SHOULD SLAP-FIGHT BE CONSIDERED A SPORT?

by Munachimso Ayo-Olagunju & Miracle Ifezue

The history of combat sports can be traced back to the BC era and ancient civilizations such as; Greece, Rome and Egypt, where gladiators were pitted against each other in the Colosseum in a fight to the death often for the thrill and amusement of spectators. Behind the brutality of these events, there was also a burgeoning economy, which flourished on ticket sales and gambling, which played a pivotal role in the survival of combat sports to date.

Capitalists and entrepreneurs under various promotions like; WWE, UFC, ShowTime, BKFC, etc have channelled people’s passion and primal desires into a billion-dollar sporting and entertainment industry, with the title of gladiator being retired for the more professional, athlete and the inclusion of some of these sporting activities, some of which include; boxing, taekwondo, judo, wrestling, kickboxing, karate, Muay Thai, etc into mainstream global sporting competitions such as the Olympics

With the advancements of civilizations and modernization, the once barbaric nature of these combat sports has been refined, with rules, regulations and governance built into them, with the utmost priority being the athletes’ safety. Globalization, having facilitated the spread and sharing of cultures has made foreign martial arts and combat disciplines ubiquitous.

Certainly, every combat sports fanatic and enthusiast has recently come across viral clips of opponents having a go at each other with slaps, in a bid to see who can out-slap the other, enduring the most pain. Slap fight is not entirely novel, but has gained prominence of late, as it’s being backed by the UFC, the biggest MMA fight promotion in the world. The viral and disturbing nature of these videos shows the contestants often left unconscious, incoherent and brutally disfigured. It has led to combat sports athletes and aficionados questioning its root as a sport and what it represents. Slap fighting is an extreme sport that involves two competitors slapping each other in the face until one of them is knocked out or gives up. Unlike other combat sports with their roots in some form of martial arts and incorporating elements of sports science, slap fighting lacks any specific art or science to it. Those in the opposing argument of slap-fighting argue that it is inherently violent and can perpetuate negative gender stereotypes by reinforcing the idea that physical violence is a form of masculinity. The risks and dangers in slap-fighting are more pronounced, in comparison to other established combat sports, which offer some form of protection to the athletes. In boxing and MMA for instance, the gloves reduce the impact and shock of the bare-knuckle against the bone. Some other MMA disciplines require you to don padded protective armour and there are regulations aimed at protecting sensitive organs of the body. The mere fact that you are allowed to dodge, weave and use other defence mechanisms to protect your head from direct impact is an indication that safety is a priority. In UFC for instance, you cannot knee or kick a grounded opponent. In orthodox combat sports, the umpires are more involved and can step into the proceedings of the match to protect the athletes as compared to slap fighting, whose objective is premised upon welcoming and enduring much impact to the brain and whose umpires are merely spectators, as the harm is often done before they can intervene directly. Little wonder since the short time since slap fights' emergence, the number of injuries sustained has been undeniably and unimaginably high, which has fueled the criticism surrounding it and has been met by an equal amount of criticism from both regular people and combat athletes. There is also the issue of judging and scoring. In orthodox combat sports, there are empirical and logical means of earning points, which count towards the outcome of the eventual goal. Slap-fighting lacks this legitimacy as a sport, which underpins the argument of it just being a sheer display of brutality. One can only begin to wonder about the reasoning behind not only the participation but the existence of this sport, what point does it seek to prove? Should it be classed as a waste of time and resources due to its high risks, very little reward and near-zero entertainment value?

In conclusion, the question of whether slap-fight should be considered a sport is a complex and largely controversial one, as it relies more on one's threshold for pain than skill. it also has the potential to promote violence and reinforce harmful stereotypes. Ultimately, it is up to society to determine whether the benefits of slap-fighting as a sport outweigh the potential harm. If it is to be considered a sport, it must be regulated and organized in a way that prioritizes the safety and well-being of participants.