Strongman-turned-boxer Hafthor Bjornsson has opened up on his rivalry with Eddie Hall and the journey to get to fight night as he prepares to enter the squared circle this weekend.
On Saturday night, the years-long rivalry between strongman foes Hafthor Bjornsson and Eddie Hall will finally come to an end. The pair have spent a long time in talks for a boxing showdown and finally, in whatâs bound to be a unique collision, theyâll meet inside the ropes.
While some have wondered whether this is all for show, Thor has insisted that the feud runs deep.
âHe really dislikes me and I really dislike Eddie. He wants to punch me in the face, I want to punch him in the face,â Thor told GiveMeSport.com.
âItâs not a fake rivalry, itâs actually real. We really dislike each other and if anyone thinks anything is fake here, nothing is fake.
âThis is 100% true, and itâs 100% going to go down on Saturday. Full force. We both want a knockout, we both want to come out on top and get the win.â
The transition from competing in the world of strongman to boxing was never going to be an easy one, and even âThe Mountainâ wonât hide away from the toll itâs taken on him.
â100% this is the craziest, hardest thing Iâve done in my entire life. Extremely difficult, physically, mentally.
âThere were days when I wanted to just give up and I thought âwow, this is too muchâ. But I didnât, because I have a mentality where nothing stops me.
âI just keep going and keep pushing myself no matter what. I show up everyday, no matter what - no matter how tired I am, how sore I am. It doesnât matter if I was crying the day before because I was in so much pain. Iâm just gonna show up and do my best every single day.â
The Reign Total Body Fuel athlete has the experience and height advantage but admitted thereâs a route to victory for Hall - through an unforced error, that is.
âI have the reach, I have the height, I have the experience, I have everything against him. In my opinion Iâm a better boxer. Everything goes my way.
âItâs my fight to lose. If I lose this fight, itâs because I didnât control this [his mind]. âIf I go into this fight with my head strong, stay calm, relaxed and do my part as a boxer, If I come in and show people what Iâm capable of, thereâs no way heâs beating me.â
Will Thorâs boxing journey continue?
Through all of the noise and chaos of fight week, Bjornsson has admitted that there could be another challenge on the horizon.
âIâm too focused on Eddie right now, but there was someone earlier that asked if I would fight Martyn Ford, a friend of Eddie Hall. If that question gets asked after the fight, weâll discuss it. Weâll discuss it if it makes sense.â
Hafthor Bjornsson is a Reign ambassador and will fight Eddie Hall on Saturday 19th March at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. #ReadyToReign