Remembering Boxing’s Most Unusual Heavyweights

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Ed “Too Tall” Jones brought NFL fame into the boxing ring during the late 1970s. He finished 6-0 after stepping away from football, although many questioned the quality of his opposition. Jones was knocked down in his professional debut before escaping with a heavily booed majority decision over Abraham Meneses. Only one of his six opponents owned a winning record. Following a first-round knockout of Ricky Gonzalez in his final bout, Jones returned to the Cowboys.

Eric “Butterbean” Esch became one of boxing’s biggest attractions during the 1990s thanks to his enormous size and knockout power. Known as “The King of the Four Rounders,” Butterbean finished with a 77-10-4 record and 58 knockouts. His most memorable performance came in 2002 against former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. Fighting ten rounds for the only time in his career, Butterbean scored a knockdown in the final round before losing a unanimous decision in the 53-year-old Holmes’ farewell fight.

Chicago’s Craig Bodzianowski won his first 17 professional fights before a motorcycle accident resulted in the amputation of his right leg below the knee. Refusing to walk away from boxing, he returned with a prosthetic limb and eventually challenged WBA cruiserweight champion Robert Daniels. Bodzianowski lost the decision after suffering severe facial damage, yet simply reaching a world title fight under those circumstances remains one of boxing’s most remarkable comeback stories.

None of these men became heavyweight champions remembered for championship reigns. Instead, each earned a lasting place in boxing history because their careers unfolded in ways few other fighters could match.