If Jon Anik was promoting Power Slap 8, he would have introduced Koa ‘Da Crazy Hawaiian’ Viernes as “the man around whom this fight card was built.” As potentially the biggest star in the promotion, Viernes defended his super heavyweight title in the main event with a dominant win over Danie van Heerden.
With the notoriety he gained from the event, Viernes built on his success by collaborating with popular bodybuilder turned influencer Larry Wheels. As a 300-pound bodybuilder, Wheels tested his luck by facing the champion in an unofficial slap fight.
Power Slap Champion ‘Da Crazy Hawaiian’ Knocks Out Larry Wheels
420lb Power Slap champion knocked out bodybuilding YouTuber Larry Wheels 😳 pic.twitter.com/IaIbhVQcS6
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) July 3, 2024
UFC CEO Dana White’s Power Slap league has received a lot of criticism since its launch in January, mostly due to the health and safety concerns of its participants but also for the lack of skill many felt the sport required. However, bodybuilder and YouTuber Larry Wheels displayed in real-time that the sport may require more skill than most originally thought.
In a video on Wheels’ YouTube channel, the influencer brought super heavyweight champion Koa ‘Da Crazy Hawaiian’ Viernes into his gym to meet the Power Slap champion and have him demonstrate a slap on him. Wheels was transparent at the beginning of the video that he “knew” Viernes would knock him out and prepared a bag of smelling salts to help him recover.
Wheels took the first shot, one that Viernes absorbed without trouble before flexing into the camera, then delivered the return strike that knocked the bodybuilder down and put him on the brink of consciousness.
Larry Wheels’ Full YouTube Video
In full, the video Larry Wheels posted on his YouTube channel on July 2 was 40 minutes long. The post showed his entire interaction with Koa Viernes, from their initial meeting to their final cut-rate slap fight that they had built up to.
Though the viral clip was the moment Viernes knocked Wheels down and out, the full video showed their friendly interaction. Viernes walked Wheels through his preparation process for a slap fight before facing off in their own matchup. Wheels told the champion not to hold anything back, and upon rising to his feet, the two men celebrated and flexed in front of a small crowd.
In just 24 hours, the video collected over 200,000 views. After exchanging pleasantries with Viernes at the end of the video, Wheels jokingly claimed that he wanted to sign a contract with Power Slap to compete in their next event.
Who is Koa Viernes?
When he steps onto the Power Slap stage, he is introduced as ‘Da Crazy Hawaiian,’ but otherwise, Koa Viernes is a typical 33-year-old man from Waianae, Hawaii. The super heavyweight was born as Layne Viernes but adopted the nickname ‘Koa’ before becoming widely recognized as ‘Da Crazy Hawaiian.’ With a 4-0 record in Power Slap, Viernes is 14-1 as a slap fighter overall, having previously competed for Slap Fighting Championship and other small promotions.
According to his Power Slap biography, Viernes was a construction worker before becoming the face of Dana White’s newest project. Before each match, Viernes re-states his goal to become a pioneer of slapfighting and become the first striker to enter the sport’s currently nonexistent Hall of Fame.
Viernes’ younger brother — Dayne Viernes, known by the ring name ‘Da Hawaiian Hitman’ — is also a Power Slap competitor with a 2-2 record. Dayne Viernes was previously the no. 1 contender of the super heavyweight division before losing to Duane Crespo Jr. at Power Slap 8.
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