Power Slap

Power Slap, which has been licensed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, uses rules similar to those established by other slap fighting leagues. After a coin toss to decide who goes first, the first striker has a time limit of 60 seconds to deliver an open-handed slap to the opponent. Slaps must be below the eye but above the chin, without leading with the palm such that all hand to face contact takes place at the same time. Those being slapped may not flinch, raise their shoulder or tuck in their chins. After being slapped, the slapped competitor then has 60 seconds to recover before they get back into position prior to their turn to slap. Fights which do not end in a knock out and go three rounds go to the judges' decision, using a 10-point system with judging based on slap strikers' effectiveness as well as the slap receivers' reaction and recovery time. Title bouts are five rounds and in the event of a draw, there will be an extra round to determine the winner of the bout.

Participants are separated by weight and gender.{{Cite web |title=Dana White Explains the Rules of Power Slap |url=https://www.powerslap.com/news/the-rules-of-power-slap/ |access-date=2023-03-16 |website=Power Slap |language=en-US}}

Upon initial airing, Power Slap: Road to the Title created controversy{{cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/a-recipe-for-disaster-the-power-slap-league-and-why-neurologists-are-so-concerned-12790902|title='A recipe for disaster': The Power Slap League – and why neurologists are so concerned |first=Faiza |last=Saqib |website=sky.com |date=January 21, 2023}} concerning the health of the participants and the inherent danger of the show.{{citation|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/mma/slap-fighter-left-memory-loss-28997975|title=Slap-fighter left with memory loss after brutal KO as Dana White's league launches |first=Ben |last=Davies |website=mirror.co.uk |date=January 19, 2023}} Neuroscientist, chronic traumatic encephalopathy researcher, and former professional wrestler Christopher Nowinski observed one of the show's participants displaying the fencing response after being struck, indicating serious brain injury.{{citation|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/dana-white-tbs-ashamed-power-220059256.html|title=Dana White and TBS should be ashamed' of Power Slap, says neuroscientist Chris Nowinski |first=Simon |last=Samano |website=Yahoo! Sports |date=January 19, 2023}} Greek neurologist Nikolas Evangelou called the show a "recipe for disaster" due to how "impact to the head, from an angle, can cause rotational forces on the brain", leading to "hopefully temporary, but sometimes permanent disruption to brain function" and "even more serious complications". Many combat sports athletes also responded negatively to the show. Boxer and WBC champion Ryan Garcia wrote "Power slap is a horrible idea and it needs to be stopped."{{Cite web |date=2023-02-04 |title=Dana White's Power Slap denounced as dangerous: It's a ticking time bomb for brains |url=https://www.marca.com/en/ufc/2023/02/04/63de70c6e2704ec7a48b45b9.html |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=MARCA |language=en}} UFC fighter Sean O'Malley stated that he refused to watch Power Slap: Road to the Title due to its association with brain injuries.{{Cite web |last=Davies |first=Ben |date=2023-02-02 |title=UFC star explains why he refuses to watch Dana White's new slap-fighting league |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/mma/dana-white-power-slap-ufc-29116888 |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=mirror |language=en}}

In response to the criticisms, show producers said, "We spend the money to make sure we have two healthy people in there, proper medical attention during and after the fight. These are the things we need to educate people on, just like we needed to educate people on mixed martial arts." In an interview before the show aired, Dana White said "In Slap, they take three-to-five slaps per event. Fighters in boxing take 300–400 punches per fight. And guess what: you know what my answer to that [criticism of slap fighting] is? If you don't fucking like it, don't watch it! Nobody's asking you to watch this. Oh, you're disgusted by it? Watch The Voice."{{cite tweet |user=jedigoodman |number=1615230328590995458 |title=Jed Goodman on Twitter, tweet with video interview clip}}

On February 16, 2023, Bill Pascrell, a Congressman from New Jersey, and Don Bacon, a Congressman from Nebraska, announced that they were launching a Congressional inquiry into the ethicality of Power Slap.{{Cite web |last=Calhoun |first=Curtis |date=2023-02-17 |title=U.S. Congress Inquires About 'Mindless Violence' In Power Slap League |url=https://www.mmanews.com/2023/02/u-s-congress-inquires-about-mindless-violence-in-power-slap-league/ |access-date=2023-02-17 |website=MMA News |language=en-US}} That same month, one of the world's leading experts on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Dr. Bennet Omalu called for slap fighting shows to be removed from television. Omalu stated, in response to White's claims that he was making slap fighting as safe as possible, "It is a very dumb [sport], very stupid and unsafe. It is primitive. To me, such a sport is inconsistent with the intelligence of humans. It is possible that a participant could die from this. Somebody could die or suffer catastrophic brain damage and become a vegetable. How can he [Dana White] make that statement? It is like saying you will make a loaded gun safe [...] Why is TBS showing such a primitive sport? It should not be on TV."{{Cite web |last=Cunningham |first=John |date=2023-02-10 |title=CTE Expert Speaks Out On Dana White's Power Slap |url=https://www.mmanews.com/2023/02/cte-expert-speaks-out-on-dana-whites-power-slap/ |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=MMA News |language=en-US}}

Source:{{cite web|url=https://www.powerslap.com/#events|title=Power Slap - Events|date=December 9, 2023|author=Power Slap|publisher=Power Slap}}

==Current champions ==

::Weight limit: 266+lb

::Weight limit: 265lb

::Weight limit: 205lb

::Weight limit: 185lb

::Weight limit: 170lb

::Weight limit: 155lb

{{reflist}}

• {{official website|www.powerslap.com}}
• [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt25697028/ Power Slap] on IMDb

{{TBSNetwork Shows}}

{{Turner Sports}}

Category:Sports organizations of the United States

Category:2020s American reality television series

Category:2020s American sports television series

Category:TBS (American TV channel) original programming

Category:2023 American television series debuts

Category:Slapping

Category:Combat sports controversies