Two members of the United States Congress are speaking out about Power Slap and asking Warner Brothers and TBS for answers about its airing.
Thursday, U.S. representatives Bill Pascrell Jr., of New Jersey’s 9th congressional district, and Don Bacon, of Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district, wrote a letter to Warner Brothers CEO David Zaslav with a carbon copy to Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel.
The two-page letter called UFC president Dana White’s new project a “crass program that glorifies dangerous and aggressive behavior at the expense of its participants’ long-term health. The letter also discussed potential serious health outcomes for Power Slap combatants including concussions. CTE, and other mental degenerative health issues.
“The governing bodies of (other) sports have made strides in recent years to preserve the history and tradition of physical activity while seeking to understand the causes of CTE and implement appropriate safety precautions. The Power Slap makes no similar good faith effort to do the same, while exposing participants to brain trauma without protective measures.”
Pascrell and Bacon also categorized Power Slap’s spot on national television and social media presence as “dangerous content… not sheltered behind a paywall (with no) attempts made to protect the most vulnerable viewers.”
Check out the full letter below:
Here’s our letter demanding answers from @warnerbros @TBSNetwork on their violent new TV show glorifying traumatic brain injury risks. pic.twitter.com/MV4rruLv6a
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) February 15, 2023
Since its conception in late 2022, the White-headed slap fighting league Power Slap has undergone heavy scrutiny from health experts including concussion specialist Chris Nowinski and Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) medical advisory board doctor Michael Schwartz.
White frequently pushes back against such criticism, pointing to medical and drug testing, as well as commission regulation.
“Us getting involved guarantees that it’s going to be much safer,” White told reporters at an announcement press conference in November.
