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If you haven’t heard of Power Slap, it’s the new “big thing” in the world of “combat sports.”
In short, the “sport” involves competitors standing across from one another and slapping the s*** out of each other, undefended, until one competitor cannot continue.
Unsurprisingly, the league has faced a wide array of criticism over both its safety (or lack thereof) and validity.
Harvard graduated and concussion expert Christopher Nowinski even called called it “one of the stupidest things you can do.”
“There’s nothing fun, there’s nothing interesting and there’s nothing sporting,” Nowinski said in a recent article by the Associated Press. “They’re trying to dress up a really stupid activity to try to make money.”
But UFC big wig and Power Slap show producer Dana White (also unsurprisingly) begs to differ.
Dana White Says Regulation Makes Power Slap Safer, Not More Dangerous
White defended his product in his recent interview with Justin Barrasso of The Spun.
This is the second time I’ve been through this. It’s the same exact stuff people said about UFC, literally verbatim.
As far as (Former Nevada Athletic Commission Chair Steven Cloobeck), he’s not on the commission anymore. But why wouldn’t you want it to be regulated? We’re taking a lot of the risk out of combat sports. Regulation isn’t about personal taste or preference. Athletic commissions are tasked with protecting adults who are knowingly and willfully choosing to engage in an unarmed combat sport.
A key function of their duty is to make sure the athletes are medically fit to compete. We already caught a guy who has an aneurysm who shouldn’t be competing. They also have the responsibility to show that the promoters and the events are held to the highest standard of safety. Without regulation, any Joe can put on an event, and that’s when people get hurt.
White also argued that slap fights would happened with or without regulation. He noted that the regulation keeps competitors safer than they would be otherwise.
Like you said, this thing was underground and unregulated, and it wasn’t safe. What the commission does, regardless of people’s feelings about it, the commission comes in and makes it safe. And the vote was unanimous. You know why it was unanimous? Because it was the right thing to do.
Regulation makes sure it is a level playing field, that it is fair, that people get paid what they’re supposed to, and that there is drug testing and medical testing that needs to be in place. I’ve spent more money on medical testing than any other f—— promoter in the world ever in the history of the world. My health and safety record is literally perfect, and we will work hard to remain that is the case.
You can certainly debate whether or not Power Slap is safe. White’s defense of the product he’s highly invested in isn’t surprising.
But whether that means more people actually tune is yet to be seen.