Combat sports icon Butterbean has slated Jake Paul and Mike Tyson’s proposed fight as a “scam” after offering to fight the YouTuber himself on multiple occasions

Ring legend Eric ‘Butterbean’ Esch has slammed Jake Paul and Mike Tyson’s scheduled boxing bout as a “scam.”

Fight fans have been anticipating a clash between YouTuber Paul, 27, and former world heavyweight champion Tyson, 58, since March. The pair were originally scheduled to face off on July 20 in what would have been a groundbreaking first live boxing event to be aired on Netflix, only for the fight to be postponed due to health reasons relating to Tyson.

The fixture was postponed until a new date of November 15, though there are still widespread concerns over Tyson’s condition and the three-decade age difference between the two. However, Butterbean has asserted with confidence that he and Paul will never face off – and never intended to.

“Him and Tyson are never gonna fight,” said the fight legend during a recent Q&A at Georgia Pop and Horror Con. “That has been a scam from the very beginning just to boost Jake’s name – and it has!

“This guy, everybody’s talking about him. But he’s never gonna fight Tyson. They were never planning on fighting each other, because a promoter would never let him fight anyone else in between a fight. Never – not that big a fight. So, it’s been a scam from the beginning.”

The former heavyweight professional – whose pro boxing record sits at 77-10-4 – recently made his own £1.5million offer to fight Paul in the ring. Former Disney actor Jake piled on the pounds ahead of his first proposed date to face Tyson, only to drop weight again for a clash with former UFC fighter Mike Perry last month.

Paul made relatively light work of the bare knuckle champion before earning a sixth-round stoppage win. And Butterbean followed up with his own offer to box Paul for seven figures, though the 58-year-old has since said he’s yet to hear a response.

Butterbean
Ring legend Butterbean – real name Eric Esch – has made his own £1.5m offer to face Paul ( 
Image:
tiktok/butterbeankingof4round)
“Hey Jake Paul, would you fight me for $2m [£1.5million]? Winner takes all,” said Esch on TikTok. The cult fighter sealed 57 of his 77 boxing victories via knockout, and many boxing disciples might like the prospect of him going up against ‘The Problem Child’ next.

Tyson uploaded a series of videos showing his dedicated preparations to get back to fighting fitness ahead of July 20. However, there was still plenty of concern about whether he’d be able to last eight two-minute rounds – even against an influencer-turned-boxer like Paul.

It’s been almost two decades since ‘Iron Mike’ last had a bout under professional conditions, though he did see out an eight-round exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020. Butterbean’s absence from the ring is considerably less considering he hung up his gloves in 2013, though he’s since embarked on a weight loss journey and spoken of his desire to land one more fight.