Before Hafthor Bjornsson will face Eddie Hall in the boxing ring, “The Mountain” has been scheduled for a exhibition fight in January 2021.
The Background.
Bjornsson, an extremely decorated powerlifter, began his strongman career in 2008. After racking up dozens of first place prizes, the Icelander won first at the 2018 World’s Strongest Man competition.
In the year prior, Eddie Hall won first at the World’s Strongest Man competition with Bjornsson placing second. In 2016, Hall set the world record for heaviest deadlift at 500 kgs (1,102 lbs.). His record stood for nearly four years until Bjornsson snapped it by a single kilo (a total of nearly 1,105 lbs.) in early 2020.
The Challenge.
Their powerlifting rivalry spilled into immense verbal jabs after Bjornsson broke Hall’s deadlifting record. “The Mountain” determined the only way to settle their rivalry was to…punch each other in the face. Bjornsson called out Hall for a boxing match and Hall accepted. The fight, dubbed “The Heaviest Boxing Match in History”, has been set for September 2021.
The Mountain’s Exhibition Match
Bjornsson will lace up his gloves early in an exhibition bout with Steven “The Quiet Man” Ward January 16, 2021. Ward is a former WBO European Light Heavyweight Champion and holds an impressive professional record of 13-1. The event, announced by Bjornsson, will be free to watch, but the viewing platform has yet to be announced.
Hall’s Preparation
“The Beast” has also been training for the upcoming super fight. Hall has posted several videos of him training, including a video in which he’s blasting away at his training partner. In a different session, Hall broke one of his trainer’s ribs after landing a powerful body shot, despite wearing a body protector. Regarding his training, Hall stated, “It’s coming, the fitness is coming more than anything…Just working on these combos, getting the hand speed, the footwork.”
With both fighters seriously training, the September 2021 fight should prove to be an exciting matchup.
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