Anything game has the capability of becoming a sport. Well, these days that is possible. It seems like it’s unbelievable, Slapping is now a sport with a league of players and even Pay Per View deals.
Power Slapping League is quite an odd thing to watch and the highlight reel has some of the most pretty intense moments. To be honest Slapping Fighting in general in
Slap to the cheek, repeat. And perpetuated shock when unprotected strikes to the head from muscular athletes somehow makes one or both competitors in any match woozy, or worse, knocked out completely. The episodes take place from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, recognizable for hosting the pandemic-sized crowd UFC events and the training facility for the last two seasons of The Ultimate Fighter. Despite being in a state-of-the-art sports facility, the dangers of power slapping are evident.
Just check out this tweet from Chris Nowinski, founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation.
This is so sad. Note the fencing posture with the first brain injury. He may never be the same. @danawhite & @TBSNetwork should be ashamed. Pure exploitation. What's next, "Who can survive a stabbing"? pic.twitter.com/jTENpUmJDd
— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) January 19, 2023
The inevitable brain injury is the point
TBS reps ducked a request for comment on the show and its safety, referring questions instead to UFC. That organization, where White serves as the company’s president, did provide this statement:
“Power Slap is fully regulated by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), and the highest medical safety standards are in place to make the sport safer for all competitors. All Power Slap events are staffed by numerous medical professionals, including independent medical personnel and those associated with NSAC. All participants are subjected to rigorous medical testing before and after each competition, including MRI scans. All Power Slap athletes will also have the option to be examined by the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic, which is conducting the largest and longest-lasting brain-health study in professional sports.”
It’s expected that Power Slap has its legal and precautionary ducks in a row. But while the statement above may sound nice, it only covers what happens in the event of injuries, failing to address why there’s unnecessary barbarism at its core.
Hopefully, no one writing about combat sports would be dumb enough to believe boxing and mixed martial arts aren’t also brutally violent at times. Heck, even if professional wrestling has predetermined results, the stunts and risks to their health are real. And their brand of theatre has no second takes.
All in all this sport is good for our friends who laugh and slap us, just saying.
