Over the weekend, Hafthor Björnsson, The Mountain, broke the deadlift world record. He was able to deadlift 501 kilograms, or an astonishing 1,104 pounds, breaking English strongman Eddie Hall’s record that had stood since 2016.
But Hall was none too pleased about the conditions under which Björnsson made history. The 2017 World’s Strongest Man spoke out against the veracity of the record and Björnsson’s team leading up to the attempt, even as he wished Thor luck. Hall considers the 501 lift to be a ‘gym’ record, and states that true world records should be set in competition. You might call those fighting words.
During a post-lift interview, Björnsson called out Hall, adding fuel to the fire of their long-standing rivalry. “Eddie, I know I just knocked out your record,” Björnsson said. “Now I’m ready to knock you out in the ring. Time to put your fists where your big mouth is and sign the Core Sports contract.”
Now, Hall has responded—and the grudge match between the two strength titans is set. Hall and Björnsson both shared out the same image to Instagram hyping the fight, set to take place in September 2021 in Las Vegas. The match’s tagline? “The Heaviest Boxing Match in History.”
Hall took to YouTube to officially take Björnsson up on his challenge, and to give him a scathing response.
“I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’ve got my pen here, I’ve got the contract, and I’m gonna sign it right now,” he said.
“So Thor, are you happy? Has your dream come true? You get to go up against the guy that bested you in World’s Strongest Man 2017, the man you called a cheat? I hope you’re happy, ‘cuz I’m happy,” he says. “I’m gonna make a load of money and step in the ring with you and do business, which is absolutely fantastic.”
Then, things got personal.
“I hope you’re happy being the home gym hero right now. Everyone knows you haven’t got the balls to step into competition and replicate what I did,” he says. “I’ve got a 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 the same for the fight. I’m gonna train for this like I’ve never trained for anything before.”
Hall visibly grew angry and impassioned before he continued his response.
“I’m going to swim out to those dark waters, and I want you to come with me. I’m going to keep swimming, and I can guaranteed you, I don’t give a f*ck anymore, I’m not turning back. And you will, because you’re a p*ssy. I’m going to keep swimming out to those dark waters, 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. Okay, Thor? So good luck, you’re gonna f*cking need it, and I will see you in the ring.”
Björnsson, meanwhile, hasn’t taken any time off after his record-breaking lift. He’s shared multiple Instragram posts sporting boxing gloves, already hard at work training for the fight. “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,” Björnsson captioned his announcement post.
And the fans cannot wait for this showdown.
“The press conferences are going to need crazy big security guards. I don’t know who breaks them up,” one fan commented on Hall’s response video.
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