Power Slap 1: A New Combat Sport Emerges

Power Slap 1 launched the promotion’s first live event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on March 11, 2023. Four scheduled championship bouts headlined the card, with Ron “Wolverine” Bata and AyJay “Static” Hintz among the inaugural title winners.

The inaugural title contes

Bata defeated Darius “The Destroyer” Mata-Varona by first-round technical knockout to take the heavyweight title. Hintz stopped Vernon “The Mechanic” Cathey in the first round for the light heavyweight belt. John Davis also won a championship bout; Christapher Thomas’s result against Jesus Gaspar Diaz was subsequently changed to a no contest.

The start of a new promotion

The event introduced Power Slap’s title divisions and established several recurring rivalries. Bata’s title win over Mata-Varona and Hintz’s fast finish over Cathey set up storylines that carried into the promotion’s next events.

Middleweight and welterweight titles

John Davis defeated Azael Rodriguez by first-round knockout for the middleweight championship. The welterweight contest between Christapher Thomas and Jesus Gaspar Diaz ended in the opening round, but the Nevada commission revised Thomas’s victory to a no contest on May 17, 2023.

Results beyond the championship contests

The supporting bouts produced a wider range of outcomes. Damien Dibbell knocked out Duane Crespo Jr. in the second round, while Wesley Drain defeated Emanuel Muniz by split decision after three rounds. Russel Rivero finished Isaih Quinones in the third round, and Alan Klingbeil earned a decision over Joseph Landman.

That mix of stoppages and judges’ decisions gave the first live card more variety than the four title results alone suggest. For a reader tracing the promotion’s early history, the event established both the initial championship holders and a supporting group of competitors who appeared alongside them. The official card remains the clearest reference for separating title bouts from the other matches staged that night.

Career Milestones

The inaugural card established the promotion’s first championship holders. Those results belong to Power Slap’s own divisions and rules, rather than to an MMA or boxing championship record.

Sources

Power Slap: Power Slap 1 results; Power Slap; Biographical source.

Article Tags

Power Slap 1, Slap Fighting, Sports History