John Ferrer is touted as the strongest man in Spain. After stepping away from basketball, this Deltebre rice farmer shifted toward power contests, testing strength with feats like pulling 16-ton trucks and other demanding challenges, ultimately eyeing the last two National Force League championships. In 2019, the Catalan native began to see how slap battles abroad were gaining traction, and when the interest appeared, he chose to bring a version of the sport to Spain.
“We organized a small exhibition with friends from Deltebre, consulted lawyers, signed a waiver, and even arranged an ambulance. It went well enough that a company invited me to run a national tournament. Then the pandemic hit, and everything paused,” he recalls.
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Across the globe, variations of these open-hand duels appeared during lockdowns, including in the United States and parts of Eastern Europe. Just as Ferrer noticed from Deltebre, American audiences saw potential in the sport. Last year, Arnold Schwarzenegger and YouTuber Logan Paul helped organize a Slap Fighting Championship, but momentum waned. The UFC president, known for elevating MMA, approached the Nevada Athletic Commission to push for a more formal sport: hyper-strict rules, limited relays per round, no lifting the feet, a 30-second gap between slaps, and judges to decide continuations and ties.
viral phenomenon
Recognizing the 2019 ESPN deal as pivotal for popularizing MMA, White teamed with TBS to broadcast the program in the US, and Power Slap went viral even before the first episode aired. The premiere faced delays after viral footage surfaced of White slapping his wife at a nightclub on New Year’s Eve in Mexico. The season eventually began in January and concluded on March 11, the eve of the Oscars night. The slap became a talking point from Will Smith to Chris Rock.
Don Bacon and Bill Pascrell, congressmen from Nebraska and New Jersey respectively, urged cancellation of the program. As co-leaders of the Congressional Traumatic Brain Injury Task Force and authors of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act, they expressed serious concerns about the sport’s risks, signaling potential parliamentary scrutiny long term.
Following the controversy and warnings from medical professionals about the health risks involved, the TBS network announced it would not air a second season. Despite the setback, White pressed on and secured a two-year deal with a streaming platform.
TikTok and Instagram
“Déjà vu is real,” White reflected. “Just like the UFC when we started. The media coverage goes beyond MMA. The public has helped turn this into something huge.” He noted one-billion views on TikTok within eight weeks, 38.5 million weekly visits on Instagram, and millions of episode views across YouTube, creating a multi-platform phenomenon.
“Dana White took a Russian product and focused it into a sport with a field emphasis, much like martial arts. In a ring, judged by a panel with strict standards and a distinct look, this is a different aesthetic,” Ferrer explained. After catching the attention of an organizer, Spain’s strongest man hosted a September event in Valencia and earlier held an exhibition in a Barcelona nightclub. A May competition titled Open Your Hand is planned, aiming for a more standardized and safer format than what has been seen in Russia or other Eastern nations, Ferrer added.
In 2021, Artur Walczak died during a fight in Poland. Ferrer emphasized the priority of health and safety, acknowledging that while this sport carries risk, a slap can be as dangerous as a punch in boxing or MMA, or a fall in basketball. The focus remains on minimizing harm while maintaining the competitive spirit.
John Ferrer is recognized as Spain’s strongest man. After leaving basketball behind, this Deltebre farmer embraced power challenges that test resilience and strength. The aim is clear: to achieve national championships and demonstrate a safer, well-regulated path for strength-based competitions within the country.
We organized an exhibition with local volunteers from Deltebre, taking care to consult legal counsel, secure a waiver, and ensure medical readiness. The positive reception opened doors to national-level events, though the pandemic interrupted progress. The restart agenda includes careful planning to establish a sanctioned national circuit that emphasizes safety and accountability alongside spectacle.
Worldwide interest in open-hand duels expanded during the pandemic, particularly in the United States and various Eastern regions. The sport’s future rests on responsible governance, clear rules, and a commitment to participants’ well-being, with stakeholders seeking a balance between promotable matchups and athlete protection.
Reflecting on social media dynamics, Ferrer noted the intense exposure generated by short-form content, while White highlighted the broader appeal beyond traditional combat sports. This evolving landscape underscores the ongoing push toward a professionalized, standardized format that respects athlete health and audience demand.
The discussion continues around how to structure competitions, assure medical oversight, and shape public perception so that entertainment and safety harmonize. The sport’s evolution will likely hinge on robust regulations, transparent scoring, and enduring partnerships that align with health standards and ethical considerations.
The overarching message remains: the goal is to channel the raw appeal of power-based challenges into a regulated, safety-forward sport with clear boundaries, disciplined judging, and sustainable growth prospects for audiences across North America and beyond.