- The boxing world has been stunned by Dana White’s ongoing power slap venture.
- The premise of Slap Fight is simple: be prepared for an undefendable, all-powerful swipe.
- It’s “organized brain damage,” said Hall of Fame boxing promoter Lou DiBella.
Slap fighting, a brutal sport that originated in Russia, has recently gained traction in the United States as the competitive reality show Power Slap debuted on American television last week.
Some of the UFC’s most prominent figures have overseen Power Slap, from president Dana White to chief business officer Hunter Campbell to counsel Frank Lamicella.
“If you have even the slightest doubt that our society is collapsing, watch Power Slap on TBS,” says Hall of Fame boxing promoter Lou DiBella Tweets While watching the first episode on January 18th.
“It’s like an inevitable graphic train wreck. Slap fighter… what does that mean?! This is a testament to how extreme we all are. Help me!”
—Lou DiBella (@loudibella) January 19, 2023
Dibella called it “systematic brain injury” When “totally different“From MMA and UFC.
He said he hated it so muchhe was “making me feel particularly dirty” so he “broke this shit off” he tweeted.
Why power slaps are controversial
Slap fighting as a whole remains in its early stages in the United States, as the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) sanctioned slap as a regional professional sport only late last year.
At a committee meeting Insider attended in November, the NSAC seemed hesitant to do so.
“Keep nobody dying?” Krobek is referring to the death of Polish magnate Artur Walchuk, who died at the age of 46, presumably after participating in a slap event in 2021.
“It’s priority one, two, three,” Campbell said in response to Krubek, counting to ten.
Anyway, the visuals of various slap events around the world were shocking.
A recent slap event in Romania showed the ugly brutality of the sport, leaving one of the participants with a scarred face, but somehow he still won.
Footage showed Sorin Komsa with chalk and blood on the left side of his face. His cheeks were swollen, his lips drooped to the left, and his face looked almost unrecognizable from before.
Slap fighting video.
Photo by RXF TV
Neuroscientist and concussion expert Chris Nowinski condemned last week’s slap fight, calling the whole spectacle “sad” and said:
‘It was terrible,’ boxing promoter Dmitry Sarita told Insider
Boxing promoter Dmitry Sarita, who has represented fighters such as Claressa Shields, Jermaine Franklin and Jarrel Miller, told Insider that the Komsa clip was “terrifying.”
An insider asked Sarita about White’s comments on the difference between power slaps, where participants exchange up to three slaps, and boxing, where fighters can throw and land hundreds of shots at their opponents.
“It’s not my style to comment on other people’s businesses,” he said.
“As a member of the boxing community and as a viewer, I was disgusted when I saw this,” the executive said.
“I don’t know much about mixed martial arts, but I do know boxing, but both sports have offensive training, defensive training, and a combination of the two.
“It’s an art form, it’s beautiful. For those who understand it, it’s scientific, artistic, and requires the highest level of athleticism.
“As boxing kids, we are taught to camouflage our punches so that we can set up big punches. Please, duck., or block.
“In this particular form of entertainment, you can wind up and others have to prepare themselves to take it. As training improves and people become more powerful, things get worse.” Concussions, broken teeth, jaws…it’s horrible.it’s insane.
“Slaps are not a sport for me,” Sarita said. “Having a constant pain threshold is unsporting and even unhealthy, so we need some kind of defense against attack.”
He concluded:
Powerslaps ‘need to stop,’ tweeted one boxer
power slap.
Photo courtesy of Power Slap/TBS
Elite boxer Ryan Garcia, an insider understands, is expected to fight Gervonta Davis at the Mega Event in Las Vegas on April 15th.
“Power slaps are a terrible idea and need to be stopped” he tweeted.
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarcia) January 21, 2023
The Garcia vs. Davis event will air as a pay-per-view on Showtime Sports.
Insider spoke with Showtime Sports President Stephen Espinoza last week. He seemed to agree with his Salita assessment that slapping is not a sport.
“I saw a little bit of the event,” he said. “I kind of flinched, but it’s hard to call it a sport instead of trotting about it.
“There’s an endurance aspect to it, but look… there’s something about it that offends my sensibilities. It’s someone who can sustain the hardest blows without really defending themselves.”
“It’s not something I’m all that interested in, regardless of the people behind it.”
Slap fighting ‘not a good addition to combat sports,’ Steven Espinoza tells Insider
A scene from the promotional video for Power Slap.
Photo by UFC / Powerslap
Espinoza broadcasts several combat sports products on Showtime Sports, including ShoBox, Showtime Championship Boxing and Bellator MMA.
He acknowledged that mixed martial arts and boxing still have inherent dangers, but pointed out that the main difference that separates established combat sports from slap fighting is the ability to defend yourself in the ring or octagon. there is
“The danger of slapfighting is that you repeatedly hit the head with all your might, under the rule that you cannot defend yourself.
“So I’m not a fan,” Espinoza said.
