This week's question: A 363-pound man known as the Dumpling has been crowned champion of Russia's first "male slapping" contest, in which two competitors take turns forcefully slapping each other's faces, until one gives up. If a film studio were to make a Rocky-like movie about a face-slapper's inspiring journey to the championship, what would it be called?
Click here to see the results of last week's contest: Conway clash
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
THE WINNER: "Borscht Belting"
Art Rodia, Woodbury, Connecticut
SECOND PLACE: "The Sound of One Hand Slapping"
Andru J. Reeve, Waterford, Virginia
THIRD PLACE: "Slapping with the Enemy"
Janine Witte, New Hope, Pennsylvania
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
"Slapped My Way to the Top"
Jill Matthews, Tampa, Florida
"Hands Wide Open"
Ken Liebman, Williston, Vermont
"From Russia without Glove"
Kevin Gillogly, Thousand Oaks, California
"Whack to the Future"
Betsy Gelb, Houston, Texas
"Jowls"
Tina Cramer, Mansfield, Ohio
"Slapping Beauty"
Steve Zeitchik, New York City
"The Man Who Never Cried U.N.C.L.E."
Brent Yamashita, Palo Alto, California
"Cruel Hand Luke"
Steve Doll, Ormond Beach, Florida
"The Face & The Furious"
Chris & Ann Collins, Thousand Oaks, California
"White Men Can’t Thump"
Barbara James, Bedford, Massachusetts
"From Russia with Red Cheeks"
Diane G. Kercher, Tampa, Florida
"The Road to Slappiness"
Jeanne Barnes, Gulf Breeze, Florida
"Hit Men"
Sheldon Friedman, Englewood, Colorado
-
Libya's 'curious' football cup, played in Italy to empty stadiumsUnder The Radar 'Curious collaboration' saw Al-Ahli Tripoli crowned league champions in Milan before a handful of spectators
-
What taxes do you pay on a home sale?The Explainer Some people — though not many — will need to pay capital gains taxes upon selling their home
-
Schools: The return of a dreaded fitness testFeature Donald Trump is bringing the Presidential Fitness Test back to classrooms nationwide
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarrayIn the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
