Digital Social Hour #1445

Guests: Pono (Isaiah) & Anthony Blackburn (Power Slap Champions)
Host: Sean Kelly
Air Date: July 13, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the rapidly rising world of Power Slap, a new and quickly growing combat sport. Sean Kelly sits down with Power Slap champions Isaiah “Pono” Quinones and Anthony Blackburn days ahead of their big upcoming fights, exploring how the sport started, strategies for success, the brotherhood among athletes, the technical evolution of “slap fighting,” and insights gained from working closely with UFC and Power Slap promoter Dana White. The conversation balances humor and intensity, offering a unique look at a controversial sport from two of its trailblazers.

1. Getting Into Power Slap

(02:17 - 03:21)

• Anthony's Entry:
  Anthony shares how a random, hungover scroll through Facebook led him straight into Power Slap after he saw an ad calling for competitors. Despite the randomness, he took his first win seriously and immediately committed to full-time training, studying tape, and remaining undefeated after two and a half years.

  "After that win, I was just gas pedal. Called my coach, and said, 'We gotta, we gotta hit the gas in this and full send it.'" – Anthony, [02:50]

• Isaiah's Background:
  Isaiah details the progression from a grassroots sport built via recruitment of “random Joes” into an increasingly professional and international scene where more athletes are coming in from other sports.

  "Now it's progressing to be more athletic. ... It's just flowing properly now." – Isaiah, [03:33]

2. Growth, Global Expansion, & Audience Explosion

(03:53 – 05:10), (07:45 – 08:39)

• Sold-Out Events & International Reach:
  Reflecting on Power Slap's quick growth—free tickets in the beginning, now $1000+ and scalping—Anthony and Isaiah joke about how wild the ride has been, with events now going international (Saudi Arabia, New Orleans, etc.).

• Media & Exposure:
  Both men talk about the value of social media and virality, noting that fighter clips rack up hundreds of millions of views.

  "My last few videos, I've got 340, 350, 380 [thousand], and just continues to grow." – Isaiah, [08:27]

3. Technical Evolution and Inside Strategy

(09:49 – 14:41)

• Beyond Just a Slap:
  Isaiah and Anthony both break down how the sport has evolved from just “going out there and delivering a slap,” to a highly technical, disciplined, even chess-like contest.

  "There's technique to it, there's angles to it, there's drives to it, arm drive, knee drive. ... Not anybody would ever think of that. It's just like, nah, this guy's just going out there and delivering a slap." – Isaiah, [09:52]

• Film Study & Personal Styles:
  Anthony emphasizes the importance of analyzing tape and developing your own "flavor" of slap.

  "Everyone's got their own flavor of slap. ... If you're not doing this now, you're falling behind." – Anthony, [11:23]

• Physical vs. Mental Edge:
  On whether being tall/big is an advantage, Isaiah focuses on resilience and defense.

  "If you don't have the chin for it ... it's gonna prove itself." – Isaiah, [11:38]

• Podium & Defense Nuances: Details on podium use (tighten arms like a motorcycle handle), bracing, and changing tactics mid-match show the thoughtful evolution of technique.

4. The Mental Game & Performance Theater

(14:41 – 18:32)

• Pre-Fight Psychology:
  The fighters share that self-belief, eye contact, and pre-fight faceoffs are intensely psychological.

  "The eye shift. ... The glare, like, oh no, I don't want to look at him in his face anymore." – Isaiah, [14:48] "That's why I like the face offs, because you get your first gauge." – Anthony, [14:59]

• Crowd Work & Energy: Both attribute crowd energy to influencing judges (“subconsciously, for sure”) and emphasize the importance of “playing it off” after big hits—even after injuries, like Anthony’s cracked orbital.

  "You gotta read the room. ... The judges are definitely hearing and looking around." – Anthony, [16:17]

• In-Ring Moments: Fighters can talk between rounds, interact with celebrities in attendance, and play up the entertainment aspect, with the sport shifting towards personality and showmanship.

  "If you hit a backflip or something, might as well start doing some stuff." – Anthony, [27:05]

5. Technical Specifics: Counts, Strategies, and the “Right Hand”

(18:32 – 21:37)

• “Going on One” vs. Mixing Up Counts:
  Anthony always slaps on the first count, believing in muscle memory and simplicity, while Isaiah now mixes it up for higher-level competition, explaining how this strategy can disrupt an opponent’s expectations.

  "I go right on one every time ... I don’t even practice going on anything other than one." – Anthony, [18:32] "Once you get past five [matches], you got people that are actually more ... on that level." – Isaiah, [20:49]

6. Brotherhood, Rivalry, & Life Lessons

(24:28 – 26:51), (34:17 – 36:38)

• Family Atmosphere:
  Both athletes stress the unusual camaraderie and mutual respect in the Power Slap community—even when they’re about to fight, with only a handful of exceptions.

  "It becomes a family thing. ... After this, we can shake hands, we can be friends ... It's just business." – Isaiah, [24:35]

• Personal Redemption:
  Isaiah shares a reflective moment about a prior loss to James Siegman, learning humility, resilience, and strategy after initial “green pea” overconfidence.

  "What this sport does is teaches you life lessons. ... Don’t ever think that you’re always ahead of the game all the time." – Isaiah, [35:14]

7. Entertainment Shift & Influence of UFC/Dana White

(27:44 – 31:39), (38:43 – 31:39)

• Towards Entertainment:
  NXT wrestlers entering Power Slap bring a bigger, showier "performance" feel, encouraging fighters to build character and presence for the cameras.

• Dana White’s Philosophy: Both men express deep admiration for Dana White’s work ethic, authenticity, and strategic approach to promotion and viral growth.

  "He’s the master promoter, man ... and the biggest thing is that he trusts his team." – Isaiah, [28:43] "He tells you how it is. This is exactly what you have to do to be the most successful person in this sport." – Isaiah, [29:53] "He's always on the go. Everything is so methodical." – Anthony, [30:16]

• Leveraging Influencers: The fighters note the success of inviting major online personalities to events, elevating Power Slap’s reach exponentially.

  "When they had Aiden [Ross], he was streaming live at one of them ... 100,000 views." – Anthony, [30:46]

8. Preparing for High-Stakes Fights

(31:42 – end)

• Anthony’s Next Match:
  Details recent near-weight-miss drama, and discusses competing against a tough, equally matched opponent.

  "He could have, like, cut his hair off and probably made weight. ... They were like, oh, no more time." – Anthony, [31:50]

• Isaiah’s Redemption Arc:
  Looks ahead to a rematch with James Siegman after fighting through adversity and self-doubt.

  "Now I get to face James Siegman for another round, and it's the redemption match. ... I’m trying to get my flowers back for whatever had happened." – Isaiah, [36:38]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Isaiah on the mental game:

  "Once I lock eyes with you, brother. We on. It's on now. Now it's different now. You're in front of me and there is ... pain coming. I feel it already in my soul, in my body. Damn. It's coming for you." ([22:43])

• Anthony on performance:

  "If I get knocked out, I'm flipping birds on the way down. ... You gotta make your mark, right?" ([28:21])

• On Dana White’s influence:

  "He gave you the blueprint. ... Don’t do anything else. Less." – Isaiah ([30:09])

• Anthony on the importance of mindset and resilience:

  "I've got power and he's gonna feel my power ... My neck is almost 18 inches. Power that." ([33:35])

Key Timestamps

• [02:17] Anthony describes joining Power Slap after a Facebook ad.
• [03:33] Isaiah on the sport’s progress, from grassroots to athletic.
• [08:27] Isaiah on viral Power Slap clips.
• [09:52] Isaiah discusses the technical nature of slapping.
• [14:48] Isaiah on reading facial cues/fear in opponents.
• [18:32] On slap “counts” and strategy.
• [24:35] Friendship and rivalry in the sport.
• [29:53] Dana White’s leadership philosophy.
• [33:35] Anthony on toughness and mental game.
• [36:38] Isaiah’s motivation for redemption.

Summary

Sean Kelly’s conversation with Pono and Anthony provides an unfiltered, energetic look at Power Slap—a sport that is, in their hands, both brutal and strategic, filled with viral moments and genuine camaraderie. They debunk the idea that Power Slap is all about brute force, revealing a technical and psychological complexity reminiscent of chess, discuss the showmanship and entertainment evolution, and consistently express gratitude and respect for Dana White’s vision. For newcomers, it’s a surprising introduction to a sport that’s becoming less “random” and more professional with every round.