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Power Slap 5: Da Crazy Hawaiian vs Vakameilalo

Posted on 10/25/23 at 11:16 am
Posted by tzimme4
Metairie
Member since Jan 2008
33298 posts
Posted on 10/25/23 at 11:16 am

The Power Slap 5 card: LINK

Vern “The Mechanic” Cathey (5) vs. Bear Bennett (8) – Light Heavyweight

Wesley “All the Smoke” Drain (2) vs. Travis “Tenacious” Aragon (3) – Middleweight

Waylon “Ice Cold” Frost (2) vs. Andrew Provost (3) – Welterweight

Ryan “The King of Kings” Phillips (4) vs. Darius “The Destroyer” Mata-Varona (6) – Heavyweight

John “The Machine” Davis (C) vs Azael “El Perro” Rodriguez (1) – Middleweight Title

Ron “Wolverine” Bata (C) vs. Austin “Turp Daddy Slim” Turpin (1) – Light Heavyweight Title

Damien “The Bell” Dibbell (C) vs. Nate “The Buffalo Soldier” Burnard (1) – Heavyweight Title

Da Crazy Hawaiian (2) vs. Kalani “Toko” Vakameilalo (3) – Super Heavyweight Title

Draftkings Odds:
Vern Cathey -320 vs Bear Bennett +225
Wesley Drain -360 vs Travis Aragon +250
Waylon Frost -140 vs Andrew Provost +105
Ryan Phillips +140 vs Darius -190
John Davis -235 vs Azael Rodrigues +175
Wolverine +135 vs Austin Turpin -185
Damien Dibbell -140 vs Nate Burnard +105
Da Crazy Hawaiian -205 vs Kalani Vakameilalo +150
This post was edited on 10/25/23 at 11:22 am
Posted by tzimme4
Metairie
Member since Jan 2008
33298 posts
Posted on 10/25/23 at 11:24 am to
Also set, is the first ever live women's fight tonight. Here's a link to her IG if you're wanting more research. LINK

This post was edited on 10/25/23 at 1:40 pm
Posted by tzimme4
Metairie
Member since Jan 2008
33298 posts
Posted on 10/25/23 at 11:30 am to
Match Write-Ups I Did For Each Match:

Vern “The Mechanic” Cathey (2-2) vs. Bear Bennett (0-1): (Coin Toss Winner: Cathey)
The first match of the night is expected to have some knockout power as both strikers are coming off TKO losses. We last saw Vern in Power Slap 2 where he was knocked down twice and eventually ended in a second-round loss to Alan Klingbeil.
Cathey hasn’t really lived up to the hype from Road to the Title as he’s suffered losses in both of his live events of Power Slap in 1 & 2. A lot of that was because Vern was able to win coin tosses in both of this show’s matches and not take a return slap due to his TKO power. Devon Schwan and Amir Nuriddeen were victims of that.
That could change this event as a new “redemption rule” has been put in the rulebook. Strikers who lose the coin toss and are able to recover within a two-minute limit and are cleared by the doctor will be able to return a one-slap retaliation. This means if Vern were to knock out Bear Bennett on the first strike and Bennett is able to recover within two minutes he’ll have one strike to TKO Vern or the match ends in a Cathey victory. If Bennett is able to TKO Cathey in a redemption strike, the match would end in a draw.
Cathey’s opponent Bear Bennett is making his second appearance in Power Slap after a 2nd round knockout from Russell Rivero. Bennett was a little unfortunate in his debut as he was fouled by Rivero in the first round but was able to recover. Had Bennett not been able to continue, he would have won due to the stepping foul. He was also helped up by catcher Forrest Griffin to keep his standing posture, which I’ve never seen before. Griffin essentially walked him back to the Power Slap table. That match, like Vern’s ended in a second-round TKO loss.
This match, I expect it to go similar to the almost every opening Power Slap match of the night in a TKO. The only opening match to go a full three rounds was in Power Slap 2 with Emanuel Muniz and Chris Debow. I think Vern could put Bear on his back in round 1 and have a similar result like we saw in his first two matches. That being said, if Bennett is able to survive the first slap of the night, Vern has shown to have one of the weaker chins in Power Slap.
I can’t see Vern losing three straight and I backed him in last match against Klingbeil. I think Vern wins this one on the first strike or he takes it in round two. Prediction: Cathey by TKO, 1.5 Total Strikes


Wesley “All the Smoke” Drain (3-4) vs. Travis “Tenacious” Aragon (1-1): (Coin Toss Winner: Aragon)
The second match of the night features a striker who could be our current middleweight champion if not for some boneheaded mistakes. Wesley Drain is entering his eight match which ties him with AJ Hintz for the most career matches in Power Slap.
Drain is coming off a 1st round TKO win of Amir Nuriddeen in Power Slap 4, but before that, he lost by decision in the middleweight championship to John Davis. His career has been a roller coaster with unexpected losses. Those losses include a DQ loss to Patrick Sunderland in his first career match, a loss to Jesse Nutting by decision in which he used his opposite hand (weaker side) the entire time and another decision loss to Emanuel Muniz in Road to the Title.
His opponent Travis Aragon hasn’t been on the Power Slap stage since PS1 where he won against Carrese
Archer but broke his orbital bone in the process. Now fully recovered, he’s looking to continue his climb up the middleweight rankings.
One thing I can tell you about both of these strikers is that they both can take a powerful slap. Neither striker has yet to lose by TKO which is likely going to be the case in this match. Four of Drain’s seven matches have ended in a decision while Aragon’s first career match against John Kennedy also ended in a decision loss.
I think Wesley has the power to get a knockout in this one. We saw that in his last match, but I don’t expect an early knockdown. Aragon has a lot of similar traits that I see in former middleweight striker Emanuel Muniz and both of his two matches against Drain ended in decisions. Look for this match to go to another decision and if Drain can keep it clean, he “should” come out the victor. Prediction: Drain by Decision, 6 Total Strikes

Waylon “Ice Cold” Frost (2-2) vs. Andrew Provost (1-1): (Coin Toss Winner: Frost)
This match features another striker that we haven’t seen since Power Slap 1. Andrew Provost isn’t coming off an injury since his last appearance, but a drug suspension. Provost defeated Alex Asbury by 2nd round TKO, but that match was ruled a no contest after the news of his suspension.
His opponent Waylon Frost is coming in on a two-match win streak with wins in Power Slap 1 and 2. We last saw Frost get a 1st round TKO over Jesus Gaspar and has sat the past two live events. Before that, he was in a controversial win over Slap Jesus where he was able to roll with the slaps to avoid heavy damage.
Both welterweight strikers are looking to move closer to a title shot as this match features the #3 (Frost) and #4 (Provost) ranked strikers in the division. This match is a little tougher to predict as both have been out for an extended period of time. New rules have implemented since their last appearances so I expect there to be a little rust.
Another new rule for Power Slap 5 is the two-strike club and stepping rule. If a striker clubs or steps twice within a three-round match that striker would be disqualified. With both of these strikers having not participated in a few months, I expect there to be a foul within the match.
There isn’t much tape on Provost, but he was able to take strikes from his last two opponents in Asbury and Jewel Scott so I expect him to do the same against Frost. The last time Waylon took a powerful strike was against Chris Thomas and that resulted in one of his two losses during Road to the Title.
I think the Blue corner gets their first win of the night and Provost shows off the power he’s been working on during his six-month suspension. Prediction: Provost by TKO, 1.5 Total Strikes
Posted by tzimme4
Metairie
Member since Jan 2008
33298 posts
Posted on 10/25/23 at 11:33 am to
Ryan “The King of Kings” Phillips (0-2) vs. Darius “The Destroyer” Mata-Varona (0-2): (Coin Toss Winner: Mata-Varona)
Two strikers looking for their first win in Power Slap features Darius the Destroyer, who was last seen in Power Slap 2 against Dorian Perez, and Ryan Philips making his first ever live Power Slap event.
If you’ve watched the first ever Power Slap Road to the Title episode, you’ll see Ryan Philips taking on Rob Perez in the first introduction to the sport. Since then, Phillips has been on the bench with injuries to his shoulder.
Darius was the red corner coach during that season and has fallen from grace with losses in each of his matches. His style is a bit controversial as he prefers to strike bare foot which we’ve seen hasn’t been a successful style through four events. Cole Young and Caresse Archer both tried that approach and didn’t leave the UFC Apex with a win.
Darius is the founder of the rolling technique. What some would call a flinch, he is able to roll his head with the incoming slap resulting in less impact and damage. He has yet to be negatively impacted by this, but with rules and replay constantly changing it will be up to the referee’s discretion.
There’s not really a way to approach this match other than it’s likely to go all three rounds. Whichever striker can have the cleanest approach will likely come out the winner. Ryan Phillips has been the blue corner coach for three of the four live events so he’s well aware of the rules and officiating when it comes to fouls, etc. This is a gut call, but I’ll take Darius in this spot. This will be his third time on the stage and I think he’ll be more prepared than ever. I’d stay away from this match if you’re betting on an outright winner. Prediction: Darius by Decision, 6 Total Strikes

John “The Machine” Davis (5-1) vs Azael “El Perro” Rodriguez (5-1): (Coin Toss Winner: Rodriguez)
Our first title match gets started in the middleweight division as John Davis returns to defend his belt in a rematch from Power Slap 1. If you remember, Davis injured his elbow in Power Slap 2 in his match against Wesley Drain. This will be his first match since the injury to test his elbow.
His opponent, Azael Rodriguez is coming off two straight victories since his loss to Davis. He was able to survive Amir Nuriddeen with a 2nd round TKO and went the distances with Jesse Nutting to win by decision. He’s added multiple styles of strikes including a powerful one measure swing that he used to knockout Amir.
The winner of the match will, assuming it doesn’t end in a draw, will have the most wins among all strikers in Power Slap with six career wins.
This match is unlikely to end in the first round like we saw in Power Slap 1 with Davis knocking out Rodriguez on his first strike. Like the first match, Rodriguez won the toss and will strike first. I do think Azael will bring more power, and that could be enough to stun Davis early. John Davis was able to survive five of Welsey Drain’s strikes in his previous match so I think his chin will hold up for at least a round or two.
It will be interesting to see how Davis performs on the offensive now that his now-healed elbow is ready for combat. Rodriguez showed toughness and was able to recover from a devasting strike in his last match and I think that will give him in the edge in this match.
I think Rodriguez to win this one either by a late knockout or decision. Both strikers have been very clean in their slaps so I’m not expecting too many fouls in this match. I think Davis’ absence will likely play in my decision here and I’m leaning Rodriguez. He just seems to have the momentum heading into PS5 and this match seems to be the one where a change of title seems the most likely. Prediction: Rodriguez by Decision, 10 Total Strikes

Ron “Wolverine” Bata (2-1) vs. Austin “Turp Daddy Slim” Turpin (4-0): (Coin Toss Winner: Turpin)
This match could probably be the main event, but I understand Power Slap wanting to get some new faces on the main poster. Fan favorite Austin Turpin comes in as the blue corner underdog for the third
straight event after knockouts over Ayjay Hintz and Alan Klingbeil.
He’ll have his toughest match to date as he gets a shot at the light heavyweight champion Ron Bata. Wolverine as they call him, was last seen taking the title over Ayjay Hintz in Power Slap 3 in a five-round battle. Wolverine has taken on a current or former champion in two of his three career matches in Power Slap. His one lost was to current heavyweight champion Damien Dibbell, which is the only striker to knock him on the ground.
Austin Turpin seems to be the one striker that I can’t figure out. I’ve picked him against Klingbeil and Hintz and he proved me wrong. Turpin has never been put on the ground so he’s shown to have a chin.
This one seems to have a feeling of another five-round battle. Turpin has the power to give Wolverine his best slaps, but I’m not sure we’ll see either striker get the TKO. The only knock on Turpin is his ability to pick up fouls. He’s shown the ability of fouling as he’s committed at least one foul in 50% of his matches (Cox & Hintz). Wolverine, on the other hand, has yet to commit a foul in his three matches. That’s just something to keep in mind if this match is decided by the judges.
I have yet to pick Turpin during his run to the championship so I’ll let him prove me wrong and pick Wolverine to win this one. Wolverine is top-3 pound for pound in my rankings of strikers in Power Slap and the ambassador for how far the sport has come. I was leaning Bata would win this by TKO but I’ll go with the decision in the five-round match. Prediction: Wolverine by Decision, 10 Total Strikes

Damien “The Bell” Dibbell (2-0) vs. Nate “The Buffalo Soldier” Burnard (2-0): (Coin Toss Winner: Dibbell)
This might be my favorite match of the night because it features the two biggest strikers in the heavyweight division. Pound for pound, this could be the most exciting match we’ve had in a live event because of the amount power that both strikers possess.
Nate Burnard made his way up the heavyweight rankings with a highlight reel knockout over Steve Ray Payne in the live UFC weigh-in event. Then was able to take out Duane Crespo in the 3rd round with a standing TKO. His power is some of the strongest in the sport.
Speaking of power, his opponent, Damien Dibbell may be getting overlooked as he’s been out for a while after getting eye surgery. His last appearance was a five-round decision over now current middleweight champion Ron Bata.
One thing I will guarantee in this one is some knockout power. We’ve yet to see either striker get knocked on the ground, but I think that changes in this one. I think Dibbell’s chin is more seasoned as he’s taken on Wolverine and other strikers during his time through Slap Fighting Championship.
Burnard has taken two slaps, both by Crespo, during Power Slap 4. I think Crespo’s power isn’t comparable to Dibbell’s which is why I’m giving The Bell the edge in this match. This match is scheduled to go five rounds, but I expect this one to end before Round 4. Prediction: Dibbell by TKO, 3 Total Strikes.
Posted by Tigerpride18
Lakewood Colorado
Member since Sep 2017
32731 posts
Posted on 10/25/23 at 4:32 pm to
That’s a lot of writing for no replies yet so I’ll just say I read it all and I enjoyed reading
Posted by lsunatchamp
Member since Feb 2009
2058 posts
Posted on 10/25/23 at 4:43 pm to
Yes! Thank for reminding me. Love the slap fights
Posted by tzimme4
Metairie
Member since Jan 2008
33298 posts
Posted on 10/25/23 at 5:01 pm to
It doesn't get started until 8pm CT, so I don't expect too much until then. It's about the same amount of traffic as the UFC thread.
This post was edited on 10/25/23 at 5:02 pm
Posted by tzimme4
Metairie
Member since Jan 2008
33298 posts
Posted on 10/26/23 at 12:53 pm to
What a card last night was, leaving the Apex last night was a blast. 5-2 in picks. 6-1 in Over/Total slaps.
This post was edited on 10/26/23 at 12:56 pm
Posted by TheTideMustRoll
Birmingham, AL
Member since Dec 2009
10700 posts
Posted on 10/26/23 at 12:57 pm to
We are clutching our collective pearls over concussions in football and yet this sport exists.
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