Las Vegas is rolling out the red carpet for Power Slap 19 at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan on Friday, April 17, the first event in a newly announced MGM residency. The super‑heavyweight spectacle is arriving just as neurologists and brain‑injury advocates are sounding alarms about combat formats built around deliberate open‑hand shots to the head.
MGM inks five‑year Las Vegas residency
According to MGM Resorts, the company will host four Power Slap events a year through 2030, starting with Power Slap 19 on April 17 at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan. The card is set to feature a super‑heavyweight title clash between Dayne “Da Hawaiian Hitman” Viernes and Makini “Big Mak” Manu, and tickets are listed through Ticketmaster.
How the contests play out
Power Slap bouts are designed to be quick and theatrical: competitors trade roughly three‑to‑five open‑hand strikes per match, with outcomes decided by knockout, technical knockout or the judges’ scorecards. The promotion’s website and fighter bios highlight the standing, no‑defense format that has helped the product explode in short‑form social video. According to Power Slap, fighters receive pre‑fight medical screenings and events include ringside medical staff.
Doctors say the risks are real
A cross‑sectional video analysis published in JAMA Surgery reviewed 78 slap fights and found visible signs of concussion in a large portion of them, reporting that 78.6% of competitors showed at least one concussive sign. Concussion researchers have warned that the format could lead to long‑term neurological damage. Dr. Christopher Nowinski of the Concussion Legacy Foundation told the New York Post that “we’ll pay for it as a society for another 70 years.”
A deadly track record overseas
Critics often point overseas when arguing against giving slap fighting a marquee platform. At a 2021 PunchDown gala in Poland, contestant Artur “Waluś” Walczak was knocked out and later died after weeks in the hospital, prompting local investigations and public backlash, as reported by Przegląd Sportowy. Opponents of slap formats regularly cite that case and similar incidents when calling for caution.
Regulation hasn't ended the debate
The Nevada State Athletic Commission brought slap fighting under its regulatory umbrella in October 2022, and Power Slap stages its licensed Nevada events under that framework. Even so, the Brain Injury Association of America has formally urged regulators to rethink sanctioned slap events in a public letter, and reporting by The Nevada Independent details both the commission’s move to regulate and the continuing public‑health backlash.
What to expect Friday
MGM is selling the Las Vegas residency as a major new draw on the Strip, touting Power Slap’s hefty social‑media following and promising a high‑production live show; the company says the promotion has pulled in millions of followers and racked up huge streaming numbers. Whether locals treat the night as curiosity entertainment or a worrying new chapter in combat sports, medical experts and peer‑reviewed research say the potential neurological fallout deserves attention long after the viral clips stop looping.
