What do QAnon conspiracy theory videos, white nationalist propaganda, and the nation’s only “slap fighting” league have in common? They’re all found on Rumble, a right-wing YouTube knockoff that is a cesspool of extremism and bigotry.
Earlier this year, Power Slap: Road to the Title, a UFC-aligned reality show and sport competition, signed a deal with Rumble to stream seasons 2 and 3 of its slap fighting competition show exclusively on the platform. The show previously aired on TBS but was canceled after criticism from concussion experts, competitive fighters, and Congress over the safety and health of competitors. At least one European slap fighter died following a competition, and a Power Slap player suffered from short-term memory loss after being knocked out.
Power Slap and the trend of “slap fighting” are viral on social media, notably on platforms that are favored by young users, like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. And bringing Power Slap to Rumble may have negative consequences for young UFC, MMA, and fighting fans, who will need to navigate a platform that is full of vitriol and disinformation to watch the show.
What is Power Slap?
Sports slapping pits two equal-weight competitors against each other. The contestants use open-hand slaps to try to hit each other in the face hard enough that their opponent cannot hit back. The competitor being slapped is not allowed to flinch before the slap is delivered, and both competitors must follow specific rules regarding hand-slap placement and timing. More detailed Power Slap rules can be found here.
Trump sycophant and UFC President Dana White founded and produces Power Slap. White was recently pictured with Trump and Donald Trump Jr. at a UFC event and has been featured as a guest on white nationalist Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s show.
The competition is sanctioned by the Nevada Athletic Commission to occur in Las Vegas. The show, which has featured celebrities, including actor Mark Wahlberg and Russian internet personality Hasbulla, previously aired on TBS until it was canceled after one season following criticism from Congress and medical professionals.
Power Slap has a far reach beyond the video-hosting platform (where the league has 61,900 subscribers), especially on TikTok. This raises concerns regarding kids and teenagers copying the dangerous activities they see online.
Proliferation across social media
Power Slap currently has 3.1 million followers on TikTok, 21,800 followers on Twitter, 841,000 followers on Instagram, and 96,00 YouTube subscribers. Power Slap promotes Rumble on all of its accounts. White has previously boasted about the virality of his show.
On TikTok, there are amateur slap fighting videos and billions of views under hashtags associated with the show and sport.
YouTube is also filled with slap fighting videos, and some of the content has many millions of views. Actor and former Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and YouTuber Logan Paul hosted an unregulated slap fighting competition last month.
History has shown that impressionable young people copy the dangerous “challenges” and activities that they see on TikTok and elsewhere online.
Backlash and criticism of slap fighting
Power Slap and slap fighting have drawn backlash from other members of the sports fighting community, doctors, and members of Congress.
Reps. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ) and Don Bacon (R-NE) addressed a letter to TBS and Warner Bros. Discovery disavowing Power Slap and slap fighting. Pascrell is a co-founder of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, which he currently co-chairs with Bacon, and is the author of the Traumatic Brain Injury Reauthorization Act. In the letter, the congressmen wrote that the sport “capitalizes on violent behavior and lurid drama masquerading as athletic prowess for profit” and endangers competitors’ mental and physical health for dismal pay. The letter also states, “This deadly combination of force, rotation and lack of defensive gear or posture is inexcusable and possibly fatal.”
Various sport fighters have spoken out against slap fighting, including some former slap fighting competitors. American boxer Ryan Garcia described the sport as “a horrible idea” and said it “needs to be stopped.”
CEO and co-founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation Chris Nowinski told The Associated Press that slap fighting is “one of the stupidest things you can do'' and described it as “a really stupid activity to try to make money.”
Former Nevada State Athletic Commission Chairman Stephen Cloobeck, who helped sanction the sport in Las Vegas, said he “made a mistake” allowing the sport to be licensed in Nevada.
Slap fighting has raised concerns over neurological problems and chronic traumatic encephalopathy in competitors, a serious brain injury that is caused by repeated and undefended blows to the head.
UFC President White has also raised concerns with his own behavior. He was caught on camera earlier this year slapping his wife during a physical altercation, he has defended low pay for competitors, and he has downplayed the dangers of slap fighting.
What else is found on Rumble?
It’s not surprising that Power Slap has landed on a right-wing site, as fighting and mixed martial arts are extremely popular in far-right political circles, and Rumble is the exclusive home to various far-right and viral figures’ media projects. Rumble features podcasts and shows from commentators Steven Crowder, Donald Trump Jr., Glenn Greenwald, and Dave Rubin, as well as various QAnon, extremist, and white nationalist influencers and media personalities. Several white nationalists, including Nick Fuentes, Stew Peters, and Vincent James Foxx, post their content on the platform.
Parents may already be wary of a risky sport like slap fighting, but putting Power Slap on a platform that could lead young users down far-right rabbit holes adds an extra layer of danger to the online slap fighting scene.
