Slapping contest in American TV show sends shock waves, gets slammed on social media

Gulf Today Report

We all have seen — and heard of — the nasty slap that Hollywood star Will Smith inflicted on another actor, Chris Tucker, at the Oscars event in March last year. Tucker made a nasty remark about Smith’s wife that enraged the star. The incident sent shock waves through the crowd attending the Academy awards event, and evoked mixed reactions.

But what is this were a slapping contest? Would Will Smith win hands down?

Yes, you heard right: a slapping contest, and it is for real. The Power Slap League is a television show launched by Dana White, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC’s) president, in America. The TV show premiered on Wednesday, 18 January.

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And it already has raised alarm and concern and been roundly condemned in many circles, including social media.

And those concerns spiralled manifold after the first episode of the brutal sport was televised.

A frame from the video .

One participant, Sheena Bathory, knocked out opponent Kortney Olson, who performed a forward roll seconds after being flattened, according to a report in a section of the British media.

Fans were outraged.

One tweeted: “Holy f**k, this is the most dangerous sport I have ever seen.”

Another said: “That’s damaging nerves.”

But perhaps the most damaging result was the momentary memory loss suffered by Chris Kennedy.

Kennedy was knocked out unconscious from a thundering slap from Chris Thomas.

In May 2019, vlogger Logan Paul slapped a man unconscious as he was preparing for a "slapping competition" in Russia.

The incident forced him to pull out of the contest.

The slapping contest has been slammed by neurologists. They have said that they could put the person at the receiving end at serious risk of injury. One neurologist says the force could be the same as a punch. There could be a temporary or even a permanent brain malfunction, even death.

In the Power Slap League, a coin is tossed which shows who will slap first. There are three rounds.

The slap has to be delivered below the eye but above the chin.

After being slapped, the competitor has 30 seconds to recover and get back into the "fight position". Those being slapped are not allowed to move at all.

The organisers however dismiss the fears over the effects, saying they have taken all safety measures.

The peculiar part is that the person organising the slapping contest, White, was himself slapped by his wife during an argument while holidaying in Mexico. He then slapped her back. They have been married for 30 years and have known each other since they were 12. Now what do you say to this?