Fans concerned Game of Thrones star Thor Björnsson will lose boxing match

We have an update to this weird story about Game of Thrones star Thor Björnsson challenging another 350-plus-pound strongman to a boxing match.

If you’re just joining us, here’s an update on what I hope is one of the weirder things you read today: remember Gregor “the Mountain” Clegane from Game of Thrones? The dude who popped Oberyn Martell’s skull with his bare hands? He’s played by international strongman Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, and Björnsson is in a long-running feud with fellow international strongman Eddie Hall.

And I do mean feud. Like, these two go at it, to the point where I wonder if they’re faking it because it seems like the kind of thing we only get on reality TV.

So for example, a couple of months back, Björnsson broke a deadlift record that Hall had held. Hall hit back, saying that Björnsson’s deadlift didn’t count because it wasn’t done under the right conditions, accusing Björnsson and his team of bullying and unsportsmanlike behavior, saying that Björnsson has spread “malicious rumors” about him, and so on.

In response, Björnsson challenged him to a boxing box in Las Vegas next year:

“I want to teach you a lesson,” Hall replied. “And that lesson is going to be me knocking you the f**k out. I don’t care if you’re 6 feet 9 inches. I don’t care if you’re an actual giant. I’m gonna train the hardest… do everything in my power to step in that ring and rip your f*****g head off.”

So yeah, feud.

Anyway, the latest chapter in this saga is that Björnsson posted a video of himself training for the big fight, and suddenly everyone’s a boxing expert.

Apparently, a lot of people took issue with Björnsson’s sparring technique. “With all the respect I have for Hafthor, it will be a long way to avoid to get KO on the 1st round, best of luck!” one commenter wrote.  “Hey big boy, get with it man,” wrote another. “More sparring, more bag work, man. Let’s go.” And on and on like that:

• “You need to start using your feet to move different directions, you can’t go into boxing ring moving only forward you will get knocked out, brother.”
• “Learn a bit of shadow boxing today it will help you win the fight…”
• “You never throw a bodyshot? Uppercut?”
• “Come on big’un, I’m worried.”

It got to the point where Björnsson had to step in and clarify things.  “I have two coaches right now helping me,” he wrote. “This is two weeks old video btw.”

I’m certainly not a boxing expert, but if the fight isn’t September of next year wouldn’t that give him enough time to improve what needs improving? And with the coronavirus still making it hard to hold stuff like strongman competitions, he probably has the time.

But look at me, trying to think through the situation when the real fun is contemplating two 350-plus-pound guys who hate each other tearing each other apart in the ring.