Why Is Slap Fighting So Popular?
You can forget E. Honda with his 1000-hand slap on the arcade game Street Fighter 2, as we now have the real thing with real-life slap fighting. You may wonder what we’re talking about, but it’s precisely what we mean. Our article below will explain everything you need to know about the new slap-fighting craze.
What is Slap Fighting?
It’s as it says.
Promoters always try to come up with new ideas for an exciting fighting type to shock the fans, and slapping seems to be the latest craze. Contestants standoff and are only allowed to slap each other in a new fighting style, and UFC president Dana White has just launched Power Slap too.
With just a barrel in between them, competitors face off and alternately slap each other in the face until one is knocked out or the match is forfeited. Both men and women compete for the title of slap world champion in this test of mind, body, and will.
Although new to the UK and US, slap fighting is common, as Polish promotion called Punch Down has been doing it for quite some time. Slap-fighting originated in Russia and became well-liked in Eastern Europe before spreading to the United States.
Black Belt Magazine says:
“Slap competitions seem to have originated in Russia, despite being hard to confirm. Strongmen alternated between slapping each other until someone fell unconscious or gave up. The “SlapFIGHT Championship” league has brought slap combat to the United States.
The league is situated in Branson, Missouri, founded in 2017.”
Source: https://blackbeltmag.com/
Slap Fighting Rules
Strangely enough, there are more rules to slap fighting than you may imagine. It’s more organised than the name suggests.
The main objective of slap fighting is to knock out the other person or make them quit. A coin toss determines who goes first; this could be a huge advantage as their opponent could be knocked out on the first slap; however, as with every coin toss, the chance is 50/50.
The person slapping cannot step or pivot and only use their open palm. The person being slapped is not allowed to flinch in any way, which may reduce the force of the slap.
There are also judges involved in the competition not only to determine the winner but also to measure the safety of the fight.
Judges concerned for the safety of combatants and adherence to the fight’s rules oversee the fight at the counter. And when a competitor gets knocked down, the judges support them with their fall.
How is Slap Fighting Judged?
There are three judges for slap fighting, two observe the fight in real-time and one analysing the replays. The players apply talcum powder on their hands before making contact. The judges make the final decision on the winner or otherwise.
Check out this video below of the hardest slaps in slap fighting:
Slap Fighting Championship
Slap Fighting Championship was formerly called Punch down, as mentioned above until they changed it to a unique name. The slap-fighting championship originated in Poland and was among the first to start a slap-fighting promotion.
What are Slap-Fight Championships?
These could be easily mistaken for Slap Fighting Championships. Still, Slap Fight is an entirely different promotion. The only global slap league in the world is SlapFIGHT Championship. A pioneer in the Sports Slap industry, producing 19 SlapFIGHT events resulting in over a billion views. They have held events in America, the UK, and West Africa.
Power Slap
Despite its popularity, slap-fighting leagues were just now sanctioned. The UFC president Dana White and UFC investor Lorenzo Fertitta’s Power Slap league has received a licence from the State of Nevada.
With UFC president Dana White and UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell involved in Power Slap, a new organisation that will telecast events on TBS on Wednesdays, some of the most influential UFC members have been driving the slap-fighting movement.
Hunter Campbell, the Chief Business Officer of the UFC, told ESPN, “After testing it, it became obvious that it had enormous potential as a sport.”
“It made all the sense in the world to go toward regulation before the sport’s commencing, for all the obvious reasons – No. 1, the health and safety of the competitors.” He continued.
Source: https://blackbeltmag.com/slap-league-the-next-big-thing
The UFC seems determined to rule another sport the way they have the MMA world. More than 30 athletes compete for the opportunity to join the Power Slap league and ultimately have a chance to win the first title fight.
The recipient must maintain parallel feet and a shoulder-width distance between them. These prohibit hitting the larynx, nose, ears, eyes, or temples. The receiver cannot move or lean away before or after the slap. Using lubricants, substances and stimulants are also not allowed.
For more information, check out the power slap website here: https://www.powerslap.com/.
Slap Fighting Weight Classes
There are four weight classes:
- Welterweight (170 lbs.)
- Middleweight (185 lbs.)
- Light heavyweight (205 lbs.)
- Heavyweight (265 lbs.)
Slap Fighting Controversy
Brendan Schaub, a former UFC fighter, was among the first well-known figures to denounce the new sport, calling it the “stupidest s***” he had ever seen and insisting that because of White’s affiliation with it, it seriously harms MMA.
Sam Jones, a manager and promoter for boxing, reposted a clip of the appalling Power Slap episodes with a condemning remark.
He called it ridiculous and dangerous. No one should give this any platform. Furthermore, Dana White’s claim that he takes fighters’ health seriously is absurd, given that he supports this s**t.
Meanwhile, neurologists have voiced their disapproval of the league’s rules and claim they are a “recipe for disaster.” In a recent slap tournament, one competitor was smacked so hard that his face appeared scarred, yet he still managed to prevail. However, despite the controversy, the Nevada State Athletic Commission approved slap fighting as a sport last year.
Former WWE professional wrestler Nowinski, the co-founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, offered his thoughts.
“I believe adults can choose dangerous jobs if they understand the risks and reasonable efforts are made to protect them.”
Check out these crazy knockouts below:
Dana White slapped his Wife on NYE.
Dana White and his wife were spotted getting physically violent in a club on New Year’s Eve. Onlookers were stunned in the Cabo San Lucas nightclub. Dana blames the incident on being fueled by booze.
The UFC president and Anne White, who have been married for 26 years, celebrated Saturday night with friends in El Squid Roe, but things turned out shortly after they all welcomed in 2023 at midnight.
He told TMZ, “You’ve heard me say for years, ‘There’s never an excuse for a guy to put his hands on a woman,’ and now I am on TMZ talking about it.”
Source: https://www.tmz.com/2023/01/02/dana-white-wife-drunk-fight-slap-new-years-eve-nightclub-cabo/
Final Thoughts
Slap fighting may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it has proven popular worldwide. We will see what it will be like in the future and if the sport has the same longevity as many other full-combat sports.
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