Eric ‘Butterbean’ Esch believes that his feud with Jake Paul began when the YouTuber-turned-boxer trash talked him at his lowest ebb.

Following his win over Nate Robinson on the undercard of Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr’s exhibition in 2020, Paul was compared to Butterbean by a reporter in his post-fight press conference. But he seemed almost offended by the comparison, telling anyone comparing the two to ‘f— off’.

At the time, Esch was tipping the scales at 500lb – on the occasion that he could even step on to them while getting off his wheelchair. But now having lost 220lb, he wants to face Paul as he eyes a ring return after launching his own Butterbean flavor of the new Lucky Energy drink.

Butterbean explains the origins of Jake Paul feud

For years, Butterbean has been insisting that he could beat Jake Paul if the pair were to fight. He watched on as the social media star defeated his contemporary Mike Tyson last year, but still insists he could win if the pair were to meet.

And speaking with Bloody Elbow editor Jordan Ellis in an exclusive chat, he explained: “I called him out a long time ago, and he just didn’t want to respond…”

Esch at the time was wheelchair-bound and couldn’t walk, much less train for a boxing comeback. He is now considerably lighter, and believes he can fight again now he’s at a lower weight than he was during his boxing peak.

“He talked trash about me when I was in a wheelchair,” Esch continued. “I didn’t believe in myself. I couldn’t do nothing about it. Once I got that feeling and was able to do stuff again, I thought, ‘I’m going to shut him up for good’.”

Butterbean is confident he can defeat Jake Paul after losing 220lb

Now in the shape of his life, Butterbean truly believes he can be the man to knock out Paul and eliminate him from boxing. “I’m full training just ready for Jake when he accepts my fight,” he continued.

“He needs to fight somebody that can punch. Yeah, I’m a little bit older than most the guys, but because I’ve been down for so long, I’m back up and I’m in better shape than I ever was in my 20s. I know I can beat him, and he thinks he can beat me.

“That’s what would make a great fight. He has come a long way since he started. When he started, he was horrible, he was bad. He’s actually come along a little better, but he’s still not fighting the caliber of fighters I am. Hopefully, he takes my challenge, steps up the competition, and fights me.”