DEAD SERIOUS
Hafthor Bjornsson calls out Eddie Hall for BOXING fight after The Mountain breaks 501kg deadlift world record
GAME OF THRONES star Hafthor Julius Bjornsson called out strongman rival Eddie Hall to a BOXING match after The Mountain broke the 501kg world deadlift record.
Brit Hall, 32, held the previous record after becoming the first man to lift 500kg back in 2016.
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But 'Thor' - who played The Mountain in the hit HBO show - carried out the record lift at his gym in his native Iceland, before calling out Hall to fight in the ring.
The 31-year-old said: "Core Sports just offered me a seven figure contract, which is the biggest contract of my life. I've signed it already.
"Eddie Hall has been running his mouth for two weeks now and I now that he got the same deal.
"So Eddie, I just knocked out your record, and 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.
"I’m ready. Are you ready, Eddie?"
Hall, later accepted The Mountain's challenge, pitting the 6ft 3in Brit against the 6ft 9in Icelandic giant.
The Beast said: “1,000 per cent I’m going to sign those papers.
"And you know why I’m going to sign those papers… it’s not the money, it’s not the dead lift feud we’ve got going on, nothing to do with that.
"It’s because you called me a cheat at World’s Strongest Man 2017.
"I can’t put that to bed, I can’t forget it. People may forget it, but you’ve never apologised.
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"You think you should’ve won that year, regardless of the trophies or not, and you let people know that.
"I cannot have that, that’s why I’m going to sign those papers.
"Because I want to teach you a lesson. and that lesson is going to be me knocking you the f*** out.
"I don’t care if you’re 6ft 9in, I don’t care if you’re an actual giant. I don’t care.
"I’m gonna train the hardest, prepare the hardest… do everything in my power to step in that ring and rip your f***ing head off.
"So Thor, get training, I’ll see you in the ring."
The world record attempt has been hit by controversy in recent weeks with Thor not doing the lift during competition.
But the lift - that was carried out using a standard deadlift barbell - was sanctioned, with respected strongman official and four-time World's Strongest Man Magnus Ver Magnusson refereeing the attempt.
After two successful warm-up lifts of 420kg and 460kg, Thor then managed to lift 501kg - 1kg higher than Hall's record.
To clarify just how heavy that is, the weight is heavier than a polar bear.
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Commenting on his record, a delighted Thor simply stated: "I’m absolutely speechless, so happy and thankful. Blessed. Everything went according to plans, I’m over the moon.
"I believe today I could’ve done more, but what’s the point? I’m happy with this."
In addition to his world deadlift record, Thor is also a one-time World's Strongest Man winner, as well as a five-time Europe's Strongest Man victor and three-time Arnold Strongman Classic champion.
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