The Fattest Boxers To Ever Compete In The Heavyweight Division

Andy Ruiz Jr surprised the world in 2019 when he defeated Anthony Joshua to win the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles to become the unified heavyweight champion of the world. Ruiz did not look like the typical boxer as he was flabby, even more so when the pair had a rematch a few months later and Joshua won his titles back. For the fight, the Mexican-American weighed in at 284 pounds, 16 pounds heavier than he had been in their first fight. However, he is not the first boxer in the heavyweight division to not have a six-pack and outright muscles to show.

People like Tyson Fury who described himself as being “as fat as a pig” at 350 lbs when he was contemplating returning to boxing have also struggled with their weight. There have been a few in history who were outrightly fat compared to their counterparts. Below is a look at some of the fattest boxers to have ever competed in the heavyweight division.

The Fattest Boxers In The Heavyweight Division

1. Dustin Nichols

• Nickname: Big Worm
• Nationality: American
• Height: 6 feet 3 inches (191cm)
• Reach: Unknown
• Heaviest Weight Recorded: 32 st 2lbs (450 lbs)

Dustin Nichols goes down in history as the fattest boxer in the heavyweight division. He weighed his heaviest in 2011 in a fight against Justin Jones, tipping the scales at 32 st 2lbs (450 lbs). Dustin’s boxing career had begun a few years before that in 2007 with a loss. While he also lost his second fight, he won his next four bouts to set up a match with future heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder in 2010. Wilder was able to dispatch Nichols in one round, however, he suffered a scare early on when Nichols knocked him down and almost sent him through the ropes.

This proved to be the highest point in his career as he was unable to win another match in ten attempts. His next victory came in 2019 in his eleventh attempt against Andre Brewer. Nichols fought two more times in 2019 and was unsuccessful. He seemingly retired from the sport that year but made a comeback in 2021 when he fought Martin Verdin and lost.

2. Eric Esch

• Nickname: Butterbean
• Nationality: American
• Listed Height: 5 feet 11 inches (180 cm)
• Reach: 78 inches (198 cm)
• Heaviest Weight Recorded: 30st 6lb (426 lbs)

Eric Esch is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. Born August 3, 1966, the American struggled with his weight as a schoolboy and was bullied for being fat. In his later years, he decked floors as a way to make ends meet. When a local Toughman Contest came to town, he was dared by his colleagues to join. Eric ended up winning the tournament, signaling the start of his fighting career. Along the line, the amateur boxer was asked to lose some weight in order to meet the Toughman 400 pound (181 kg) weight limit. He attempted to do so by going on butter beans and chicken diet, with the former ending up as his nickname.

Butterbean made his professional boxing debut on October 15, 1994. In 1997, he won the IBA Super Heavyweight Championship and successfully defended it five times before relinquishing it in 2000. His biggest fight came in 2002 when he fought 52-year-old former world heavyweight champion, Larry Holmes. Eric lost the fight by unanimous decision.

In subsequent years, Butterbean would delve into kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and pro-wrestling. He would later also make a comeback to boxing. While he managed to maintain his weight for most of the time, he weighed his heaviest in his final fight against Kirk Lawton in 2013, tipping the scales at 30st 6lbs (426lbs).

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3. Gabe Brown

• Nickname: Big G
• Nationality: American
• Listed Height: Unknown
• Reach: Unknown
• Heaviest Weight Recorded: 25st 13 lbs (363lbs)
• Boxing Record: 18-17-4 (39)

Gabe Brown began his career in 1997 with a victory. His next nine fights all went his way until he suffered his first loss in 2001 to Joe Lenart. The athlete was a monster of a man weighing in well over 350 pounds in most of his fights. While he had adequate skill, he was not of the caliber of a contender or gatekeeper, thus he was a journeyman boxer for the whole of his career. As a result, he was unable to register a big victory, or even a marquee fight for that matter. The biggest fight he participated in was in 2003 when he lost pitifully to Sherman Williams who later fought Evander Holyfield in his own career. Another notable fight was against Samuel Peters in 2009 who beat him in a fourth-round stoppage. For the fight, Brown weighed 363.5 lbs. He would later retire in 2011 with a career record of 18-17-4.

4. Kevin Karusa

• Nickname: King Kong
• Nationality: New Zealand
• Height: Unknown
• Reach: Unknown
• Heaviest Weight Recorded: 24 st 10 lbs (346 lbs)

Unlike others who appear on this list of the fattest boxers in heavyweight boxing, Kevin Karusa had a very short career that lasted within just one calendar year. He maintained a weight of 24 st 10lbs throughout his career. The New Zealander fought three professional bouts within that time frame, winning one (his debut) and losing two before calling it quits. His first fight was against Ben Naqasima in March 2009. He won the contest by technical knockout (TKO). His second bout against Kim Heta was lost by TKO while his third bout against Mark De Mori who was lighter than him by 114 lbs was lost by knockout. Ever since the supersized heavyweight lost the fight, he has not stepped into the ring again.

5. Buster Mathis Sr.

• Nickname: N/A
• Nationality: American
• Height: 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m)
• Reach: 76 inches (193 cm)
• Heaviest Weight Recorded: 21 st (295 lbs)

Many believe Buster Mathis would have gone on to win Olympic gold if he did not get injured and withdraw from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. This is because his replacement Joe Frazier went on to win the medal. Despite that setback and his massive weight, Buster was very athletic and so when he turned pro in 1965, he enjoyed a 23-fight unbeaten streak. This qualified him for a shot at the New York State Athletic Commission World Heavyweight Title. Buster had to fight his old rival Frazier for the title in 1968 and was defeated. The following year, after registering a few more victories, he lost another fight to Jerry Quarry and opted to retire. He would however return in 1971 to fight Muhammad Ali which he lost on points. Buster tried to keep his career going, winning his next fight but after a knockout loss to Ron Lyle in 1972, he retired.

Following his retirement, Buster got into the trucking business and helped his son launch his own boxing career that saw him fight a prime Mike Tyson. With basically nothing to do to keep him in shape, Buster ballooned up to 550 pounds. He later died in 1995 due to a severe heart attack.