2017 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Eddie Hall and 2018 WSM champion Hafthor Björnsson are prepping for their highly anticipated boxing match, estimated to take place early 2022. To up the stakes of their fight, Hall initially wagered a $100,000 charity gambit to Björnsson, where the loser would donate the six-figure sum to a charity of the winner’s choice. Björnsson upped that wager to $200,000 and wanted them both to donate that sum, regardless of the fight’s outcome.
Hall, in turn, accepted Björnsson’s raise and raised it again, suggesting that the loser of the bout should donate one million dollars. Björnsson declined that million-dollar raise stating that it would be “irresponsible” for him to do so.
“The Moutain” upped the ante in a more personal way instead, wagering that the loser would have to get a tattoo of the other man’s name labeled as the “World’s Strongest Man.”
Check out the video below of Björnsson issuing the challenge to Hall, courtesy of Björnsson’s YouTube channel:
[Related: Strongman Oleksii Novikov Recaps His Bronze-Medal Finish at the 2021 Rogue Invitational]
For clarity, this is what each man will have to get tattooed on their body should they lose the bout, per Björnsson’s wager:
- Eddie Hall — “World’s Strongest Man: Hafthor Julius Björnsson”
- Hafthor Björnsson — “World’s Strongest Man: Eddie Hall”
Hall wasted no time responding to Björnsson to accept his tattoo wager. Though Björnsson did not specify where they would have to get the tattoo, Hall mentioned that Björnsson would have to get it tattooed “on [his] arse,” though it is unclear if that was a serious statement or further trash talk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1NHdc670kM&ab_channel=Eddie%27TheBeast%27Hall
[Related: Strongman Nick Best Deadlifts 500 Pounds for 50 Total Reps at Age 53]
Both Hall and Björnsson’s massive frames are already decked out in tattoos. Björnsson has two full sleeves that span across his chest, as well as art on both thighs and both calves. Hall also has two full sleeves that crawl across his traps and two symbols tattooed on his pecs. Hall notoriously has the words ‘The” and “Beast” written on the insides of his biceps so that when he hits a front double biceps pose, his moniker can be read from left to right.
[RELATED: Best Leg Exercises]
Before Björnsson’s response to the million-dollar wager, four-time WSM champion Brian Shaw did a Q&A on his YouTube channel where he was asked what he thought of the bet. Shaw expressed that Hall performs better “with his back against the wall,” and that wagering potentially the full prize purse of the fight is “hopefully coming from a place of supreme confidence.”
[Related: Giants Live Announces 2022 Tour Dates; New World’s Strongest Nation Team Competition]
Heaviest Boxing Match In History
Considering that Hall accepted Björnsson’s tattoo wager and did not counter with anything beyond the million-dollar raise for charity, which Björnsson declined, the stakes heading into the match stand at:
- Each strongman* will donate $200,000 to the winner’s choice of charity.
- The losing strongman will have to get a tattoo of the winner’s name.
*Hall did not specify but did say he would choose a charity focused on mental health.
When these two titans step into the squared circle, there will be more than just money on the line. Pride and a permanent brand of the other’s name are at stake. We’ll see who comes more prepared for the other and whose knockout prediction comes to fruition.
Featured Image: Hafthor Björnsson / YouTube
