“The Heaviest Boxing Match In History” is the current slogan for the fight that went from rumors to signed-contracts-with-a-date-and-location really quickly.
2017’s World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall and 2018’s World’s Strongest Man Hafthor Bjornsson have signed seven-figure contracts for a boxing match that will be going down in Las Vegas, Nevada, in September 2021.
Thor posted the promotional poster on his Instagram below with the caption,
It’s official. September 2021 in Las Vegas Nevada, the Mountain vs the Beast. The next year and a half of my career will be solely dedicated towards this fight. I can’t wait to have my family ringside as I throw down. I’m coming for you @eddiehallwsm 🥊🏆
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The post was made less than 24 hours after Eddie Hall posted a video of himself signing the contract for the fight, in which he said (emphasis ours),
So, Thor. Are you happy? Has your dream come true? You get to go up against the guy who bested you at World’s Strongest Man 2017. The man you called a cheat. I hope you’re happy, cos I’m happy. I get to make a load of money and I get to step in the ring with you and do business which is absolutely fantastic. And I hope you’re happy being the home gym hero right now. Everyone knows full well you haven’t got the balls to step into competition and replicate what I did. (…)
I’ve got a little personal message for you, mano a mano. World’s Strongest Man 2017, I trained for that like no other man did and I came in and dominated that competition. And just like I did for that I’m going to do exactly the same for the fight. I’m going to train for this like I’ve never trained for anything before. I’m going to swim out to those dark waters and I want you to come with me. I’m gonna keep swimming, and I can guarantee you, I don’t give a f*ck anymore. I’m not turning back anymore. And you will. Because you’re a p*ssy. I’m gonna keep swimming out to those dark waters, Thor, and you can’t bring your entourage with you. It’s a dark, deep, cold, horrible place and it all ends in the ring. And that’s where I’m going to teach you a f*cking lesson.
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For those unfamiliar with strongman, these two guys don’t like each other. There’s friendly rivalry, and then there’s Hall and Bjornsson.
The two both really wanted to win 2017 World’s Strongest Man, and when Hall came out ahead by one point, all because one of Bjornsson’s reps on the Viking press was disallowed, Thor announced that he felt cheated. The referee made the controversial call, which Bjornsson and some others dispute, that he double dipped on his last rep — basically that it was a jerk instead of a push press, which is prohibited. So he lost half a point and half a point went to Hall.
The strongmen weren’t fans of each other before that, but this bred real enmity between the two that led to many back and forth jabs in the media.
Bjornsson went on to win the 2018 competition but Hall called him a “paper champion” because he wasn’t competing that year. The rivalry escalated in December when the two started talking about actually punching each other into submission.
Bro. Have you seen your size? You seriously think you can fight a guy my size. You’re what, 380 pounds and you’re like 6’5″? I’m 6’9″, man, and I weight 440. Bro, get outta here. (…) But seriously if you want to fight me, seriously? F*ck it, let’s do it. I’m down.
(Hall is 6’3″.)
It seems like the last straw was Hall saying that Bjornsson’s new 501-kilo deadlift, the heaviest ever made by anyone, shouldn’t count because it wasn’t held in competition like his 500-kilo record was. (He memorably declared, “I don’t trust the Icelandics.”)
At this point we’re not all that sure how much of this is just to drum up publicity and how much of it is the two actually hating each other, but right after Thor made his 501-kilo lift on live television, he announced that Hall had been sent the papers to agree to fight him.
With the two men making seven figures a piece and World’s Strongest Man reportedly awarding their winners $75,000, it makes sense that Bjornsson has announced he’s not competing at the next WSM and is devoting all of his time to prepping for the match.
Who’ll win? Brian Shaw has said in the past he thinks Eddie would win, given he grew up in a tough neighborhood and was scrapping from an early age. Then again, Bjornsson is six inches taller.
Whatever happens, we’ll be tuning in. Our only question is if we can wait another fifteen months for the Heaviest Boxing Match In History. (And if we can withstand another fifteen months of the two sniping at each other.)
Featured image via @thorbjornsson on Instagram
