In recent years, Hafþór Björnsson has looked pretty different from his peak strongman days. The 2018 World’s Strongest Man winner has slimmed down considerably, leading many to believe that he had left the sport behind for good to focus on acting and his burgeoning boxing career.
Well, that’s all changed because in a new video on his YouTube channel, published on Oct. 17 and titled “I’m DONE with BOXING!”, Björnsson announced that not only is he putting an end to his pugilism efforts, but he’s also eyeing a return to the strongman scene at the 2022 Rogue Invitational. And he’s not just making any old comeback — he revealed that he will attempt to break his own weight over bar world record at the event.
[Related: Strongman Hafþór Björnsson Teaches You How to Deadlift]
Hafþór Björnsson’s Weight Over Bar Record Attempt
Björnsson — a.k.a. “The Mountain” from HBO’s Game of Thrones — originally set the weight over bar world record at the 2019 Arnold Strongman Classic, where he threw 56 pounds over a height of 20’2″.
“I gave it a few years — I hoped that someone would break it, but no one was able to,” Björnsson jokes in the YouTube video posted above. “So I think it’s about time that I break this world record. And then, who knows? Maybe I have to come back to strongman and break my own deadlift world record.”
Toward the end of the video, Björnsson easily tosses 55 pounds over a height of around five and a half meters (18 feet) to show that he’s more than ready for the event. Björnsson says he will make his attempt at the 2022 Rogue Invitational during a Rogue Record Breaker competition on Sunday, October 30, 2022. (At the time of this article’s publication, no exact time was given by Björnsson or on Rogue’s website.)
Hanging Up the Gloves
In the same video, Björnsson also announced that he is no longer pursuing his boxing career. He last stepped into the ring in March 2022 in a victory against fellow strongman Eddie Hall. And while there were rumblings that a potential bout against heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury was in the cards, Björnsson says the talks never panned out.
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[Related: What Hafthor Björnsson Eats in a Full Day]
In a moment of introspection during the video, Björnsson says his passion for boxing “isn’t there,” despite dedicating the past two and a half years to it.
“I’m 33 years old now, turning 34 in November,” Björnsson says. “For me, it was just like, should I spend the last few of my years as an athlete doing something I don’t love, or should I just go and focus on my businesses and focus on the things that I love, like lifting weights?”
If you’re interested in keeping up with Björnsson’s world record attempt or any of the other competitions at the 2022 Rogue Invitational, the entire event takes place from October 28-30 in Round Rock, TX.
Featured Image: Hafthor Björnsson on YouTube