An Aussie tourist with a passing resemblance to famous American heavyweight fighter Butterbean bit off more than he could chew recently when he declared he would get in the ring with Mike Tyson.

The Aussie was hilariously pranked by the former heavyweight boxing champion on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. 

The real Butterbean, circa 1995

Butterbean, real name Eric Esch, is a retired American retired professional boxer, kickboxer, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He is best known for his boxing career, which included 77 wins from 91 bouts including 58 by knockout.

Despite being prominent knockout machines in the heavyweight division in the early 1990s, Butterbean and Tyson never met in the ring, although Esch has always claimed he would have won a fight between the pair.

Butterbean was offered a chance to fight Tyson in an exhibition match in 2020, but he declined and Roy Jones Jr. fought ‘Iron Mike’ instead.

In a segment called ‘Mike Tyson is right behind you’, unsuspecting people were interviewed outside the studio where Kimmel’s show is recorded. 

They were asked a question about Tyson while the enigmatic former heavyweight champion listened in before popping up behind them.

When it came to the Australian man, the Kimmel staffer asked: ‘Do you think you in your prime could go in the ring with Mike Tyson now?’

‘Yeah, I’d give it a go,’ the man replies enthusiastically.

Tyson appears behind him and when the tourist sees who’s there, he curses in shock and shakes the ex-champ’s hand.

Tyson shocks the unsuspecting Aussie before the two have a mock sparring session

The two share a warm embrace before they engage in some mock boxing for the cameras.

While there were many dark periods during Tyson’s career, the segment is another light-hearted moment from the boxer who enjoys playing pranks and being a comedian these days.

Tyson destroys Trevor Berbick to become the youngest heavyweight champion ever in their 1986 bout at the Las Vegas Hilton

Tyson famously played himself in the Hollywood comedy The Hangover and its sequel, while also playing himself in a bizarre series of ads for Australian company Ultra Tune.

He has pranked the likes of UFC president Dana White, played himself on prank television show Public Disturbance and was one of the entertainers on the panel of the Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen.

Ed Helms, Zach Gailifanakis, Mike Tyson and Bradley Cooper in a scene from The Hangover

Not all of his interactions with fans have ended well, though. In April this year Tyson repeatedly struck a passenger on a flight from San Francisco to Florida, leaving him with a bloody forehead. 

The passenger had allegedly harassed Tyson and thrown a bottle of water at him, with Tyson telling him to ‘chill’ before lashing out at him. 

Aussies were shocked by Tyson’s bizarre appearances in Ultra Tune commercials

Tyson also elbowed a fan in the chest during Floyd Mayweather’s win over Manny Pacquiao in 2015.

Tyson warned people in December 2020 that they were getting ‘too comfortable’ with talking behind a keyboard and not being held accountable.

‘Social media made y’all way to comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it,’ Tyson wrote in a Facebook post which has since been taken down.