Pono and Anthony Blackburn have built their careers inside one of the newest and most talked-about combat sports on television: PowerSlap. Both fighters have climbed through the league's ranks as it has grown from a viral curiosity into a full-fledged production under Dana White, and they brought that experience with them when they joined Sean Kelly on the Digital Social Hour.
The conversation moves from the physical toll of stepping into the box to the business side of a sport still writing its own rules, with Pono and Anthony trading stories about training, going viral, and what it takes to keep competing at the top.
About Pono & Anthony Blackburn
Pono and Anthony Blackburn compete as professional fighters in PowerSlap, the competitive slap-fighting league built under Dana White's organization. Both have fought their way into the league's more visible cards, generating some of the viral clips that have introduced the sport to a wider audience.
Beyond the ring, the two fighters have built a friendship and business relationship that has helped them navigate a young sport still finding its footing, from sponsorship deals to managing the physical demands of competing at PowerSlap's highest level.
What Pono & Anthony Blackburn and Sean Kelly Talked About
- How Anthony Blackburn's path into PowerSlap shaped his approach to training and competing
- Why PowerSlap fighters' clips keep going viral and what that means for the sport's growth
- The mental game fighters rely on before stepping into the PowerSlap box
- How size and physicality factor into strategy inside the PowerSlap ring
- What it's like managing a business partnership and a friendship at the same time
- Lessons the fighters have taken from watching Dana White build the league
- What audiences find most surprising when they see PowerSlap live
- Where Pono and Anthony see their upcoming matches and the sport heading next
Why This Conversation Matters
Conversations like this show how a sport can go from internet novelty to a genuine competitive league in a short amount of time. Hearing directly from Pono and Anthony Blackburn about the training, mental preparation, and business decisions behind PowerSlap gives fans a much fuller picture of what it takes to compete at the top of a discipline still being built in real time.
▶ Watch the full episode on YouTube
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About Sean Kelly & the Digital Social Hour
Sean Kelly is an entrepreneur and the host of the Digital Social Hour, one of the fastest-growing interview podcasts in the world, where he sits down with entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and cultural voices for candid, long-form conversations. The show draws over 100 million views a month across platforms. Explore more guest features on SeanKelly.io.
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