Ultra-violent sports are on the rise, and experts warn: Well pay for it as a society for another 70 years
On Friday night at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Dayne “Da Hawaiian Hitman” Viernes will just have to stand there — not moving, chin up, hands behind his back — as Makini “Big Mak” Manu, a fearsome 390-pound behemoth, strikes him in the head as hard as he can with an open hand. Viernes, a 33-year-old, 6-foot-2 powerhouse, will have 60 seconds to recover — presuming he doesn’t lose consciousness — and return the favor to Manu, 32.The two men will continue alternating giving and receiving brutal blows until one of them passes out or is declared the winner of Power Slap.The brainchild of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) impresario Dana White, Power Slap was first launched in 2023 and has become the most prominent organization for a brutal combat sport known as slap fighting.It’s part of a rash of disturbing, ultra-violent spectacles that are gaining in popularity — with potentially dire consequences.“We’re creating a new generation of athletes with post-concussion syndrome and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) who simply aren’t paid enough to cover their long-term care,” said Dr.
Christopher Nowinski, a neuroscientist and researcher into CTE.“We’ll pay for it as a society for another 70 years by having to care for people with more mental health problems and dementia.”The Post has reached out to White for comment.
In the past, he’s been quick to deflect criticism and boast about Power Slap’s popularity.“People love it,” he has enthused. “The numbers don’t lie.”Indeed, Power Slap draws one billion views per month across social platforms and has nearly four million subscribers on YouTube and almost fourteen million followers across Instagram and TikTok.Power Slap bouts typically last between three and five slaps per fighter, although they often end much earlier as participants struggle to recover from the impact.The winner is declared by knockout, technical knockout or a judge’s decision based on the power...