There are certain sports that make you question whether they are really sports at all, and one of those up near the top of the list has to be Slap Fighting. Essentially competitors spend their time delivering some brain-shaking slaps to their opponents, and that is pretty much it. It is therefore bizarre to be told that movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger is teaming up with YouTube star and occasional aspiring boxer Logan Paul to present the Slap Fighting Championship on March 5th via Paul’s YouTube Channel. Yes, it is all true.Schwarzenegger appeared on Logan Paul’s podcast and the pair made the announcement, which the former Governor of California and Mr. Universe shared in a full-blown ad on his Twitter account. As part of the announcement, the pair spoke to USA TODAY Sports about the upcoming surprising collaboration, and Paul commented that he wasn’t even sure how slap fighting is even a sport. Considering the videos of previous events have shown just how brutal and potentially fatal it can be, that sentiment is one that can probably be echoed by many people.
“I love the absurdity of it," Paul said. “I love the idea that two guys could just stand across from each other and just slap each other and see who falls down first. It’s hilarious to me. It’s like, how is that a real event? What the f- is that sport?"
Schwarzenegger followed this up by saying, “I know we’re going to have a great time watching the slap competition as long as we don’t get slapped."
The event will gain a lot of exposure streaming to the 23 million subscribers to Paul’s YouTube account and that is without the additional backing of Schwarzenegger. With Paul’s videos regularly pulling in around 8 million views, it is clear that organizers are looking to bring the sport to a whole new audience who will appreciate it. A well as appearing on Paul’s channel, the event also streams on Fanmio.com, and Fanmio CEO Solomon Engle alluded to that saying, “The goal is to get maximum exposure for the sport and what we’re doing.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Name Puts a Fair Bit of Weight Behind The Slap Fighting Event
While the appearance of Schwarzenegger on Logan Paul’s channel may seem peculiar, it is not something that has just happened coincidentally. Representatives of PunchDown, a Polish organization linked to the sport reached out to the actor’s Sports Festival company. Executive director of Arnold Schwarzenegger Sports Festival Brian Powers said that after a little research, it was clear that the sport had a huge following, with some YouTube videos pulling in over 50 million views in five months. After then contacting Fanmio’s Engel, who hosted Paul’s exhibition fight with Floyd Mayweather, everything came together for the pair to present their event via YouTube.
According to Paul, he once planned to compete in a slapping contest in Russia. However, unlike his Mayweather fight, he decided not to go ahead with that particular venture. In his own words, “I was too scared of getting my brain slapped out of my head. So I backed out. But I’ll gladly watch other crazy people do it."