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Tyson Fury in talks over exhibition fight with former strongman Hafthor Bjornsson

Fury has claimed to be retired but has opened the door to an exhibition bout with Bjornsson, who appeared as ‘The Mountain’ in Game Of Thrones

Alex Pattle
Combat Sports Correspondent
Tuesday 26 July 2022 15:21 BST
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Tyson Fury has said he is in talks over an exhibition fight with former strongman Hafthor Bjornsson.

The Icelander is the only man to have won the Arnold Strongman Classic, the Europe’s Strongest Man competition and the World’s Strongest Man contest in the same calendar year. The 33-year-old also appeared in the television series Game Of Thrones as ‘The Mountain’.

WBC heavyweight boxing champion Fury has claimed to be retired since knocking out Dillian Whyte in April to retain his title, but the Briton has expressed a desire to compete in exhibition bouts.

“It’d be great to get in there in front of 70,000 fans and show him what boxing is all about,” Fury told The Telegraph. “Make him miss and knock him out.”

Fury, also 33, said a contest with Bjornsson would be “a bit of fun” and could take place at a stadium in London in November.

Fury’s most recent fight, against Whyte, took place at Wembley Stadium in the English capital, where he recorded a sixth-round finish of his compatriot in front of more than 90,000 fans.

Tyson Fury (right) knocked out Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium in April (Nick Potts/PA)

Many boxing fans wish to see Fury take on the winner of Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, but the “Gypsy King” has poured cold water on the idea.

Fury has not relinquished the WBC heavyweight title despite claiming to be retired, while the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts will be on the line when Joshua and Usyk clash on 20 August.

Usyk won the titles, which Fury previously held, from Joshua by outpointing “AJ” in London last September, and the pair will go head to head again in Saudi Arabia.

A fight between the winner of that contest and Fury would crown an undisputed heavyweight champion, as long as Fury has not vacated the WBC title by then.

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