Boxing icon Eric 'Butterbean' Esch has branded the much-talked-about showdown between YouTube star Jake Paul and boxing legend Mike Tyson as a "scam."
Ever since March, fight enthusiasts have been on the edge of their seats for the clash involving YouTube sensation Paul and 58-year-old former heavyweight champ Tyson. The matchup was to make history on July 20 as Netflix's first-ever live-streamed boxing spectacle, but concerns for Tyson's health pushed it back.
The bout has been rescheduled for November 15, yet doubts about Tyson's fitness linger, not to mention the vast 30-year age gap raising eyebrows. Nevertheless, Butterbean revealed at the Georgia Pop and Horror Con "Him and Tyson are never gonna fight," he claimed during the event QandA. "That has been a scam from the very beginning just to boost Jake's name - and it has!
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"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 icon, with an impressive professional record of 77-10-4, has thrown his hat into the ring, challenging Jake Paul with a bold $2m million bid for a match-up. The ex-Disney star previously bulked up for his originally scheduled showdown with Tyson, only to slim down again for a bout with ex-UFC combatant Mike Perry last month, where Paul triumphed with a sixth-round stoppage.
Butterbean has also made a tantalizing seven-figure proposition to take on Paul in the ring, but admits he's still waiting for an answer.
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He laid down the gauntlet on TikTok: "Hey Jake Paul, would you fight me for $2m? Winner takes all." Esch boasts an impressive 57 knockouts from his 77 wins and clearly maintains allure among boxing enthusiasts for a face-off with Paul.
Meanwhile, Tyson has been seen rigorously gearing up for his return to peak condition ahead of a slated July 20 encounter. Nonetheless, some observers harbor skepticism about whether Tyson can endure the full eight two-minute rounds in the ring with Paul, considering it's been nearly 20 years since his last professional fight, though he did participate in an eight-round exhibition against Roy Jones Jr.
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