At the highest level of sport, rivalry often runs deep.
Competitors spend years chasing the same trophies, training to outlift, outrun, or outlast the very people standing beside them on the starting line. In many sports, that competitive tension creates distance between athletes.
But when it came to Eddie Hall and Brian Shaw — two of the most recognisable figures in Strongman history — their relationship behind the scenes looked very different.
During a conversation reflecting on their careers, Eddie revealed that some of his favourite memories with Brian came not from the competition floor, but from moments of support during the sport’s biggest event.
Hall explained that watching Brian succeed at the World’s Strongest Man was something he genuinely enjoyed being part of.
“Obviously, I think the moments where I’ve been there, and you’ve won the World’s Strongest Man have been nice,” Eddie said.
Despite both men being elite competitors with the same goal, Hall admitted that their rivalry never turned bitter — something that surprised even him at times.
“Like, I’ve always been a supporter of you, and I’m sure you’ve been the same,” Eddie continued.
He acknowledged the natural instinct many athletes have when competing at the highest level. In most cases, rivals can easily become enemies when the stakes are that high.
Eddie said: “I’m a competitive monster. It’s human nature to almost hate your competitor, but I’d never hated you.”
Instead of resentment, Eddie says their relationship was built around respect — something that even influenced how they approached the biggest competitions of their careers.
One particular year stood out to Eddie.
Looking back at the 2016 contest — the year Brian claimed the World’s Strongest Man title — Eddie already had a realistic understanding of where he stood heading into the final stages.
“And when I saw you, you know, I always knew my limits in some of the years. I think 2016, you won World’s Strongest Man. And I knew I wasn’t going to win it,” he said.
Rather than distance themselves from each other in the tense hours before the final, the pair did something that would seem unusual in almost any other elite sport.
They went out to eat together.
Eddie revealed that during that competition, the two Strongmen would regularly leave the venue and share meals — even when the title was still up for grabs.
The routine continued even on the eve of the most important moment of the competition, which was the final.
Eddie admitted that looking back, the situation feels almost bizarre when compared with how rivalries normally work in professional sport.
He said: “And I think that’s strange. What other sport does that?”
In most disciplines, athletes isolate themselves before major events, guarding their strategies and avoiding giving any potential advantage to their opponents.
For Brian and Eddie, however, the environment felt completely different.
“I can’t think of anywhere the sportsmanship where me and you can go out and have a meal. See you tomorrow, Brian. Good luck,” Eddie said.
That level of openness even extended into conversations about the competition itself.
Eddie explained that they would occasionally talk about tactics, discussing what they believed would be required to beat other competitors in certain events.
Those conversations sometimes became surprisingly detailed, touching on specific lifts and how many repetitions might be needed to stay ahead of the field.
The exchange of ideas wasn’t about giving up an edge — it was about mutual understanding of the sport and the challenges they both faced.
Despite being incredibly competitive, the friendship between the two Strongmen never faltered.
Featured image credit: YouTube / SHAWSTRENGTH
