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Dana White’s controversial Power Slap League has drawn criticism from fight fans and non-fans alike, and now it’s being condemned by a leading neuroscientist.
Chris Nowinski, a Harvard Ph.D. and former wrestler who has criticized the sports world’s handling of concussions, took issue with a recent clip in which a fighter, Chris Kennedy, appeared to show immediate signs of a major head injury, known as a fencing stance.
“This is very sad,” Nowinski, co-founder and president of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, tweeted. ‘Note the fencing stance with the first brain injury. It may never be the same again.
Dana White’s controversial Power Slap League has drawn criticism from fight fans and non-fans alike, and now it’s being condemned by a leading neuroscientist.
Chris Nowinski, a Harvard Ph.D. and former wrestler who has criticized the sports world’s handling of concussions, took issue with a recent clip in which a fighter, Chris Kennedy, appeared to show immediate signs of a major head injury, known as a fencing stance.
A fencing stance or fencing response involves the victims hands being shot into an unnatural position with the forearms flexed outward.
Nowinski, who also played college football for Harvard, took aim at White, the promoter, and at TBS, which broadcasts the brutal competition.
“@danawhite and @TBSNetwork should be ashamed,” Nowinski added. ‘Pure exploitation. What’s next, “Who can survive a stabbing?”
The sport first caught on three years ago in Eastern Europe with a series of viral videos starring Russian 370-pound sensation Vasiliy Khamotiskiy.
Known as ‘Dumpling’, Khamotiskiy was seen on video knocking out a huge opponent to win 30,000 rubles, which was around $475 at the time. Other viral videos show Dumpling training by smashing watermelons and flipping tractor tires.
A fencing stance or fencing response involves the victims hands being shot into an unnatural position with the forearms flexed outward.
Nowinski (pictured), who also played college football for Harvard, took aim at White, the promoter, and at TBS, which broadcasts the brutal competition.
White, who is facing backlash after video surfaced of him slapping his wife at a New Year’s Eve party in Mexico, defended PowerSlap and insisted that health and safety measures are taken seriously.
Wrestlers are left completely helpless in slap fighting events, which has raised concerns.
The exposure on social media helped turn the sport into a pay-per-view event, but things turned tragic in October 2021 when a Polish wrestler and bodybuilder named Artur ‘Waluś’ Walczak was knocked down four times and suffered a concussion. brain hemorrhage at a ‘Punchdown’ event in Wrocław, Poland. The 46-year-old man was taken to hospital, placed in a medically induced coma and eventually died in November of multiple organ failure, according to Polish reports.
Polish authorities subsequently launched an investigation into the safety conditions of the competitors at Punchdown 5, while promoters insisted that Walczak’s health remained top priority after his fourth and final fall.
‘The competitor [Walczak] They remained conscious, but disturbing neurological symptoms observed by rescuers prompted them to call the ambulance service,” read a Punchdown statement.
Punchdown has since changed its name to the Slap Fighting Championship.
Other slap promotions have been around longer than White’s circuit, including Missouri-based SlapFight.
Things turned tragic in October 2021 when a Polish wrestler named Artur ‘Waluś’ Walczak (pictured) was knocked down four times and suffered a brain hemorrhage at a ‘Punchdown’ event in Wrocław, Poland. The 46-year-old man was taken to hospital, placed in a medically induced coma and eventually died in November of multiple organ failure, according to reports.
White, who is facing backlash after video surfaced of him slapping his wife at a New Year’s Eve party in Mexico, defended PowerSlap and insisted that health and safety measures are taken seriously.
“We spent the money to make sure we have two healthy people there and proper medical care during and after the fight,” White said. “These are all things that we need to educate people on, just like we needed to educate people on mixed martial arts.”
As White told Just The Fights, he believes slap fights are safer than boxing, where fighters can hold their own while being hit hundreds of times in a fight.
The slap fight, on the other hand, usually involves only a few punches per bout, although combatants are prohibited from fighting back.
‘In Slap, they get three to five slaps per event. Boxers take between 300 and 400 punches per fight. And guess what: do you know what my answer is? If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.
Comsa was left with his hands up after being crowned champion of the competition
‘No one is asking you to watch this. Oh, are you upset about that? Watch ”The Voice”.
At a recent Slap Fighting Championship event in Romania, one fighter was left with a disfigured face, but received some praise from UFC legend Conor McGregor.
A video clip from the tournament went viral, showing Sorin Comsa receiving a brutal blow to the head, rendering him unrecognizable.
In the clip, which turned out to be the final of the tournament, Comsa competes against Alexandru Gorczyca. The latter bides his time before delivering an open palm flush strike on his opponent.
Comsa immediately looked stunned and put his hand to his temple, apparently complaining about the validity of the blow before continuing.
McGregor analyzed Gorczyca’s brutal punch and tweeted: “Absolutely magnificent technique, congratulations to the new heavyweight champ.”
Despite taking a heavy blow in the video clip, Comsa outlasted his opponent, winning a title and some $5,500.