometown hero” had a picture next to it in the dictionary, I’d have a hard time imagining seeing anyone but butterbean’s face on that paper
Also butterbean vs tony galento would be a dream match could you imagine
12:55 *Johnny Knoxville woke up and said “is Butterbean okay?”* That was hilarious.
😂😂
“Hit me once” Proceeds to destroy Knoxville
😅😅😅😅
Do you mean 11:55?
Knoxvilles comedic timing is as legendary as Butterbeans Fists
"40 nights and 40 days, we've been hangin and bangin brother"
Did Hogan had sex with Esch?
Sbg. You watch every video I do.
He did have technique. It wasn't just throwing wild haymakers like many like to say. He had accuracy, delivery, heart and a solid chin.
He knocked a lot of dudes out closing the distance when they weren’t expecting it.
Yeah, watching this footage reminds me of Tyson teaching Ngannou - duck and slip their jab, follow up with overhand right. Very clean technique, he's certainly doing it better than Ngannou. On the other hand, these are the highlights from his entire career! I sure wouldn't want to face him in the ring though.
My dad was a big boxing fan and I wasn’t but I remember watching a bout featuring Butterbean with him. I was one of the most fun two minutes with my pops.
72 Wins, 10 Loses and 4 draws. What an insane record! It insane that so many people never took him seriously.
All these ufc legends have like 10 fights and people praise them as gods were the bean woukda body'd them in the ring
He was a bad joke, that's why.
How many top 10 fighters did he fight? I can't think of one name he ko'd. He was a banger, but, he fought tomato cans.
@@Salieri47 no
@@clownnworldorder no
Nice layer of cushion to soak up punches but when you watch him tense and move around you can see his muscle underneath, the man was a god damn tank
That's no cushion.......its extra ballast (y) Muscles gets the weight moving, More weight = more force His speeds what's truly amazing I've got a friend built like a brick wall Twice butter beans height sane roundness......friendly giant (y) Yo when this man runs its like watching a bull elephant charge You can literally feel the earth shake He can only sprint like 30-40ft roughly and he's fuuuuuuucked!!! But to this day I have never seen anyone run like that......... I used to wind him up about his size and it inevitably got round to him saying he'd fuck me up and I'd reply you'd have to catch me first ;) Saw him run 1 time playing english foot ball He was the goalie He ran out to meet someone coming to score against him Literally whole ducking pitch just stared at him...............
Way more muscle than fat.
Mr t unironicly seems like a great corner man, you can feel the emotion and belief in his voice.
Mr. T was a bouncer so he could relate with the tough man champ.
@@humboldtharry1289the perfect hype man to get you going
What impresses me, besides the power, is the attitude. He just advances, no fear, totally determined, just relentless. You can actually see many of his opponents backing down and getting intimidated. He might take a couple of shots, but he's resolved to take them if that gets him into shooting range. And then he just pounds. He really wants to do this thing.
While the Bean looked ungainly, he had good balance, could take a punch, and he was faster than most people thought. Granted, he fought a lot of tankers, but that wasn't his fault. He never backed down from anyone, pleased the crowd, and he made watching fights a great experience.
I agree. While he could throw a punch, he could also take one. He's been hit hard, and took it. He's a beast.
For sure Jess, it wasn't his fault. I don't like when people hold "he mostly fought bad, inexperienced boxers" against him. Truth is - that's what everyone does to progress onto the big fights! We just got to see the early stages of his career, where we normally wouldn't see it. The reason we saw his 'easy' fights early on is because the man was a spectacle.
The guy could punch, too
Yeah he was surprisingly athletic and quick, a lot of his KOs he closed distance way quicker than his opponents expected and tagged em
Yes, he could take a punch, which gave him that moment to knock out his opponent.
Loved his KO on Johnny Knoxville. That's where I first heard of the legend that is ButterBean
Of all the crazy shit that Johnny has done, that might’ve been at the top of the list. Butterbean took him apart with practice gloves and might’ve killed him had they gone on for another 10 seconds, haha!
I remember watching a match and dropping him easy. Then they announced Bart Gunn vs Butterbean one year for wrestlemania 15... and holy shit... poor gunns head almost got taken off... I would have never taken that fight. Talk about a checkers player playing chess
By dropping him, I meant butterbean's opponent
@@akterminded Holy Cow
Who?
I met this man Saturday in Tennessee and he is such a nice person he talked to me for awhile then I got an autograph
Butterbean will always be a personal favorite of mine you can argue he didn’t have a style sort of like marciano but what made him excel none other than his inhuman strength was his tremendous heart. You go into that ring with confidence and you get someone like Eric.
11:12 "He even knocked out a ref" - Ahh beautiful. That was so perfectly landed and unintentional, ah sweet butterbean
The sound effects killed me for some reason 💀
Being a ref did always look a bit dangerous to me in combat sports
@@theannouncer5538 true.
@@christianbelzer Exactly
It's them ultra wide hooks
that bart gunn knockout at 9:56 is outrageous, never seen anyone's head spin around like that
He almost got killed it nearly snapped his neck
tbh my jaw dropped at that one
Ended his WWE career
It wasn't a total loss. Vince McMahon just put duct-tape around Bart's neck and traded him for some baseball cards to Billy in 2c. {0.o} 🤙🥳😆😂🤣🥳🤙
Probably his best punch he's ever landed. And actual great punch with great form. A short strait/overhand right with snap and torque. Instead of a heymaker.
How can you not love this guy?
This man is no less than a legend.
Can't believe his greatest challenger was Johnny Knoxville
No Larry holmes
@@Nachtfahrt80 😐
Hamish No shit. I was referring to Butterbean KO’ing Johnny Knoxville in the Jackass Movie
@@Nachtfahrt80 an old! Larry Holmes
Hahahah
this is the defination of "be careful of the people you bully in Highschool"
Yea they might go on to be a success!
And end knocking you the f-- out
Was he bullied?
@@wingerding Yeah, he got bullied in school for being fat. I'd like to see them try to bully him now!
My favorite athlete all because you’d never expect him to be what he is on first glance. Plus a real friendly dude
He was such a natural talent. Great power, good eye, good speed, good timing - he was even moving pretty good. What a freak of nature...
My Favorite moment of Butterbean was after the McNeeley fight, he went to get a drink from his corner and it came out of a Hershey's Syrup Bottle!!!!! On top of that, he says "Where's that Tyson Guy?" Always a class act!
Flew next to him when my wife and I was flying to our honeymoon. He was super nice and easy to talk to, had a great conversation with him.
Did he take your armrest?
@@robertlangdon494 You don't ask Butterbean for the armrest
I remember being little and watching all this guys fights with my grandpa we loved watching his fights. Brings back GREAT memories of an easier time. Before internet, social media, cell phones, etc...
Butterbean appeared when a wrecking ball at a demolition site in Atlanta wished upon a shooting star and became a real boy.
Oh my gosh. It’s a Joe Vincent special. I can’t wait to properly digest this. How you’re not part of a major company amazes me 👌🏿🙌🏿
He smashes these videos, a major company couldn't make vids like these, feel like it would lose its charm
Ikr
Major companies wouldn't give him this much freedom. I hope he's making money this way so he never leaves KZhead
@@calamorta he's definitely making a ton of cash not just from ads but sponsors..he's good
When you’re the best, you are your own industry. He deserves every dollar of ad revenue he gets.
I think that was Bas Rutten talking about Butterbean having the best cholesterol of all the fighters on the card. He always says the best shit.
He’s great
Butter beans are good for you as a low-fat low-calorie food. There is good evidence that they can help reduce blood sugar, improve cholesterol levels and help maintain a healthy gut.
@TheFreshestLyrics that's until they haymaker you into the shadow realm.
@@TheDGAF06 😂
Bas was so clever and entertaining.
This was AWESOME! Butterbean is a Living Legend & a top-shelf man!
Outstanding vid. At 14:40 I audibly groaned-that kidney knock-out looks excruciating. Also even with his extra heft it takes serious cardio to go all-out for 4 rounds.
I grew up in the 90's watching boxing with family and loved every time this guy fought, this brings a tear to my eye. Go Butterbean!
He was an amazing fighter 👑💪🏻👑
@@jalenikezeue4114 no he wasn't casual boxing fan, He only fought one pro fighter an old Larry Holmes and Butterbean lost
Amen brother 👌🏻
@@Gameking92888 He went against a Larry Holmes who had a huge reach advantage and didn't land any significant strikes other than jabs and half arsed crosses.
@@Gameking92888 are you just here to hate and be dramatic and pathetic?
I was NOT expecting a Butter Bean episode. Stoked to watch this!!!
Me neither and I was just telling my gf about him the other day !
I always appreciated Butterbean and his story. Absolute UNIT of a man.
@@somalianpotatoes6952 spoken like the most casual boxing fan, He's never fought any professional fighters only Larry Holmes and he lost against old Larry Holmes
@@Gameking92888 Didn't need to be honest. He made promoters more money being an attraction match than a big name. Never bad to have him on an undercard of a big fight.
@@Gameking92888 Stfu. The only casual here is you. I bet you think Muhamnad Ali was the greatest that ever lived. Gtfoh.
One of the things that made Butter Bean a true Legend was not only his regular strength but the fact that he had exceptional strength in striking that a lot of ultra heavy weights don't have. There are very few fighters like ButterBean and they are all in the Hall of Fame of their sports.
I just saw a DDP Yoga video where they completely rehabilitated Bean. He had gotten to the point where he couldnt even walk. DDP got him under 300lb and by the end of the video Bean was not only out of his scooter but RUNNING and training. Was so uplifting to see.
"well he never should have slugged with him, he knows that now" amazing, great work
That's the very last thing you wanna do against ol Bean, lol xD Do NOT stand in the pocket and trade. You WILL lose. It was insane to see so many people think they could actually TRY that approach.
@@Ric_Vicious yea, and sometimes they try to clinch with him and realize far too late that even when you hug him tight you are still unable to get inside his crosses and hooks the way they should be able to against a thin opponent. Even if they get a good grip on him the shape and strength of his body gives him power and leverage to shrug them off so they can't just grab and hold and wait for the ref to save them.
8:16 Butterbean is one of the few fat guys who can actually pull off Punisher skull merch.
Lmao
The human body can be so fragile if you land wrong yet be so tough like the man at 9:08. I played that in slow motion I thought his skin was the only thing that kept his head attached. Wow.
The sound effects in this video really bring it all together great. Thank you for the stellar editing.
I couldn't help but crack a smile picturing Butterbean cooking up a storm at his BBQ restaurant telling people his unlikely rags to riches story. Thank you Joseph Vincent on another masterpiece
This man came to put on a show!! He deserves his place in boxing history!!
I was born in 1983 and I can remember when I first seen his fight on TV.. I thought it was some kind of skit or a joke at first and he knocked the other guy out cold!!! BUTTERBEANS IS DEFINITELY A LEGEND BRO!
I know he doesn't have. HOF career but he should be immortalized somehow.guy instilled hope in alot of kids.may even have inspired a few to do things they'd never belive they can do. He had a very positive humbled attitude and was versatile. Guy was a great man
He was an interesting guy. Carved out a unique niche in boxing. A professional and career prelim fighter I guess you'd call it? A marquee name who was a journeyman knocking out other journeymen. People liked him though. He was a regular guy who could punch hard and people liked that.
i bet it wasn't that hard putting this together once joe realized how much footage there is of this man knocking people out. what a great production.
Butterbean was the headlining fight on my last MMA fight card, Jan 2007 at The Tachi Palace in Lemoore. He had 3 opponents back out so they threw a no name in there with him some guy named Charles Hodges. Good times.
I love the pace you edit your documentaries at. You have made some of the best ones I've ever seen.
This was a beautiful tribute to one of my favorite boxers as a kid. Hope Butterbean sees this video some day.
This just puts a smile on my face, I’m not sure why, perhaps it’s because we all love an underdog, perhaps it’s because I’m a bigger guy as well and it’s just inspiring to see someone do well despite tradition, what an amazing tale! ❤️
it is why we all loved him. Ppl are tired of chiseled gods in the ring. Butterbean was one of the people,with big balls,and allways gave us a spectacle...
Lets be honest he was just more scared of mr t then any of his opponents
Would you disobey him right infront of him he says knock him out i only ask. "How fast"?
@@Ave_Satana666 Right? Butterbean and Mr. T are two of my favorite dudes from when I was a kid.
One of my heroes during my childhood. Love this guy. Big salut 🫡 from France, ViNZ.
I don't believe I have ever heard anyone speak of his ability to absorb punishment. On top of his impressive punch, he can really take it.
I literally just made a comment about say what u will about this man but his stamina and jaw were top tier no doubt
It’s because he didn’t really have a neck
It’s not a Joseph Vincent video without hearing “Boom perfect timing”
The way he just swats at some of these guys like a bear swiping it's paws is so impressive. It seems effortless on his part, but he's straight rocking these guys!
I loved watching him. Eric is living legend!
nicely put together mix. thanks
Amazing accuracy with those massive power punches.. just devastating. Hats off to Bean, awesome self made American man.
All while wearing the stars & stripes with legends backing him 🐐. The world could use another ButterBean right now! 🇺🇸 🇺🇸
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO!!! He is from my hometown of Jasper Alabama and everyone loves him.
Amazing intro! When that music that kicked in around the 2 minute mark sent chills down my spine.
Holy hell, a Joe Vincent BUTTERBEAN episode? Let's go! Lmao Also I still can't believe that Butterbean had Mr. T in his corner coaching him and rooting for him.
legendary moment in all of sports in my opinion,was like a scene in a movie 🎥
Fair play to the guy, he made the most of what he had, has had wonderful experiences most will never see and is set for life. Well done Eric!
Joseph, I didn’t even think I liked boxing so much. Then, I started watching these videos yesterday and I’m addicted. Thank you!!!
Joseph Vincent you are pure gold! Awesome video!
Absolute legend. I grew up knowing his name, but never his full story until now. And now I realise why he was in every fighting game I played as a child.
i love this man , he's tough but kind and humble , even with the incredible journey of his career
Great video. Very informational. I have heard of Butterbean, but I never knew he was so great nor did I know where he came from. You never know where life will take you.
Amazing story and documentary! Thank you!
13:45 that step in, head slip, and straight combination was way beyond my expectations. That moment was asking what if a tank was a counter puncher?
What if you taught defense to a hippo
So glad I was born in the generation to witness the Bean, this era was beautiful, no frills just spills, the heavy weight division was exiting from amateur to pro no matter what the rankings! We need to bring back the wild west of swing and hope fighting.
So much respect and admiration for the Bean. What a life he has had!
Thank you Joe Vincent
What an inspiring story for "everyman" and for those not blessed with an "athletes" body! I love you. Bean!
Damn, this man is a fucking rolemodel. He owned his own life and how it went. Really appreciate him for that
Fantastic job putting this together
Seriously man, your videos are legendary.
It’s always a great day when Joseph Vincent uploads!
Thanks for watching!
I cherish the perspective you choose on these athletes to tell their stories. You always have a way of putting their lives into a perfectly told story.
This guy has has entertained me since I was a kid... one hell of a fighter... 👍👍👍👍
Thanks for such a well done video.
Usyk looked amazing on saturday against AJ. Would love a joe vincent documentary about him
I have a feeling his career has yet to ebb
I say butterbeans would kick the crap out of either one of them
@@1carpentrys atleast joshua and wilder
@Facepalm Gtfoh you clown, u dont know sh about boxing, both AJ and Usyk would slaughter Butterboy
Kigoz4Life Hell no, Butterbean end up in a coma against Joshua, Life support against Wilder.
I’m surprised you didn’t include his submission wins in MMA
By far, my favorite fighter. I can set on KZhead all day and watch him fight.
Holy crap these have to be some of the most impressive KO’s i have ever seen. Had to watch the one on Gunn 4 times. Nearly took that dude’s head off!
For a guy so big his movement was incredible!! It's unreal!!
Wow, I didn't even know that "Butterbean" was from south Alabama. About 50 miles from my neck of the woods in Selma, Alabama. I wonder if there will ever be another Butterbean?!
Thanks for the awesome vid 😀
I've been to his restaurant in jasper, it's a great deal and solid food. When I'm there, i keep an eye out for him stopping in.