Butterbean's son apparently won't follow in his famous father's footsteps.
The boxing icon rose to fame during his professional boxing career in the 1990s, wowing many with his ability in the ring due to his large size, and became a fan favorite around the world. .
The unconventional heavyweight, real name Eric Esch, ranged between 300 and 430 pounds (21 stone to 31 stone) throughout his career.
At the urging of his friends in the early 1990s, Butterbean began competing in the Toughman Contest in Texarkana, Arkansas.
The four-round amateur format had a maximum heavyweight limit of 400 pounds (28 1/2 stone), but Esch was over that at the time and had to go on a diet to shed his iconic bulk. Ta.
His nickname comes from the butter beans he ate as part of his diet.
After winning the tournament and developing a reputation as the “King of Four Rounders,” Butterbean was given the opportunity to turn professional in 1994.
In his second professional fight, Esch found himself the star of television.
He began his unique career boxing regularly in four-round bouts across the United States, usually overcoming journeyman opposition, and in doing so gained a cult following.
His career ended in 2013, with his most notable bouts stopping Mike Tyson's former rival Peter McNeely in 1999 and losing on points to legend Larry Holmes in 2002.
Over the weekend, Eric's son Matthew Caleb Esch stepped into the ring to try to follow in his father's footsteps.
The 5-foot-9 youngster made his professional debut against Joshua Bryce, but the results didn't go as well as he had hoped.
Esch received brutal body shots from Bryce and was knocked out in the second round of a four-round contest.
He was unable to recover and ignored the referee's count, and as a result is now 0-1 as a professional boxer.
