Hafthor Bj?rnsson Defeats Eddie Hall in World's Heaviest Boxing Match
The Heaviest Boxing Match in History between former strongmen Eddie Hall and Hafthor Bj?rnsson is over. After two years of training and trash talk, Bj?rnsson emerges the victor. The fight was scheduled for six rounds at the "Titan" weight class—both men weighed in at over 300 pounds. The two former strongmen have been feuding since the 2017 World's Strongest Man competition, when Bj?rnsson contested Hall's win.
While the match was at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium in the United Arab Emirates, the crowd was loudly favoring Hall for much of the fight. The two giant combatants came out swinging, but eventually settled. Bj?rnsson used his height and experience to his advantage, appearing to be a much more technical fighter, and opened a cut on Hall's face in the first round. But Hall was no slouch–he landed the first big blows of the match, and his power clearly kept Bj?rnsson at bay.
One thing was clear: this wasn't just a cash grab. Both Hall and Bj?rnsson looked like competent boxers. The fighters spent much of the fight looking for a knockout blow—while Bj?rnsson peppered Hall with his jab at times, neither combatant looked to land shots on the other's body. Bj?rnsson appeared to be ahead at the start of the final round, and put Hall down on the canvas with just over two minutes remaining.
After the final bell rung, Hall proffered his fist for Bj?rnsson to tap, and Bj?rnsson responded in kind. While the leadup to the fight had chronicled their bitter feud, the pair appeared to respect each other—and the work they both undertook to transform into entirely different types of athletes—within the ring.
After all the buildup and a surprisingly even match, Bj?rnsson came out on top, winning the unanimous decision. He and Hall posed for a photo together, and clearly showed respect to one another.
When asked if the feud was behind him after the fight, Bj?rnsson said he felt good, but he understood if Hall was still upset after the loss. One thing he did say, however, is that he was open for a rematch.
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