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Butterbean Appreciation Thread
Having seen some of the amazing entertainment last night I took a trip down memory lane when boxing had its own street certified bad ass--Butterbean.
This toughman was the shit! Who can forget hos countless competition wins as he dominated top tier streetfighters annd toughmen. When he won the IBA superheavyweight title against Ed White, his kayo of Peter McNeely, and then the crowning moment of his career, when he fought a legend where the legions of butterbean fans showed up with all his support. It was amazing: Imbetween that were great performances in Jackass, going and Letterman, and adding cred by being in the World Wrestling Federation.
But I think we should focus on when the 'Bean got to headline a fight card, a PPV no less. And who else to fight than a big named legend of the sport. Let's hear it Luis:
--Holmes Easily Outpoints the Bean--
By Luis Escobar
(July 27, 2002) Norfolk, Virginia, (Scope Arena)
In a contest between a man past his prime and a fighter who never had a prime, former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes scored a convincing 10-round unanimous decision over Eric "Butterbean" Esch.
Holmes capitalized on stiff left jabs and numerous right crosses to neutralize Butterbean for most of the evening. Esch simply lacked the mobility and athletic skill to catch up with the fifty-two-year-old former world champion. Holmes repeatedly drilled Esch with searing left jabs that opened several small cuts over Butterbean's left eye en route to registering the win. All three judges had Holmes winning on their scorecards, 98-91, 96-93, and 97-92.
--Going thru the Motions--
Holmes (69-6, 44 KO's) began drilling Butterbean (63-3, 48 KO's) with left jabs in the first round, moving away, and then coming back to connect with periodic right hands to the jaw. However, at the 1:50 mark of the 1st, Esch (334) scored with a counter right hand that caught Holmes (254) on the chin. Seconds later, Butterbean, Jasper, Alabama, rocked Holmes with a sweeping right hand to the jaw. Holmes' knees buckled momentarily but he remained upright. Holmes, Easton, Pennsylvania, returned to sticking his jab and moving away from his ponderous opponent. With 12-seconds to go in the 1st, Holmes jolted Esch with a clean right cross to the jaw.
The action slowed considerably in the second and third rounds as the crowd voiced their displeasure with cascading boos, while the fighters repeatedly circled and threw very few meaningful punches.
Nevertheless, Holmes, who held the heavyweight crown from 1978 through 1985, continued to catch Butterbean, 32, with solid left jabs to the face. In the 5th, Holmes opened a cut over Esch's left eye courtesy of yet another series of hard left jabs to the face.
With both men laboring and struggling to catch their wind, Holmes continued to land his left hand while Esch missed by three feet with roundhouse blows. At the 1:07 mark of the 9th, Holmes drilled Esch with a whistling right hand to the head. With 47-seconds to go in the round, Holmes landed four consecutive left jabs and a brutal right cross to the head. The punches did not hurt Esch, however, blood continued to flow from the cut in his left eyelid.
Holmes returned to scoring with his jab and walking away in the 10th, while Butterbean was unable to mount any type of serious attack. With 1:09 to go in the bout, Holmes rocked Esch with yet another savage right hand but was unable to follow up with any more heavy artillery. Esch did throw a half-hearted left hook in the fading moments of the fight that caused Holmes to retreat and slip. The referee mistakenly ruled the punch a knockdown but the phantom blow had no effect on the outcome of the lackluster affair.
Holmes who defended his heavyweight crown twenty times is best remembered at his peak and not this cartoon event. Had this fight had occurred in an alley outside of a bar, you would have returned to get another drink after about fifteen minutes. The only thing this sham proved was that neither man should take his shirt off at the beach.
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I miss Butterbean, but must respect his decision to advance his career in the world of MMA showing the great diversity in his gameplan.
I am looking forward to Butterbean versus Kimo Leopoldo fight soon, to see a boxing versus Joe Son Do battle.
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World Class Poster (Georges St. Pierre IS impressed with my posting)
Bitterness is for losers
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if they fought again bean would put him to sleep. 
