Eddie Hall has never been shy about embracing rivalry — but this time, he’s admitted he played the long game before a punch was even thrown.
While the current conversation around Hall is surrounding his impending fight against a returning Tommy Fury, the former World’s Strongest Man has revealed how he once deliberately used a contract clause to outmanoeuvre longtime rival Hafthor Björnsson in their headling-making boxing collision.
And in true Hall fashion, he didn’t sugarcoat it. “So I f***ed somebody over, which was pretty good,” Hall admitted, before revealing how he had his rival effectively blocked from appearing in a video game.
Yes, long before stepping into the ring, Hall was already making moves behind the scenes.
Speaking in a recent interview with the Stomping Ground, the 38-year-old explained how he ensured he had one very specific condition written into his contract for the boxing game Undisputed, which launched in October 2024.
Among a roster stacked with legends like Muhammad Ali, Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, Canelo Alvarez, Wladimir Klitschko, and Jake Paul, Hall was included as a novelty addition. And he made sure he stood out.
“They were talking about getting all different people in the game and so I put it in my contract that no matter what, I have to have the highest power rating of any character in the game,” Hall revealed.
On the surface, it might sound like a simple ego boost. In reality, it was something far more calculated.
Hall knew exactly how his rival would react. “I purposely put my power rating in my contract, I put it in my contract knowing full well if they went to [Thor], he wouldn’t take it because his power rating would be below me and he will never accept that I’m stronger than me,” Hall revealed.
And just like that, the plan worked.
“He didn’t take that offer because I had the highest power rating in the game, which was pretty nice,” a delighted Hall recalled.
It’s the latest chapter in one of strength sport’s most bitter rivalries.
Hall and Björnsson’s feud dates back years, stemming from the controversial 2017 World’s Strongest Man competition. Björnsson famously accused Hall of being a “cheat” after finishing just one point behind him — a claim that ignited years of back-and-forth between the two.
Although Björnsson went on to win the title himself in 2018, the tension never truly faded.
Instead, it escalated, and after years of verbal sparring online, the rivalry eventually spilled into the ring in 2022, when the pair faced off in a boxing exhibition in Dubai.
That night, Björnsson emerged victorious after he secured a unanimous decision victory after knocking Hall down twice — a result that came with an added twist. However, despite taking the loss on the chin, Hall has since revealed that he suffered a complete detachment of his left bicep while sparring in training just weeks before their fight.
Even now, the rivalry still lingers, as Thor became the first person to break Hall’s world deadlift record last year.
With his professional boxing debut now on the horizon against Tommy Fury, Hall’s focus shifts back to the ring. But if this latest revelation proves anything, it’s that when it comes to competition with his rivals, he’s always thinking one step ahead.
Hall makes his professional boxing debut against Tommy Fury on June 13 in Manchester. Get your tickets HERE.
Featured image credit: TikTok/StompingGround (screenshots)
