Eddie Hall is set to take on a man who names himself after a Demi-God in what is set to be the boxing match of the year. These are huge names for those familiar with The World’s Strongest Man competitions and there will be fans all over the world ready to place a bet on who they think will be victorious. Can Eddie Hall fell Thor? Or will he prove to be an immortal?
The World’s Strongest Men
These are huge names in the World’s Strongest Man competition, with Hall winning the title in 2017 and Thor (Hafthor Bjornsson) taking the title a year later. However, that is where the similarity ends as these are two very different men and very different competitors. Hall is a short and sturdy strongman, whereas Thor towers over the rest. Both competitors have one strong man title to their name, but in their time competing with each other, Thor has bettered Eddie Hall six out of seven times. In fact, Thor managed a top-three finish in the competition for eight years in a row between 2012 and 2019, so this will be a tough one for Hall.
However, boxing is about strategy and technique as much as strength and both men have little boxing experience, so bookies will definitely split those odds – with some giving \thor the edge due to his size and power.
Eddie Hall
Eddie Hall is a household name to many strongmen fans – and he is known for a no-nonsense approach and inability to accept defeat. He has not taken anything for granted and the Stoke strong man has been training rigorously in preparation in order to get in shape for the fight – but still staying heavy enough to qualify for the heavyweight division. He is certainly not taking any chances and is trying to stay one step ahead.
In his training, Hall has lost an incredible 36kg and is now in the shape of his life. He is now leaner than ever and will be a lot quicker and more agile with the amount of cardio training he’s doing. He has been working on an adapted cardio plan to take his former size into account and it’s paying dividends. Winning this bout could set Hall and his family up for life and may well be one of the most lucrative in boxing history.
Hafthor Bjornsson
Hafthor Bjornsson – Thor, is an absolute powerhouse of a man and an excellent athlete that could well give him the edge over his rival. Oh – and the fact that he’s 6ft 9, towers over him and has a longer reach might also help his cause as well.
Thor has a lot going for him – firstly, he was the first man to win the Arnold’s Strongman Classic, Europe’s Strongest Man and World’s Strongest Man in the same year, but as a former professional basketball player, he also has athleticism on his side.
As a 6ft 9 giant, basketball was an obvious choice for Thor and he was once considered to be one of the elite prospects in the sport. However, with injuries impacting his success in the sport, he turned to powerlifting instead.
Betting on the Winner
So who will win? Whilst it is clear that Hall has the mental capacity, desire and will to take the victory, Thor has more physical advantages – and a background in pro sports. With training, either man could take the win.
In terms of odds, pretty much all top bookmakers will have them pretty even but giving the slight advantage to Thor. However, with Thoor being the bigger man, if the fight goes on for quite a few rounds, he could tire and slow down, with Hall’s weight loss and training paying off. Whatever happens, bookies will certainly be quick to offer great odds and offers on the event that looks set to be the fight of the year.
